UK Ends Visa Stickers: New Applicants Now Get an eVisa Only — From 1 July 2026

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has completed its move to a fully digital immigration system. From 1 July 2026, UKVI stopped issuing visa vignette stickers — the physical endorsement placed in a passport — to successful new applicants. Every new visa, whether for tourism, business, study, work or family, is now issued as an eVisa only: an online record of the holder’s immigration status, accessed through a UKVI account rather than printed in the passport.

The change is the final step of a phased rollout. From 25 February 2026, successful visit-visa applicants already stopped receiving a vignette and were issued an eVisa only; the 1 July 2026 update extends that to all remaining routes. The eVisa does not change who qualifies for a UK visa, what documents are required, or the fees — it changes only the format in which permission is granted and proven.

The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for UAE residents, and the large Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Nigerian and Bangladeshi communities in the Emirates account for a substantial share of UK visa applications submitted from the Gulf. If you apply for a UK visa at a visa application centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, this change affects you directly.

In practice, you will no longer collect a passport with a visa sticker inside after a successful decision. Instead, your permission is issued as an eVisa that you view online through your UKVI account. Before flying, you sign in, confirm your eVisa and permission are correct, and ensure your current passport is linked. Carriers and Border Force verify your status digitally against the passport you travel on, so the passport linked to your UKVI account must be the one you carry.

It is important not to confuse the eVisa with the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The ETA is a separate requirement for nationalities that do not need a visa to visit the UK — including Emirati passport holders. If you hold a passport that requires a UK visa (such as an Indian, Pakistani or Filipino passport), you continue to apply for the visa as before; the only difference is that your approved visa is now an eVisa rather than a sticker.

Once your UK visa application is successful, follow these steps before you travel:

This update is based on publicly available information from UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK) and credible UK sources as of 2 July 2026. From 1 July 2026, UKVI stopped issuing visa vignette stickers to successful new applicants, and new UK visas across all routes are issued as an eVisa only. Eligibility, document requirements and visa fees are unchanged. This analysis is provided for informational purposes to help UAE residents understand the change. It does not constitute legal advice. For the latest official information, refer to GOV.UK.