From 15 July 2025: No Passport Sticker for Main Applicants

Starting Tuesday 15 July 2025, the UK Home Office will phase out the traditional 90-day vignette sticker (entry clearance) in passports for main applicants under key visa routes:

Skilled Worker (including Health & Care)

Global Business Mobility

International Sportsperson

Temporary Worker

Student (including short-term study)

Youth Mobility Scheme

Global Talent

Resources: UKCISA+11NHS Employers+11Newland Chase+11Sponsor License Lawyers+11Gherson+11Lewis Silkin+11

Main applicants will now receive only an eVisa, accessible through a UKVI online account using references from their decision letter.

Dependants and children, however, will still be issued both a passport vignette and an eVisa.

What This Means for Travelling

No vignette means:

• You don’t hand over your passport at the VAC.

• Your passport remains untouched, no blank pages needed GOV.UK+3UKCISA+3Mondaq+3GOV.UK+15Lewis Silkin+15DAC Beachcroft+15.

• You can travel straight away, but must:

  • Create a UKVI account

  • Access and check your eVisa

  • Link your travel document (e.g., passport) in the account Dentons+11GOV.UK+11Mondaq+11

Sponsor & Employer Checklist

a) Request your share code + date of birth, via UKVI's "View and Prove" service, so employers can verify your immigration status .

b) Record your date of arrival. Without a vignette, airlines and border control don’t record this—employers must rely on boarding passes or tickets .

c) Right-to-work checks must be performed online using the share code database —paper checks are no longer sufficient after travel.

Step-by-Step Guide for Visa Holders

1. After getting visa approval, create a UKVI account (no cost).

2. Access your eVisa, then review and confirm:

   • Full name

   • Visa type

   • Duration and start date

   • Sponsor/employer details

3. Link your passport via your travel document number.

4. Generate and share a time-limited share code + date of birth with your employer.

5. Save digital boarding pass/ticket as proof of entry date.

6. Once in the UK, your share code allows remote right-to-work verification.

   
   

Why This Matters Now

• Travelling without a vignette doesn’t impact border control—but only if your eVisa is set up properly.

• Penalties apply for inaccurate right-to-work checks.

• Employers must adapt their processes:

  • No physical vignette? Then they must rely on digital verification

  • Must track your arrival using documents, not stamps.