UK FAV and eVisa Travel Records: What To Keep Before You Fly

Checked against GOV.UK sources on September 30, 2026.

The UK has moved new visa applicants into a digital immigration-status system. For some successful applicants, that now means an eVisa plus a Form for Accompanying an eVisa, or FAV.

Short answer: if GOV.UK issues you a FAV, keep the FAV, your UKVI account check, the passport you used, carrier evidence, and your actual UK entry and exit dates as separate records. The FAV is linked to your eVisa, but it is not a Jetseen document, not a tax record, and not a record of the days you spent in the UK.

Jetseen helps you track days. Always consult a qualified tax, legal, or immigration professional for advice specific to your situation.

What is a UK FAV?

GOV.UK says that if you make a successful application for a visa to come to the UK, you will get an eVisa. It also says that if you are issued a Form for Accompanying an eVisa, you will usually need to return to the visa application centre to collect it.

GOV.UK describes the FAV as linked to the eVisa. When linked, it allows you to travel to the UK.

For recordkeeping, treat that as three separate items:

Do not merge those into one note called "UK visa." The eVisa, FAV, passport, carrier check, border decision, and day count all answer different questions.

What changed on July 1, 2026?

GOV.UK updated its eVisa guidance on July 1, 2026. It says UKVI stopped issuing visa vignette stickers to successful new applicants on that date.

The same guidance says successful applicants now get an eVisa. If a FAV is issued, GOV.UK says the applicant will usually need to return to the visa application centre to collect it.

That creates a practical travel-record issue. You may no longer have the old-style vignette in your passport, but you still need to know:

• which passport or travel document you used
• when you checked your UKVI account
• whether GOV.UK issued you a FAV
• where and when you collected it
• which carrier or route you used to travel
• when you entered and left the UK

Those details are much easier to keep as they happen than to rebuild months later.

What should you check before you travel?

GOV.UK tells travellers to sign in to their UKVI account before travelling to view the eVisa and check their permission.

Before check-in, keep a dated note of:

• UKVI account sign-in date
• status shown in the account
• passport or travel-document number connected to the UKVI record
• FAV collection date, if GOV.UK issued one
• airline, flight, and departure airport
• any travel share code you choose to generate
• screenshots or documents you are allowed to retain for your own file

Do not rely on memory if you travel with more than one passport. A clean travel file should show which passport matched the journey.

How do carriers see digital eVisa permission?

GOV.UK carrier guidance says UK visas may be physical or digital eVisas. It also says that, for a passenger with a digital eVisa, a 0A - Valid Permission to Travel Found response through the listed carrier interfaces is satisfactory evidence of permission to travel to the UK.

That is carrier-facing evidence. It does not turn a private app into an official immigration checker.

For your own file, keep:

If a carrier or border officer asks for proof, use the official UKVI and GOV.UK routes. Use Jetseen beside that process to keep your travel timeline and documents organized.

What should not go into a FAV record?

Do not use a FAV record as a shortcut for tax or immigration conclusions.

The FAV is not:

• a UK tax-residence answer
• a count of UK days
• a replacement for checking your UKVI account
• a private-app document
• a promise that every travel step will go smoothly

It is also not the same as a share code. A share code is a separate GOV.UK status-sharing tool, and the broader eVisa recordkeeping steps are covered in our UK eVisa travel records guide.

How to keep FAV and day-count records separate

Use one record set for UK immigration travel proof and one for presence tracking.

This separation matters because a valid travel record does not answer every tax or residency question.

Jetseen can help you log UK entry and exit dates, attach notes, keep passport and document context beside the trip, set reminders, and export CSV records for your own review. It does not create FAVs, verify UKVI status, store an official eVisa, or issue share codes.

A simple pre-flight record checklist

Before you leave for the airport, save:

• the passport you will travel with
• your UKVI account check date
• your eVisa status note
• your FAV collection record, if issued
• the booking reference and flight details
• accommodation or address details, if relevant
• any share code you choose to prepare
• a plan to record the actual UK entry and exit dates after the trip

After the trip, update the record with the actual arrival and departure dates. Those dates are the ones that matter for day tracking.

References

1. 1GOV.UKUpdates on the move to eVisas
2. 2GOV.UKUK visa requirements for international carriers
3. 3GOV.UKeVisas: access and use your online immigration status
4. 4GOV.UK: eVisas: access and use your online immigration status Track the trip beside the official UKVI record Use GOV.UK and UKVI for immigration status. Use Jetseen for the travel timeline that sits next to those official records.Try Jetseen Free for 14 Days