The UK now has a largely digital immigration system. Your Student visa may be issued as a physical document, a digital document, or a combination of both.
- eVisa: an online record of your immigration status. See GOV.UK: Create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
- Vignette: a visa sticker placed in your passport following a successful entry clearance application, allowing you to travel to the UK. Vignettes are being phased out from July 2025, so you may not receive one.
- Visa decision letter: following a successful visa application, this is issued as a physical letter or PDF sent via email. It states key information such as your visa expiry date
When your visa is issued – important next steps
You will need to access, view and share your eVisa information with the University to ensure a smooth journey to the UK and registration process.
- Create a UKVI account. Follow the instructions in your visa decision letter. Additional guidance available at GOV.UK: Create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
- Access your eVisa and check the details are correct. Additional guidance available at GOV.UK: Check your eVisa is correct before you travel.
- Link your passport to your eVisa account. If you applied from outside the UK it is essential to do this before travelling. Sign in to your UKVI account to check that your eVisa is linked to your current passport or travel document.
- Generate a share code which you must provide to the University, so that we can verify your immigration status as part of the registration process. Visit GOV.UK: View and prove your immigration status and follow the steps to sign in and generate a code. Choose the reason ‘something else’. The share code needs to begin with the letter ‘S’ for Study.
- Upload your eVisa share code to the our Digital Visa Status Form (Microsoft Form).
If you will be starting a new course, providing your share code in advance via the above form will help to avoid delays with your university registration. Completing your in-person registration requires you to follow the steps for your specific situation on the University’s in-person registration webpages, so please ensure you have also followed those essential steps, such as booking an appointment or attending a student service centre to have your passport and vignette scanned, where applicable.
While you are a registered student, if you extend your Student visa, obtain a new visa in a different immigration category, or obtain a new passport, you will need to provide us with your new immigration documents on a walk-in basis at any Student Service Centre.
See Your immigration responsibilities for more information.
Travelling with your eVisa
If you apply for your visa from outside the UK, you must only travel to the UK after the start date (‘valid from’ date) on your eVisa or vignette, and before your registration deadline. You must enter the UK after the start date of your Student visa permission in order to have the correct immigration permission to register at the University.
You should get a share code to prove your immigration status before you travel to the UK. Your carrier (e.g. airline) may ask to see it. A share code is valid for 90 days. You will also need your passport/travel document when you travel to the UK.
You can watch a video on how to travel with your eVisa.
When you arrive in the UK, your passport may be stamped with the entry date by a border officer, but this does not always happen. If you enter via eGates at an airport, your passport will not be stamped - see eGates guidance below.
Keep your boarding pass (paper or digital), in case your passport is not stamped, as you will be asked to show this when you register in-person at the university to evidence your date of entry to the UK.
You will not usually need to show your visa decision letter/email at the UK border, but we recommend you have a copy saved on your device or a printed copy in your hand luggage, which you should show to the border officer on arrival to the UK, if requested.
Checking your visa details
It is essential to carefully check that the information on your eVisa is accurate and promptly report any errors to the UKVI. It is particularly important to do this before you travel the UK. Use the view and prove your immigration status service to check your visa details display correctly. If your immigration status is not displayed or is displaying incorrectly, report an error with your eVisa and also contact the university's Visa and Immigration team for advice.
- Check your visa end date, which should include the full duration of your course plus a 'wrap-up period'. See our visa duration page for guidance on how long this should be. Make a note of your visa expiry date – if you need to apply for a new visa you will need to do this before your current visa expires
- Check the biographical details such as name, date of birth and nationality are correct
On your visa decision letter:
- Check the sponsor licence number is correct - the University of Nottingham sponsor licence number is RFDX42DB2.
- Check how many hours you are allowed to work in the UK during term-time, which should be 20 hours per week, or 10 hours per week for students studying courses below degree level.
You also need to ensure that you understand and abide by the conditions of your visa, as this is your responsibility.