Published June 1, 2026

The UK eVisa Switch: What It Means for Your Translated Documents in 2026

BRPs are gone. Your visa lives in a UKVI account now. Here's where translation still matters — written for real applicants, not policy nerds.

You logged into your UKVI account. A screen told you your status is now "digital," and you felt a bit uneasy. No card. No sticker in your passport. Just a login. That is fine. Millions of people are in the same position. But it raises a fair question. If everything is digital now, can you stop worrying about translated documents?

Short answer: no. The way you store your status changed. The rules about what evidence you submit, in what language, did not.

This post covers what the eVisa switch really changed. It shows where translation still comes up, and the few situations that catch people out. No jargon — just the parts that affect you.

What actually changed (the two-minute version)

In the last years of the BRP, the Home Office moved everyone to eVisas. An eVisa is a record of your immigration status held online. You reach it through your UKVI account. Instead of carrying a plastic card, you log in and the system shows your status. You can give employers, landlords and border officers a share code to view it.

That's really the whole change in plain terms. A different storage format. The visa rules under it didn't move.

Why this matters for translations

People assume "digital" means "simpler." It does not. You still have to prove things: apply for a new route, add a family member, replace a lost document, or satisfy an employer in another country. Each of those means uploading evidence. If that evidence is not in English or Welsh, UKVI still wants a certified translation. The switch changed nothing there.

Where translation still comes in

Here are the five cases we see most often. If one applies to you, plan for a certified translation, just as you would have under the old BRP system.

1

Creating or verifying your UKVI account with a foreign-issued ID

You may set up an account with a non-UK identity document. UKVI may then ask for backup evidence, such as older immigration papers, a foreign-language ID or a name-change document. Anything not in English needs a certified translation before UKVI staff can use it.

2

Switching visa routes from inside the UK

Moving from Student to Graduate, or Skilled Worker to spouse, or any route to settlement, still calls for the full evidence list of the new route. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial papers: the translation rules have not changed.

3

Adding family members to an application

Each dependant brings their own evidence: a birth certificate, proof of the relationship, sometimes a police certificate. Those documents must be in English. It makes no difference that the main applicant's status is digital.

4

Replacing a lost BRP or proving historical status

Plenty of people still need to prove what their status used to be. It comes up for a mortgage, a tribunal or a check by a foreign government. If the document behind it is in another language, such as an old entry vignette or a foreign police clearance, a certified translation is still the answer.

5

Sharing your status with employers, landlords, or governments abroad

A share code works inside the UK. Abroad, people often ask for a printed or translated record instead. The translation is not for UKVI here. It is for the foreign office that does not know the UKVI share-code system.

BRP era vs eVisa era — what actually feels different

Step	BRP era	eVisa era
Proof of status	Plastic card you carried	Login to UKVI account, share code
Where you upload evidence	Online form during application	Online form during application (unchanged)
Translation rule	Certified English translation if document is not in English/Welsh	Identical — no change
Format accepted	PDF upload during application	PDF upload during application
Showing status to a landlord	Show the BRP	Generate a share code, send the link
Travelling abroad	BRP in your wallet	Make sure your passport is linked to your account before you fly

Common confusions — and the honest answers

"My eVisa is digital, so my translation can be too."

Half true. Translations have always come as PDFs for online applications. You still need a proper certification page from the translator, though. A screenshot from Google Translate will not do.

"The Home Office can see my foreign documents already."

No. UKVI has no link to your home country's civil registry. It sees only what you upload. Anything in another language needs a translation with it.

"Translations I got for my old BRP application are useless now."

Usually false. A translation does not expire because your status format changed. If the original document is still valid, such as a birth or marriage certificate, you can often reuse the same certified translation.

"A share code is enough proof for everything."

Inside the UK, mostly yes. Abroad, often no. Foreign banks, employers and immigration offices often want a translated record they can print.

A small but real risk: the rushed reapplication

We see this often. Your status looks fine in your UKVI account, so you assume the next application will be light on paperwork. That could be an extension, a switch or settlement. It usually is not light. By the time you spot that birth and marriage certificates need translating, the deadline is days away. The fix is dull but it works: check the document list for your next step, not your current one, and start the translations early.

Frequently asked questions

Does my eVisa expire?

Your immigration permission ends on the same date it did on your BRP. The eVisa is only how that permission is shown. The account itself does not expire. The leave it displays does. Once that runs out, you need a new application with new evidence.

Do I need to translate documents I already translated for my BRP application?

Usually no. If the document has not changed, the certified translation you already have should still be fine. That covers a birth certificate, an old marriage certificate or a degree certificate. Translate again only if the original is reissued in a new format, or if you cannot find the certification file.

Can I just use Google Translate now that everything is digital?

No. The UKVI rule is clear. A professional translator must do the work. The translation must carry a signed certification statement with the translator's name, contact details and the date. The file may land in a digital inbox, but that does not change who may produce it.

My partner is joining me on a dependant visa. Whose documents need translating?

Theirs. Every applicant brings their own set of documents. Your status being digital does not free their birth certificate, police certificate or marriage certificate from the English-language rule.

I'm abroad and my employer there wants proof of my UK status. The share code isn't enough — now what?

This comes up a lot. Create the share-code summary PDF, then have a certified translator turn it into the local language. For many foreign HR and immigration teams, that is the only format they will keep on file.

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