Britain’s Home Office has confirmed that, starting 25 February 2026, all new UK visitor visas issued to Indian nationals will be entirely digital. Physical vignette stickers, Biometric Residence Permits and embossed stamps will be phased out in favour of an e-Visa linked to a traveller’s passport and managed through a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online account.
Airlines will verify e-Visa status at check-in, and border officers will access the same record on arrival, a move officials say will cut fraud and speed up clearance. Existing visa-holders will be migrated automatically to digital status in stages; no re-application is required.
The digital overhaul dovetails with the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) programme, which becomes mandatory for visa-exempt nationals later this year. Indian dual nationals must ensure they present their British or Irish passport—or a valid Certificate of Entitlement—when the change takes effect.
![UK to Replace Physical Visas with e-Visas for Indians from 25 February]()
If you need assistance navigating the shift to e-Visas, VisaHQ can guide you through every step—from completing online forms to keeping your passport details current—via its streamlined portal for Indian travellers at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Employers and global-mobility teams should update travel policies: passports used for bookings must match those stored in UKVI accounts, and staff must download or print the e-Visa confirmation before departure. Failure to hold the correct digital permission could result in airline boarding denials.
The shift removes courier costs and the risk of lost documents but places greater onus on travellers to keep passport details current in the UKVI system.
Airlines will verify e-Visa status at check-in, and border officers will access the same record on arrival, a move officials say will cut fraud and speed up clearance. Existing visa-holders will be migrated automatically to digital status in stages; no re-application is required.
The digital overhaul dovetails with the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) programme, which becomes mandatory for visa-exempt nationals later this year. Indian dual nationals must ensure they present their British or Irish passport—or a valid Certificate of Entitlement—when the change takes effect.
If you need assistance navigating the shift to e-Visas, VisaHQ can guide you through every step—from completing online forms to keeping your passport details current—via its streamlined portal for Indian travellers at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Employers and global-mobility teams should update travel policies: passports used for bookings must match those stored in UKVI accounts, and staff must download or print the e-Visa confirmation before departure. Failure to hold the correct digital permission could result in airline boarding denials.
The shift removes courier costs and the risk of lost documents but places greater onus on travellers to keep passport details current in the UKVI system.
