UK Releases eVisa Guide for Nigerians, Other Foreigners

The United Kingdom has published a new guide to help Nigerians and other foreign nationals access their electronic immigration status through its eVisa system.

The guidelines, released by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), explain the steps visa holders must follow to create an account, confirm their identities and connect their immigration records to their digital accounts.

The agency shared the instructions in an infographic posted on its official X account on Monday, November 9, 2026.

An eVisa is a digital record that contains an individual’s personal information and immigration status in the UK. It shows the type of permission granted to a person, including whether they have indefinite leave to remain, as well as the conditions attached to their stay.

The UK government explained that electronic visas have replaced physical immigration documents. This means that people granted a UK visa or other permission to stay in the country will receive an eVisa instead of relying on traditional paper-based immigration records.

Under the new guidelines, applicants are expected to begin by completing their visa applications through the British government’s official website, GOV.UK.

Depending on the type of visa being requested, applicants may also be required to submit their biometric information and confirm their identities at an approved Visa Application Centre.

After submitting an application, individuals will receive an email notification informing them of the decision reached by UK Visas and Immigration. Applicants have been advised to check their spam and junk folders regularly to avoid missing important messages from the agency.

Those whose applications are approved must then create a UKVI account through the official eVisa portal at gov.uk/evisa. They are expected to follow the instructions on the platform until their accounts are successfully registered.

The next stage involves confirming their identities and connecting their accounts to their electronic immigration records. This is done by signing into the UKVI account and using the UK Immigration: ID Check application to complete the identity verification process.

Once the verification and account-linking process is completed, users will be able to access their electronic visa records online.

UKVI will also send an email notification directing successful applicants to view their immigration status digitally.

The agency has advised eVisa holders to carefully check their online records to ensure that their names, personal information and immigration details are correct, particularly before making travel arrangements.

The UK government also clarified that creating a UKVI account and accessing an eVisa do not attract any charges, as both services are free.