UK Stops Issuing Visa Stickers: Why Your eVisa Account Now Matters More at Check-In

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has stopped putting physical visa stickers, known as vignettes, into passports for successful new applicants. The change took effect on 1 July 2026, and updated carrier guidance now in place confirms airlines check permission to travel through an automated Home Office data response rather than a stamp in the passport.

What's Changing

From 1 July 2026, successful applicants no longer receive a vignette. Instead, they get digital evidence of their immigration status: an eVisa, held and viewed through their UKVI account.

A few points matter more than the headline change:

• Some applicants are also issued a Form for Accompanying an eVisa (FAV), collected in person from the visa application centre and linked to the eVisa. This is a different document from the older "Form for Affixing a Visa", also abbreviated FAV, so carrier staff now have to distinguish between the two.
• At check-in, carriers query the Home Office system directly. A response code of "0A – Valid Permission to Travel Found" clears a passenger to board. Other codes mean staff have to review physical documents by hand before letting someone through.
• Carriers that let a passenger arrive without the correct documentation or permission face a £2,000 charge per passenger under Section 40 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. That is a strong incentive for airlines to enforce the checks strictly rather than wave someone through on the benefit of the doubt.
• British and Irish dual nationals are exempt from this altogether: if one of your nationalities is British or Irish, you travel on that passport and don't need an eVisa in the first place.

When It Takes Effect

The change is already in force. UKVI stopped issuing vignettes to new successful applicants on 1 July 2026, and the updated carrier guidance describing the automated checks has applied since the same date.

What This Means for You

If you hold a UK visa approved recently, or you're expecting one soon, the practical risk isn't the missing sticker. It's a mismatch between what your carrier sees and what your UKVI account actually says.

Before you travel:

• Sign into your UKVI account and check it holds your correct current passport details, particularly if you hold more than one passport or have renewed since your visa was granted.
• Make sure those details match exactly what you give the airline when you book and check in. GOV.UK is direct about this: your carrier may not let you travel if your details are wrong, and you could also be delayed at the border even if you do make the flight.
• Get a share code from your UKVI account before you leave. It's valid for 90 days and can be used more than once, so it's worth having as backup evidence if a carrier or Border Force officer asks for it.

None of this is new paperwork to carry. It's a five-minute account check that's easy to skip precisely because there's no physical sticker left to remind you.

If you're waiting on a UK visa decision or want a second check of your UKVI account details before an upcoming trip, Paramount Visas' personal visa applications team can help, as can our tour support service for groups travelling on UK visas. You can also read the full guidance on GOV.UK, or get in touch with any questions.