In a landmark modernisation move, the UK Home Office announced on 21 February that all visitor visas issued to Indian citizens will transition to fully digital e-Visas from 25 February 2026, eliminating the need for passport vignette stickers, embossed stamps or Biometric Residence Permits.(timesofvisa.com)
Under the new system, a traveller’s visa status will be stored in a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online account and linked electronically to the passport used during application. Airlines will verify eligibility at check-in via a real-time interface with UKVI, while Border Force officers access the same record upon arrival, potentially cutting queue times at Heathrow and Manchester during the busy summer season.(timesofvisa.com)
Current visa-holders will be migrated automatically in phases, meaning no re-application fees or appointments. However, corporate mobility teams must ensure that employees update the UKVI portal whenever they renew or change passports; mismatched data could lead to airline boarding denials. Dual Indian–British nationals will have to travel on their British passport or carry a valid Certificate of Entitlement.(timesofvisa.com)
![UK replaces physical visa stickers with digital e-Visas for Indian nationals]()
Indian travellers and mobility managers who prefer expert guidance during this shift can turn to VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/). The service offers step-by-step assistance for UK visa applications, real-time tracking, and personalised alerts—plus dedicated support for linking passports to the new UKVI accounts—helping applicants avoid the errors that can lead to last-minute airport issues.
The move dovetails with the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) rollout for visa-exempt nationals and fits a broader trend toward touch-less borders. For Indian companies, it removes courier expenses for document return, accelerates deployment of project teams and mitigates the risk of lost or damaged passports during processing. Travel-management companies are already integrating UKVI API checks into booking tools so that HR can flag passport-visa mismatches before tickets are issued.(timesofvisa.com)
Over the medium term, observers expect the e-Visa platform to pave the way for longer-term digital work permits and real-time compliance auditing—features that could simplify intra-company transfers under the UK-India Migration & Mobility Partnership signed in 2023.
Under the new system, a traveller’s visa status will be stored in a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online account and linked electronically to the passport used during application. Airlines will verify eligibility at check-in via a real-time interface with UKVI, while Border Force officers access the same record upon arrival, potentially cutting queue times at Heathrow and Manchester during the busy summer season.(timesofvisa.com)
Current visa-holders will be migrated automatically in phases, meaning no re-application fees or appointments. However, corporate mobility teams must ensure that employees update the UKVI portal whenever they renew or change passports; mismatched data could lead to airline boarding denials. Dual Indian–British nationals will have to travel on their British passport or carry a valid Certificate of Entitlement.(timesofvisa.com)
Indian travellers and mobility managers who prefer expert guidance during this shift can turn to VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/). The service offers step-by-step assistance for UK visa applications, real-time tracking, and personalised alerts—plus dedicated support for linking passports to the new UKVI accounts—helping applicants avoid the errors that can lead to last-minute airport issues.
The move dovetails with the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) rollout for visa-exempt nationals and fits a broader trend toward touch-less borders. For Indian companies, it removes courier expenses for document return, accelerates deployment of project teams and mitigates the risk of lost or damaged passports during processing. Travel-management companies are already integrating UKVI API checks into booking tools so that HR can flag passport-visa mismatches before tickets are issued.(timesofvisa.com)
Over the medium term, observers expect the e-Visa platform to pave the way for longer-term digital work permits and real-time compliance auditing—features that could simplify intra-company transfers under the UK-India Migration & Mobility Partnership signed in 2023.
