UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) confirmed on 1 July 2026 that it has stopped issuing visa vignettes (the physical stickers formerly placed in passports). All successful visa applicants now receive a purely digital immigration status (“eVisa”) that is accessed through a UKVI online account. For Cypriot citizens—who frequently use the U.K. both as a business hub and as an onward connection to North America—this marks the end of a transitional period that began in 2024. Holders of existing Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) do not need to take immediate action, but anyone applying after today will rely solely on the eVisa when checking in for flights or demonstrating right-to-rent and right-to-work. Corporate mobility teams should update assignment check-lists: assignees must create a UKVI account, link their passport, and download the share code that airlines, landlords and HR departments will request. Travellers with dual Cypriot–British nationality should be reminded that they must exit Cyprus with the same passport they have linked to their eVisa, or risk problems at automated e-gates on arrival in London and Manchester.
![UK completes switch to eVisas—Cypriot travellers must use digital status from today]()
For Cypriot applicants seeking additional assistance, VisaHQ provides a dedicated service hub that can guide users through each step of the new eVisa process—from opening the UKVI account to retrieving the share codes airlines will ask for. Its Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) supplies updated checklists, live support and practical troubleshooting tips, making the transition from passport stickers to digital status considerably smoother for both individual travelers and corporate mobility teams.
UKVI stresses that eVisas are considered more secure than paper documents because they cannot be lost or tampered with. However, early adopters have reported confusion when airlines attempt to verify status offline. Employers are therefore advised to keep printed instructions at reception desks and to schedule brief refresher sessions with travel-agency partners during July. The Home Office will release further technical guidance later this summer, including an API that will allow third-party relocation platforms to pull real-time status into travel dashboards—a change likely to benefit Cypriot shipping, fintech and professional-services firms that rotate staff through the UK on short-notice assignments.
For Cypriot applicants seeking additional assistance, VisaHQ provides a dedicated service hub that can guide users through each step of the new eVisa process—from opening the UKVI account to retrieving the share codes airlines will ask for. Its Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) supplies updated checklists, live support and practical troubleshooting tips, making the transition from passport stickers to digital status considerably smoother for both individual travelers and corporate mobility teams.
UKVI stresses that eVisas are considered more secure than paper documents because they cannot be lost or tampered with. However, early adopters have reported confusion when airlines attempt to verify status offline. Employers are therefore advised to keep printed instructions at reception desks and to schedule brief refresher sessions with travel-agency partners during July. The Home Office will release further technical guidance later this summer, including an API that will allow third-party relocation platforms to pull real-time status into travel dashboards—a change likely to benefit Cypriot shipping, fintech and professional-services firms that rotate staff through the UK on short-notice assignments.
