You can update your UKVI account contact details online if your email address, mobile number, home address or postal address has changed. The important point is to use the correct UK Visas and Immigration service for the type of change you need, because updating your account is not the same as changing a visa application, correcting an eVisa error or reporting a new passport before travel.
Your UKVI account is more than a convenient online profile. It is often how you access your eVisa, receive security codes, view your immigration status and generate share codes for employers, landlords or other checks. If an old phone number or email address is still attached to the account, a simple sign-in can quickly become a small detective story, usually at the least convenient time.
The good news is that most ordinary contact updates are straightforward if you can still sign in. If you cannot access the email address or phone number used for sign-in, you may need to recover the account rather than trying to update it in the usual way. If you are unsure which route applies, Immigration UK can help you understand the difference between an account update, an eVisa problem and a wider immigration application issue.
What UKVI Account Contact Details Can You Update?
UKVI account contact details usually include the information UK Visas and Immigration uses to identify you, contact you and allow secure access to your online immigration status. The main contact details people update are an email address, mobile phone number, home address and postal address.
Your email address and mobile number are especially important because they may be used for sign-in checks and account security. If you change mobile provider, lose access to an old number or stop using an old email account, update the details while you can still receive codes. It is much easier to change a working number than to recover an account after both the old number and old inbox have disappeared.
Your home address is your residential address. Your postal address may be different if you receive correspondence elsewhere. Keeping both current helps UKVI contact you where necessary, including where an application is pending or documents need to be returned.
The relevant UKVI account service may also allow you to update certain wider account details where available, such as sign-in details, name details or identity document information. These are not all simple contact updates, and some changes may require evidence. For example, a name change may need documentary proof, while a passport update can be particularly important before travel. If your eVisa shows an incorrect date of birth, nationality, photograph or immigration status, that may need to be reported as an eVisa error rather than treated as an ordinary account update.
Before You Start: Work Out What You Actually Need to Change
Many problems happen because people use the phrase “update my UKVI account” to mean several different things. Before opening any online form, decide which of these situations applies:
- You can sign in and need to change your email address, mobile number, home address or postal address.
- You cannot sign in because you no longer have access to the old email address or phone number.
- Your eVisa shows incorrect information, such as the wrong date of birth, name or immigration status.
- You have submitted a visa application and need to tell UKVI that something has changed before a decision is made.
- You have a new passport or travel document and need it linked to your UKVI account before travelling.
If your issue is simply a new email address or mobile number and you can still sign in, you are usually looking at an account update. If the eVisa itself is wrong, that is normally a separate eVisa error route. If a pending application contains outdated information, updating account contact details may not automatically change the application.
Step by Step: How to Update UKVI Account Contact Details
The safest starting point is the official GOV.UK service for updating account information. You should avoid unofficial login pages or third-party forms, especially where sensitive identity details are involved. The official guidance is available through the GOV.UK UKVI account update service.
- Check that you can still access the email address or mobile number currently linked to the account.
- Have the identity document or UKVI customer number used for the account ready, such as a passport, national identity card, expired BRP, BRC or UKVI reference where applicable.
- Sign in using the details requested by the service.
- Select the detail you need to update, such as your email address, mobile number, home address or postal address.
- Enter the new information carefully, checking spelling, country codes and postcode formatting.
- Save the change and check your account profile afterwards to confirm the new detail appears correctly.
If you are changing identity or personal information rather than ordinary contact details, you may need supporting evidence. This is more likely for changes involving a name or identity document. Do not guess or enter information differently from your official documents unless you are following the correct correction process.
What If You Cannot Access Your Old Email or Phone Number?
If you cannot receive the UKVI security code because the old phone number or email address is no longer available, the normal sign-in route may not work. In that situation, account recovery is usually the right direction rather than repeatedly attempting to log in with details you cannot verify.
The account recovery process may ask for identifying information such as your date of birth, the identity document linked to the account or your UKVI customer number. You may also need to provide a new email address and mobile number that you can access. Use details you control personally wherever possible. If a representative, parent or helper previously managed the account, the account holder may need to take control of the account once they are able to do so.
If recovery does not work, you may need UKVI support. Keep a note of the issue, the document details you tried to use and any error messages displayed. This makes it easier to explain the problem without turning the conversation into a guessing game.
Updating Details While a Visa Application Is Pending
Updating UKVI contact details while waiting for a visa decision needs extra care. If you have a UKVI account, you may be able to change your email address or phone number in your account settings. However, that does not necessarily mean you can change every detail in a submitted visa application through the same route.
