The United Kingdom Embassy in Tirana has announced that the immigration system in its country is entering a new phase of digitalization.
According to the announcement, starting today, February 25, visitors who require a visa to enter the United Kingdom will be provided with an electronic visa (eVisa), replacing visas printed in the passport.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is a digital registration that contains:
Your identity and immigration status (e.g. visa type or whether you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK);
The conditions of your status, such as whether you are allowed to work or study.
Electronic visas will gradually replace all physical immigration documents.
What documents are replaced?
Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) have already been replaced by eVisa. The new system will also replace:
Biometric Residence Cards (BRC);
Wet ink stamps or stickers (vignettes) on passports.
Typically, applicants will receive an eVisa after their application for a visa or other type of UK residence permit is successfully approved.
This change aims to increase security, simplify procedures, and modernize the country’s immigration control system.