If you’re planning to study or work in the UK, there’s a major update you need to know about. From July 15, 2025, the UK government has officially phased out traditional visa stickers (vignettes) in passports for students and skilled workers. Instead, applicants will now receive a digital eVisa—a move that’s part of the UK’s broader plan to fully digitize its immigration system.
Goodbye to Passport Stickers
Until now, successful applicants for student or work visas received a vignette sticker stamped inside their passport. This has now been replaced with a digital immigration status, accessible through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account.
While biometrics are still required, the process has become more streamlined. According to the UK government:
“From July 15, online applications will allow you to submit biometrics and collect your passport on the same day, so you don’t have to come back to the Visa Application Centre again.”
Applicants will continue to receive visa decisions by email, following standard UKVI processing timelines.
Who Still Gets a Vignette?
Not every category has gone fully digital yet. Dependants and routes outside of study or work will continue to receive passport vignettes for now. This includes:
- Family members accompanying main applicants
- Visitor visas
- Settlement visas and other categories
The government clarified:
“You’ll still get a vignette if you apply as a dependant for any visa or as a main applicant for visas other than work or study.”
The UK’s Digital Immigration System
The eVisa rollout is part of the UK’s phased digital shift in immigration records, eliminating the need for physical paperwork such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs). Going forward, all records will be linked directly to an individual’s UKVI account.
Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to India, explained:
“These changes to the UK visa system will make it much simpler for students and workers to prove their identity and visa status. It also means applicants can hold onto their passports, saving them time.”
Who Gets an eVisa Now?
EVisas are currently being issued to main applicants under the following categories:
- Student visas, including short-term study (up to 11 months)
- Skilled Worker visas, including health and care roles
- Global Business Mobility routes: Senior or specialist worker, graduate trainee, UK expansion worker, service supplier, secondment worker
- Global Talent visa
- International Sportsperson visa
- Temporary Worker visas: charity, creative, religious, government-authorised exchange, international agreement
- Youth Mobility Scheme
Setting Up a UKVI Account
To access their eVisa, applicants must create a UKVI online account. This requirement applies to:
- Anyone granted a visa through a digital notice (via a decision letter or Form for Affixing a Visa – FAV)
- Individuals without a valid identity document (expired BRP or passport)
All existing BRP holders will eventually need to transition to the digital system by setting up their UKVI accounts.
Final Thoughts
The UK’s move to eVisas marks the beginning of a fully digital immigration system. For students and skilled workers, this means a faster, simpler process, less paperwork, and no need to give up your passport for long periods.
For now, dependants and visitors will still get physical visas, but the long-term plan is clear—all visa categories will eventually go digital.
If you’re planning to move to the UK in 2025 or later, set up your UKVI account early and familiarize yourself with the online process to avoid delays.
