UK Visas and Immigration stopped issuing vignettes — the stickers placed in passports — on 1 July 2026, for every visa category. Visitor visas had moved to the electronic format earlier in the year.
What changes for a visitor
- You keep your passport. You show it at the visa application centre when you give fingerprints and take it home the same day.
- The visa is a record, not a sticker. It is linked to the number of the passport you applied with. If you renew the passport, the record has to be updated before you travel.
- You need a UKVI account. That is where the visa status is shown — and what an airline checks before boarding.
- Some applicants also get a paper form that accompanies the eVisa (FAV). If you need one, the decision email says so, and you collect it from the visa centre.
What has not changed
The application itself: the form and payment on gov.uk, fingerprints at a visa centre, a decision in about three weeks. The fee has been £135 for a stay of up to six months since 8 April 2026.
Before the trip, sign in to the account and make sure the visa shows against your current passport. A visa that cannot be seen there is the commonest reason for trouble at check-in.