International visa · United Kingdom
UK visa check: eVisa and share codes
A UK visa status check used to mean a sticker in your passport and a TLScontact login. Neither is the full picture from Saudi Arabia any more. The UK now issues eVisas instead of physical documents, proves status with a share code rather than a document, and moved its Saudi Arabia application centres from TLScontact to VFS Global. This page covers all three, with the current official links.
Portal steps last verified 24 July 2026
How to check your UK visa status today
A UK visa status check now runs through your own UKVI account rather than a sticker or card. Sign in, view your eVisa, and generate a share code if someone else needs to see your status. Here is the full sequence.
- Open the "View and prove your immigration status" service using the button below.
- Sign in with your UKVI account, using the passport or identity document from your visa application.
- Confirm your identity if asked, usually through the free "UK Immigration: ID Check" app on your phone.
- Read your eVisa: it shows your immigration status, your conditions, and the dates it runs from and to.
- Select "Get a share code" if an employer, landlord, university or airline needs to see your status.
- Send the 9-character code, plus your date of birth, to whoever asked for it.
You enter your details on gov.uk, the government site, not here. You sign in on gov.uk, the government site, not here.
What is a UK eVisa, and what happened to the BRP?
An eVisa is a digital record of your identity and immigration status, held in your UKVI account rather than printed on paper or plastic. It replaced the biometric residence permit (BRP) card as the main way most people prove their UK status. If your passport still carries an older visa vignette sticker, that sticker stays valid until its own printed expiry date, so you do not need to do anything about it before then.
For a resident of Saudi Arabia applying from here, the practical change is where the proof lives. It sits online now, tied to your UKVI account, your passport details and the mobile number or email you registered. Anyone asking to see your right to work, rent or study in the UK should now ask for a share code rather than a physical card.
How to generate and use a UK eVisa share code
A share code is a temporary reference that lets an employer, landlord or other checker see your immigration status without you handing over a screenshot or a document. You generate it from your own UKVI account, and it works for exactly the type of check the recipient runs.
| What you want to prove | Where to start | Who checks the code |
|---|---|---|
| Right to work in the UK | "Prove your right to work" service on GOV.UK | An employer, using the Home Office employer checking service |
| Right to rent property | "View and prove your immigration status" on GOV.UK | A landlord or letting agent |
| General identity or travel status | "View and prove your immigration status" on GOV.UK | A university, bank, or border officer, depending on the request |
Once created, a share code lasts 90 days and can be reused as many times as needed within that window. Generate a fresh one once it expires, or earlier if you prefer. You always send the recipient the code plus your date of birth, since both are needed to look up the record.
Track a UK visa application: TLScontact to VFS Global
Many older guides, and some old bookmarks, point applicants in Saudi Arabia to TLScontact for tracking a UK visa application. That changed. The Home Office moved its worldwide network of visa application centres, including the ones in Riyadh and Jeddah, from TLScontact to VFS Global as part of a switch that ran across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and finished in early 2025. If a TLScontact login or link no longer works for a Saudi Arabia application, this is why.
| GOV.UK / UKVI account | VFS Global (Saudi Arabia) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | UK Visas and Immigration (the Home Office) | VFS Global, the Home Office's commercial partner since the TLScontact handover |
| What it decides | The actual visa decision, and your eVisa once granted | Nothing. It does not decide applications |
| What it handles | Applying online, paying the fee, viewing your eVisa, share codes | Biometric appointments, document scanning, optional services, passport or BRP return |
| Where in Saudi Arabia | Anywhere with internet access | Application centres in Riyadh and Jeddah |
To track document return or a booked biometric appointment today, use the VFS Global portal for Saudi Arabia rather than searching for a TLScontact login. VFS Global is not involved in the visa decision itself, so a status change on the decision only ever shows on GOV.UK or in your UKVI account.
You enter your details on visa.vfsglobal.com, the government site, not here. Appointment and document tracking run through vfsglobal.com, not here.
Applying for a UK visa from Saudi Arabia
Applications start on GOV.UK, not at a VFS Global centre. You fill in the online form, pay the fee, then book a biometric appointment at the Riyadh or Jeddah centre to submit your fingerprints, photo and supporting documents. If you are working in the Kingdom, keep a copy of your iqama (إقامة), the the residence permit and national ID number issued to a foreign resident of Saudi Arabia, and your employment letter ready, since sponsors and evidence of your status in Saudi Arabia are common supporting documents for a visit or work application.
Not sure which country's visa checker applies to a document you already hold? Our directory of visa checkers by country lists the official portal for dozens of destinations in one searchable table. Tracking a Schengen application instead of a UK one? See how we track Schengen visa applications from Saudi Arabia for the VFS, BLS and TLS split by member state.
If you cannot access your eVisa or share code
A UKVI account that will not load your eVisa is usually one of a few common causes. Work through these before contacting the Home Office directly:
- Check you are signing in with the same passport or identity document used in the original application, since a renewed passport with a new number can block the match.
- Confirm the mobile number or email on the account is still one you can access, since identity checks are sent there.
- Try the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app again if identity verification fails, and make sure its own app is updated.
- If your visa was granted very recently, allow a few days for the eVisa to appear before assuming something is wrong.
This page explains the current UK process; it cannot see or change your case. For anything about a specific application, contact UK Visas and Immigration directly, or your VFS Global centre for a booked appointment. Start again from our visa check hub if you need a Saudi portal instead of a UK one.
UK visa check: common questions
How do I check my UK visa status online?
Sign in to your UKVI account at view-immigration-status.service.gov.uk/status with your passport or identity document. The screen shows your current immigration status as an eVisa. From there you can also generate a share code to prove that status to an employer, landlord, or airline without showing the screen itself.
What is a UK eVisa share code, and how long does it last?
A share code is a short reference, generated from your UKVI account, that lets someone else view your immigration status online. It lasts 90 days from the day you create it and can be used more than once in that time. You can generate a new one whenever the old one runs out.
Do I still have a physical UK visa document?
Most applicants no longer do. eVisas have replaced physical documents such as biometric residence permits (BRPs) for proving status. A visa vignette (sticker) already in your passport stays valid until its own printed expiry date, but new grants of status are digital only, held in your UKVI account.
Why does my UK visa tracking portal say VFS Global instead of TLScontact?
The UK Home Office moved its overseas visa application centres, including those in Saudi Arabia, from TLScontact to VFS Global as part of a worldwide switch completed in early 2025. An old TLScontact bookmark or login may no longer work. Use the VFS Global portal for your country of application instead.
Can I check a UK visa application from inside Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The visa decision itself comes from UK Visas and Immigration, checked through your GOV.UK or UKVI account from anywhere, including Saudi Arabia. The commercial partner in Saudi Arabia, VFS Global, handles biometrics, document return and its own application dashboard alongside that.
What do I need to view my UK eVisa for the first time?
You need the passport or identity document used in your visa application, plus access to the mobile number or email address on file with the Home Office. Most applicants also confirm their identity through the free "UK Immigration: ID Check" app before their UKVI account shows the eVisa.
How do I check a UK visa application status by GWF number?
A GWF reference identifies your online application to UK Visas and Immigration, and it appears on your confirmation email and payment receipt. It does not give a live tracker on its own. Use it when you contact UK Visas and Immigration, or enter it on your visa application centre dashboard to see document return status.
Keep going
More visa checks for Saudi residents
This is part of our Saudi and GCC visa check hub, which lists the right official portal for every kind of visa, with exact steps and free tools. Planning to leave Saudi Arabia for good? Work out your Saudi end of service pay before you go.