What Is a UK eVisa Share Code and How Do You Use It?

If an employer, landlord or airline asks you to prove your immigration status, first establish what they need to check. A share code allows an official online check of your eVisa record. It is not a new visa application or a way to buy permission you do not already hold.

A UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) does not create an eVisa or generate an eVisa share code. Do not search an ETA application portal for a work, rent or residence-status code. If your question is about short-visit permission instead, read our UK ETA guide.

How do you get an eVisa share code?

Start on the official GOV.UK guide to viewing your eVisa and getting a share code. Follow its link to the UKVI view and prove service rather than a search advertisement or an unofficial application website.

1. Sign in using the details associated with your UKVI account. Have access to the email address or phone used for sign-in.
2. Check that the identity and immigration status shown belong to you and are correct.
3. Choose the reason you need to prove your status. Match it to the recipient's actual check.
4. Generate the share code and review the information the service says will be visible.
5. Send the code and your date of birth securely to the person carrying out that check.

The recipient uses the appropriate official checking service. They do not need your UKVI password, access to your email, or the security code used to sign in. A request for those account credentials is different from a legitimate request for a share code.

Which purpose should you choose?

Use the right purpose for the task. An employer checking permission to work needs a right-to-work check; a landlord carrying out a right-to-rent check needs the corresponding purpose. Do not assume that a code produced for one check is interchangeable with a code for another.

For example, if you previously generated a code for a landlord and now have a job offer, return to the service and select the work purpose. This avoids sending the employer a code that does not match the check they must complete.

Does the code expire after one use?

No. The code has a 90-day validity period and can be used repeatedly before it expires. You can obtain a new code whenever needed. Note the expiry when you send it so the recipient knows whether it will still be usable on their checking date.

The code's lifetime is not the lifetime of your permission. Generating another code does not renew a visa, extend a stay or change restrictions on work. Read the status information itself rather than treating possession of a code as proof of unlimited rights.

What should you check before travelling?

Your carrier needs to match your travel document and passenger information to your immigration record. Check the passport you will actually use, particularly after renewal. A passport stored in your UKVI account is not helpful for automatic verification if you give the airline details from a different document.

Follow the official GOV.UK guidance on confirming immigration status to your carrier. If automatic verification fails, it explains using a view and prove share code alongside your valid passport. A code is a checking tool, not a replacement travel document or a guarantee of boarding.

What if the record or sign-in is wrong?

Use the account recovery, update-details or report-an-error routes linked from GOV.UK. Resolve a wrong date of birth, incorrect status or inaccessible account through UKVI rather than submitting an unrelated ETA application. Paying for an ETA cannot repair your eVisa record.

Before an appointment or journey, check that you can sign in and that the intended recipient has a usable code. Keep a note of what you supplied, but avoid publishing the code and date of birth together on social media or in a public forum.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Verify your circumstances and the current procedure with the official sources before travel or a status check.

Key takeaways

• An ETA and an eVisa share code serve different purposes.
• Use UKVI view and prove, choose the appropriate purpose, and supply your date of birth.
• A share code is reusable for 90 days; it does not extend your permission.
• Before travel, match your UKVI document details to your passport and carrier information.