A share code is a code you generate online from your UKVI account to prove your immigration status to someone else, such as an employer or a landlord. They enter it with your date of birth to see your right to work or to rent. A share code lasts for 90 days.
Key points
- You get a share code by signing in to view your eVisa. It is free.
- It lasts 90 days. You can use it as many times as you need and get a new one whenever you want.
- The person checking also needs your date of birth. They do not see your eVisa itself.
- Employers use it for a right to work check and landlords in England for a right to rent check.
- British and Irish citizens do not use a share code. They show a passport or another accepted document.
How a share code works
Your eVisa is the online record of your immigration status. A share code lets someone else check that record without you handing over a document.[1]Home Office, eVisas: View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status
- You sign in to the “View your eVisa and get a share code” service with your UKVI account details.
- The service gives you a code and tells you what the other person will see.
- You give the code and your date of birth to the person who needs to check.
- They enter both on GOV.UK and see your status.
They do not see your eVisa. They see some of your personal details, and the service tells you what those are before you share the code.[1]Home Office, eVisas: View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status
What you need to get one
You need the details you use to sign in to your UKVI account. That could be your passport, national identity card, biometric residence card, an expired biometric residence permit or your UKVI customer number. You also need access to the mobile phone number or email address linked to the account.[1]Home Office, eVisas: View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status
If you have changed your name or nationality, or your photo no longer looks like you, update your UKVI account before you generate a code.
Where a share code is used
| Check | Who asks | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|---|
| Right to work | An employer, before you start | If you are not a British or Irish citizen, you can prove it with a share code or with eligible immigration documents |
| Right to rent | A landlord in England | The same choice applies. You do not need to prove a right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland |
| Travel | A carrier or border official asking for more proof of your status | You can get a share code to prove your status when you travel |
In both the work and the rent check you can choose which option to use. An employer or landlord cannot reject you because you gave an eligible document instead of a share code.[2]Home Office, Prove your right to work to an employer[3]Home Office, Prove your right to rent in England
Example
Amara holds a Skilled Worker visa and is starting a new job on 1 December. On 20 November she signs in to her UKVI account, selects the option to prove her right to work and receives a code. She emails the code and her date of birth to the HR team. They enter both on GOV.UK and see that she has permission to work. The same code would still work if HR checked again in January, because it lasts 90 days.
What people get wrong
A share code is not your visa and it is not permanent. It is a temporary key to a record that sits with the Home Office. When the code expires your status has not changed. You generate a new one.
A share code also only shows what your record says. If the eVisa is wrong, for example the wrong date of birth or the wrong status, the code will show the same mistake. Report an error with your eVisa before you rely on it for a job or a tenancy.[1]Home Office, eVisas: View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status
The bottom line
A share code is how you prove your immigration status online. You generate it from your UKVI account, pass it on with your date of birth, and it works for 90 days. It is free, you can make as many as you need, and for work and rent checks you may use an accepted document instead.
Common questions
90 days. You can use the same code as many times as you need before it expires, and you can generate a new one at any time.
No. If you are not a British or Irish citizen you can use a share code or your eligible immigration documents. GOV.UK says an employer cannot reject you because you chose a document over a share code.
Some of your personal details and the status you are proving. When you generate the code, the service tells you what they will see.
Check that your UKVI account is fully set up. If your eVisa shows but will not produce a code, report it as an error. Your employer or landlord can also ask the Home Office to check.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. eVisas: View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Prove your right to work to an employer. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Prove your right to rent in England. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