UK share codes explained

If you have an eVisa, you prove your right to work, your right to rent or your immigration status with a share code from GOV.UK. Here's what a share code is, how to get one and what to send with it.

Updated 3 November 2026. Every fact here comes from GOV.UK, linked below.

What is a share code?

A share code is a 9-character code, such as W7K 2QP 9XM, that lets someone see part of your immigration status online. You make it in your UKVI account on GOV.UK and give it to the person who needs to check, together with your date of birth. You don't need to show them your eVisa itself.

The three kinds of share code

You choose why you need the code when you make it. The first letter tells you which kind it is.

Each kind is checked on its own GOV.UK page, so send the kind you were asked for: an employer needs a code that starts with W.

How to get a share code

1. Go to View and prove your immigration status on GOV.UK and sign in to your UKVI account.
2. Choose why you need the code: work, renting or something else.
3. Copy the code GOV.UK shows you.

It's free, and you can make a new code whenever you need one.

How long does a share code last?

GOV.UK says a share code lasts for 90 days. You can use it as many times as you need until it ends. After that, make a new one.

What to send with it

Send the code and your date of birth. The person checking enters both on the GOV.UK page for that kind of code. When you make the code, GOV.UK tells you which of your details they'll see.

Keep your codes ready

ShareCodeStatus is an iPhone app that keeps your share codes, and your family's, in one place. Paste a code and it knows the kind from the first letter, counts the days it has left and warns you before it ends. When someone asks, it writes the message for you, with your date of birth and the right GOV.UK link. See what the app does.