Changes to a name, address, identity document or the reason for travelling to the UK can be more complicated, especially for applicants outside the UK or those who applied through a visa application centre. In some cases, the visa application centre may need to be contacted about address or personal detail changes. A change to the reason for travel can have more serious consequences and may require a fresh application, depending on the circumstances.
This distinction matters for all routes, including family, study and work applications. For example, if you are preparing or extending a Skilled Worker application, a contact update is only one part of keeping your immigration position organised. You can find broader route information on UK work visa applications, but any live application change should still be handled through the correct UKVI process.
Do Not Confuse Account Updates With eVisa Errors
An account update changes the details held in your UKVI account. An eVisa error is different. If your online immigration status displays incorrect personal information, the wrong immigration status, an incorrect expiry date or you cannot generate a share code due to an eVisa problem, you may need to report an eVisa error rather than change a contact field.
For example, changing your email address is an account update. Seeing the wrong date of birth on your eVisa is not simply a contact update. Likewise, if your status does not appear as expected after setting up your account, that may need to be raised as an eVisa issue.
For wider updates on digital status issues and other UK immigration topics, the Immigration UK blog can help you understand where an account management issue ends and a wider immigration concern may begin.
Check Your UKVI Account Before Travelling
Before travelling to the UK, it is sensible to check your UKVI account well in advance. This is especially important if you have changed passport, changed name, updated nationality details or recently moved to a new phone number. Leaving it until the airport queue is not ideal, even if you enjoy high-stakes admin.
Your pre-travel check should include confirming that your current passport or travel document is linked to your account, that you can access your eVisa, and that your email and mobile number still work for sign-in. Separately, if you need to prove your status to an employer, landlord or another relevant organisation, make sure you can generate the appropriate share code where applicable.
People outside the UK may find that the available update route depends on the change needed and the type of passport or travel document held. Some issues may require UKVI assistance rather than a simple account edit, so it is worth checking early.
Common Problems When Updating UKVI Contact Details
Most UKVI account updates are routine, but a few common issues can slow things down. If a verification code does not arrive, check whether it has gone to junk or spam, whether the old number is still active and whether you are using the correct sign-in details. If you no longer control the old contact method, use the recovery route.
If your new information appears not to have saved, sign out and sign back in before trying again. Avoid submitting repeated reports for the same issue unless the service clearly tells you to do so. Repeating the same request can make it harder to track what has actually changed.
If your update is connected with a longer immigration journey, such as settlement or indefinite leave to remain, keeping records tidy can be helpful. Accurate contact details will not by themselves decide an application, but they help ensure you do not miss important messages.
Does Updating UKVI Contact Details Cost Anything?
The official account update guidance is not presented as a separate visa application. However, this should not be confused with other immigration costs that may apply if you are making a new visa application, extending permission, replacing a document or taking another immigration step.
Always use the official GOV.UK route for the latest position. UKVI services, online forms and contact routes can change, so it is wise to check the live page before acting, particularly if your situation is urgent or travel is approaching.
When to Get Help
You may not need professional help to update a simple mobile number or email address if you can sign in and the service works smoothly. Help becomes more useful where the account is inaccessible, the eVisa appears wrong, a visa application is pending, or you are unsure whether changing one detail affects your wider immigration position.
Immigration UK can help you understand the correct route, review the issue and identify whether you are dealing with an account update, an eVisa correction or a change that needs to be reported in connection with an application. If you need tailored support, you can use the Immigration UK contact page to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my UKVI email address online?
Yes, if you can sign in to your UKVI account, you can usually update the email address through the official account update service. Make sure the new inbox is secure and accessible.
Can I change my UKVI phone number?
Yes, your mobile number can usually be updated in your UKVI account. It is best to do this before the old number is disconnected because it may be needed for sign-in codes.
What if I cannot receive the UKVI security code?
If the code is going to an old phone number or email address that you cannot access, you may need to use the UKVI account recovery route. Do not create duplicate accounts unless UKVI specifically directs you to do so.
Does updating my UKVI account change my visa?
No, updating account contact details does not change your visa conditions, expiry date, immigration route or citizenship application. If a submitted application itself needs changing, use the correct UKVI process for that situation.
Should I update my UKVI account before travelling?
Yes, check your contact details, eVisa and current passport or travel document before travelling. This helps reduce problems when accessing your digital immigration status or proving your right to enter or stay in the UK.
