From 26 February 2026 paper vignettes certifying a person’s Right of Abode in the United Kingdom are no longer valid: they have been replaced by fully digital Certificates of Entitlement (CoE). The change flows from Statutory Instrument 2026/95, which came into force on the same day, and forms part of the UK Home Office’s broader eVisa strategy. While Irish citizens do not need permission to live or work in the UK, thousands of Irish-born dual nationals—and spouses or children travelling on non-Irish passports—rely on a CoE to prove their right to enter and reside without immigration time limits. Airlines operating the busy Dublin, Cork and Shannon routes into Britain must now verify a digital record rather than a passport vignette, a process that requires passengers to set up a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and link it to their current passport. The Home Office says more than 10 million eVisas have already been issued and stresses that digital status will make it harder for organised crime to forge documents. Nevertheless, carriers have just weeks to train staff and upgrade document-check apps before the Easter travel surge. Ryanair told the Irish Corporate Travel Association that it will add a “UK eDocument” field to its web check-in flow, while Aer Lingus plans a pop-up reminder in its mobile app.
![UK digitises Right-of-Abode certificates, affecting Irish-born British citizens and carriers from Dublin]()
For travellers who need assistance navigating these changes, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal offers clear, up-to-date guidance on obtaining the new digital Certificate of Entitlement, including step-by-step instructions for setting up a UKVI account and generating share codes. Their team can also support wider UK and global visa needs—see https://www.visahq.com/ireland/ for details.
Mobility teams moving employees between Irish and UK entities should alert staff who hold (or may need) a CoE. The key action is to create a UKVI account, upload a passport scan and share the auto-generated “share code” with airlines or employers on request. Failure to do so could lead to refused boarding or delays at eGates. Immigration lawyers note one grey area: individuals whose physical vignette expired before 26 February will have to submit a fresh application rather than benefit from the automatic digitisation process. Companies scheduling March kick-off meetings in London are advised to check the status of attendees well in advance.
For travellers who need assistance navigating these changes, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal offers clear, up-to-date guidance on obtaining the new digital Certificate of Entitlement, including step-by-step instructions for setting up a UKVI account and generating share codes. Their team can also support wider UK and global visa needs—see https://www.visahq.com/ireland/ for details.
Mobility teams moving employees between Irish and UK entities should alert staff who hold (or may need) a CoE. The key action is to create a UKVI account, upload a passport scan and share the auto-generated “share code” with airlines or employers on request. Failure to do so could lead to refused boarding or delays at eGates. Immigration lawyers note one grey area: individuals whose physical vignette expired before 26 February will have to submit a fresh application rather than benefit from the automatic digitisation process. Companies scheduling March kick-off meetings in London are advised to check the status of attendees well in advance.
