The United Kingdom will start issuing digital eVisas to most Nigerians applying for study or work visas from July 15, 2025.
The British High Commission in Abuja announced the new system on Wednesday. Instead of getting a physical visa sticker in their passport, successful applicants will now receive a secure online eVisa. This is part of the UK’s plan to create a modern and safer immigration process.
The digital eVisa will be available to most Nigerians seeking to study or work in the UK. However, dependents such as spouses or children, and those applying for visitor visas, will still get the old visa sticker for now.
Anyone who applied before July 15 will continue with the current process. They will still need to submit their passport at the Visa Application Centre and receive a physical sticker.
Applicants must still visit the Visa Application Centre to provide their fingerprints and photo. But if they do not need a visa sticker, their passport will be returned the same day.
Once a visa is approved, applicants will get an email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). They must then create a UKVI account, where they can access their eVisa and check their immigration status.
According to Gill Lever, the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires, “We’re making it easier and faster for Nigerians to travel to the UK. From 15 July 2025, most people applying for study or work visas will get a digital eVisa instead of a visa sticker in their passport. This is a big step towards a fully digital UK immigration system, making the process more secure, more efficient, and more convenient for students, professionals, and families.”
For now, dependents and visitors will still receive physical visa stickers. People with a UKVI account can use the “View and Prove” service online to share their immigration status with employers or landlords in England.
