What happened
The British High Commission in Islamabad said on Wednesday 25 February 2026 that Pakistani visitors travelling to the United Kingdom — including tourists, those visiting family, and business travellers — will now be issued an e-visa rather than a physical sticker placed in their passport, completing a rollout that began in 2025. The change was announced in a statement released by the high commission and by British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in a video message posted on her X account the same day.
Applicants will continue to submit their applications online and visit a visa application centre to provide biometrics. Successful applicants will instead receive a digital record of their immigration status accessible through an online UK Visas and Immigration account. Travellers will no longer need to attend a visa application centre a second time to collect their passport and will hold on to their passports after the biometrics session.
The high commission said applicants can generate a share code to prove their visa status at borders and elsewhere, and that there is no change to visa processing times, eligibility criteria or conditions. Marriott described the change as a “hugely exciting step” for Pakistanis travelling to the UK, noting that the new share-code system “makes it easier than ever to demonstrate your visa status.”
How the rollout got here
The UK government first announced in 2024 that its immigration system was transitioning to a fully digital format, replacing physical documents with an online immigration system. In July 2025, an e-visa system was introduced for Pakistanis but was limited to study or work visas, leaving general visitor applicants to obtain a physical sticker. The 25 February 2026 announcement extends the digital format to visitor categories, bringing Pakistan in line with the wider UK e-visa transition.
The visitor-visa expansion is the first major change since the 2025 study-and-work pilot, and the high commission said “nearly all visitors going to the UK can now use the new e-visa service when they travel.” Marriott added that under the new system, travellers will be able to keep their passports with them as they will not be required to hand them in, and that “the process and application timelines have not changed.”
Why it matters for Pakistani travellers
Removing the second visa-centre visit cuts a return trip that often took the better part of a working day in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi. Holding on to the passport throughout also reduces the risk of lost or damaged documents during the visa process, a recurring complaint among Pakistani applicants in recent years. For families with relatives in the UK, the change simplifies the path for parents, adult children and others who travel frequently for visits.
The British High Commission framed the move as part of the UK government’s broader effort to digitalise immigration status and reduce the risk of lost or damaged documents. The shift does not alter the underlying eligibility rules, biometrics requirements, or the need to apply in advance, and it does not introduce visa-free entry for Pakistani nationals.
What is still uncertain
The high commission did not announce any change to visa fees or processing times, and the rollout across Pakistan’s visa application centres will depend on appointment availability in the coming weeks. It also remains to be seen whether the share-code system is consistently accepted at UK border posts, and whether the visitor stream will eventually be folded into the same UKVI account as study and work categories. The high commission said the system already covers “nearly all visitors” but did not specify any visitor sub-categories still outside the e-visa.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 25 February 2026.
- UK Government — "Pakistani visitors to the UK can now use eVisas"Published 25 Feb 2026 · The British High Commission's primary announcement of the visitor e-visa rollout, including Jane Marriott's statement on the share-code system and the no-second-visit-to-the-centre change.
- Dawn — "E-visas introduced for Pakistanis travelling to UK"Published 25 Feb 2026 · Independent Pakistani coverage of the high commission statement, the prior July 2025 study-and-work pilot, the 2024 transition announcement, and Marriott's X video message.
