Beginning 25 February 2026 the United Kingdom completed the last phase of its border-digitisation programme and stopped issuing physical visa vignettes to most Indian nationals. Travellers who receive any category of UK visa now get a purely electronic record—an eVisa—linked to their passport through a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) account. Airlines are required to verify the eVisa (or an Electronic Travel Authorisation for visa-exempt nationals) before allowing passengers to board, and carriers can refuse boarding if no digital permission is found. For Indian applicants the application journey remains familiar—an online form, fee payment and an in-person visit to a VFS centre for biometrics—but the passport no longer stays “in custody” with UKVI. That small procedural tweak is a big operational win for business travellers and global-mobility teams: employees keep their passport while the application is processed, meaning critical trips to third countries need not be postponed.
![UK switches to full-digital eVisas for Indian travellers, ending visa stickers]()
For travellers looking for extra support during this transition, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides clear, up-to-date guidance on the UK eVisa process, personalised document checks and optional concierge services, while also helping with applications for dozens of other countries—all from one easy dashboard.
Kolkata’s Deputy High Commission pointed out that more than 5.5 lakh UK visitor visas were issued to Indians in the last reporting year, underlining the scale of the change. The Home Office argues that digital permission cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with and will, over time, support fully contact-less e-gates. eVisa holders must keep their UKVI account up to date with their current passport number to avoid airport mismatches—a new compliance item that relocation managers should add to pre-departure checklists. Corporates should update travel-approval workflows: a screenshot of the UKVI account (showing the eVisa) now replaces the scanned sticker once demanded by internal audit teams. Employees transiting the UK also need digital clearance, so assignment itineraries through Heathrow or Manchester must be booked only after an eVisa is issued. Although the UK charges £16 for its parallel ETA scheme, there is no additional government fee for the eVisa itself beyond the normal visa cost. Looking ahead, the UK government has signalled that biometric residence permits will also migrate into the UKVI portal, eventually enabling a single, app-based proof-of-status system for work-permit holders. Indian assignees already in Britain should therefore prepare for another round of account linking in the months ahead.
For travellers looking for extra support during this transition, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides clear, up-to-date guidance on the UK eVisa process, personalised document checks and optional concierge services, while also helping with applications for dozens of other countries—all from one easy dashboard.
Kolkata’s Deputy High Commission pointed out that more than 5.5 lakh UK visitor visas were issued to Indians in the last reporting year, underlining the scale of the change. The Home Office argues that digital permission cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with and will, over time, support fully contact-less e-gates. eVisa holders must keep their UKVI account up to date with their current passport number to avoid airport mismatches—a new compliance item that relocation managers should add to pre-departure checklists. Corporates should update travel-approval workflows: a screenshot of the UKVI account (showing the eVisa) now replaces the scanned sticker once demanded by internal audit teams. Employees transiting the UK also need digital clearance, so assignment itineraries through Heathrow or Manchester must be booked only after an eVisa is issued. Although the UK charges £16 for its parallel ETA scheme, there is no additional government fee for the eVisa itself beyond the normal visa cost. Looking ahead, the UK government has signalled that biometric residence permits will also migrate into the UKVI portal, eventually enabling a single, app-based proof-of-status system for work-permit holders. Indian assignees already in Britain should therefore prepare for another round of account linking in the months ahead.
