UK eVisa Travel Checklist: Update Your Passport and Prepare a Share Code

Checked on 21 October 2026. A valid UK immigration permission is only useful at check-in if the carrier can match it to the person travelling. Before a flight from Dubai or another Gulf airport, check your eVisa record, the passport linked to your UKVI account and the passenger information held by your airline.

Start with three matching records

GOV.UK says your account must contain current personal and travel-document details, your eVisa must show the correct status, and the information must match what you give the carrier. Incorrect records can lead to boarding problems or border delays.

Open your own account before departure day. Check the passport number, name and status rather than relying only on the original approval email. Make sure you can receive the sign-in messages on your phone or email while abroad.

If you have renewed your passport

Use the official UKVI account-update service to add or change the relevant document details. The update guidance also covers changes to contact information and personal details. It warns that you cannot change your name or travel document through this service while waiting for a visa-application decision.

Updating account details does not change the conditions of your immigration permission. If the status itself is wrong, follow the separate eVisa error-reporting process. If you cannot sign in, use the account-recovery or UKVI support route instead of creating unrelated accounts in the hope that the record will transfer.

Prepare extra proof before check-in

GOV.UK allows travellers to generate a share code as additional evidence of status. A travel share code is valid for 90 days and can be used more than once. Generate it through the official view-and-prove service and keep it accessible with your travel documents.

Where you hold a valid physical immigration document, the official guidance explains when it may be used as additional proof. Do not assume an expired document on its own establishes a current right to travel.

If the airline cannot find your status

UKVI's carrier guidance says travellers can provide a share code or appropriate valid physical evidence together with their passport. If a carrier remains unable to confirm status, it can contact the carrier support hub for advice. The airline remains responsible for its boarding decision.

An ETA is a different form of travel permission and is not a repair tool for an inaccessible eVisa. Resolve the account or document issue through the correct official channel.

Repeat this check after renewing a passport, changing your name or altering the travel document on a booking. A few minutes comparing the records beforehand is more manageable than discovering a mismatch at the airport.