The immigration-law monitoring service Free Movement reported at 10:00 on 19 July that the Home Office has now updated six separate guidance documents to reflect the cessation of physical visa vignettes from 1 July 2026. The latest change log – automatically scraped from GOV.UK – shows that the “Examples of UK visa vignettes” page was amended on 2 July to state unequivocally that stickers are “no longer issued” and that all successful applicants receive digital eVisas only. Carrier-information guidance has been rewritten to explain that travellers whose passports are not recognised by the UK (for example, Cyprus [Northern part] and Somalia) will instead carry a new Form for Accompanying an eVisa (FAV) linked to their digital status. Airlines must scan the FAV barcode to confirm permission-to-travel, replacing the previous inspection of a vignette. The move is a major milestone in the UK’s transition to a fully digital border. For global-mobility teams it removes the logistical headache of collecting passports from overseas assignees for vignette transfer but introduces new risks around account access. If an employee forgets UKVI login credentials at departure, airlines can refuse boarding because no physical sticker exists. Mobility providers are therefore advising travellers to store a PDF copy of their eVisa and to verify that airline DCS systems can read the FAV barcode at out-stations. Employers must also adjust right-to-work processes: commencing 1 October 2026 the revised statutory code will require digital checks for eVisa holders and prohibit photocopying of obsolete vignettes. HR systems should integrate the Home Office API to automate expiry alerts, reducing manual monitoring. Finally, immigration advisers highlight that status errors in the eVisa system must be corrected via an online form; the Home Office has published the first quarterly data on correction volumes, indicating a 2.4 % error-rate – something relocation managers need to track to avoid inadvertent illegal working.
