A UK share code is a nine-character reference, generated on GOV.UK, that lets an employer, landlord, or other checker view the holder's UK immigration status online. There are two separate share-code systems: one for general visa and immigration status, and one for EU Settled and Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Last reviewed: May 2026
TL;DR: Generate a UK visa share code at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status by signing in with the UKVI account and choosing whether the share code is for renting, employment, or another purpose. Right-to-rent share codes are valid for 90 days; right-to-work share codes are valid for 30 days. The checker uses the code together with the holder's date of birth on a matching GOV.UK page.
- A share code is generated by the visa holder, not the checker. Employers and landlords can only check status from a share code the holder has shared with them.
- Each share code is purpose-specific: rent, work, or "something else". A right-to-rent code cannot be used by an employer, and vice versa.
- Right-to-rent share codes are valid for 90 days from the date of generation. Right-to-work share codes are valid for 30 days from generation.
- The checker confirms the code on a different page from the one used to generate it, and must enter the visa holder's date of birth alongside the code.
- EU Settled and Pre-Settled Status share codes are generated through a separate "View and prove your rights in the UK" portal for status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
- The same nine-character code can be reused by the same checker multiple times within its validity window, but a new code is needed once it expires.
What a UK visa share code is
A UK visa share code is a nine-character alphanumeric reference issued by the Home Office "View and prove your immigration status" service on GOV.UK. It is the standard way for a visa holder in the UK to prove their immigration status to a third party without handing over a physical document.
The move to share codes followed the phase-out of the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card and the rollout of the digital eVisa under the UKVI account programme. Where workers and renters once held a plastic BRP that an employer or landlord could photocopy, the eVisa has no physical equivalent. A share code, generated on demand and shared with the checker, is the replacement.
The same nine-character reference also appears in some older guidance as "sharecode" (one word). Both spellings refer to the same code. The system is the same: the visa holder generates the code, the checker opens a matching GOV.UK page, enters the code and the holder's date of birth, and the page returns a status summary with a photograph.
Two share-code systems: immigration status vs settled status
The UK runs two share-code systems in parallel. They look similar but use different portals and are not interchangeable.
The main system is "View and prove your immigration status". It covers most current visas: Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate, Family, Visitor, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, and the new digital eVisa for previous BRP holders. The visa holder signs in with their UKVI account email and password, plus a security code sent to their phone, and generates a share code from inside the account.
The second system is "View and prove your rights in the UK", used for EU Settled Status and Pre-Settled Status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme. EU Settlement Scheme status holders sign in with a different login (an Identity Document number plus date of birth, or an EU Settlement Scheme account email) and generate a share code from a different portal. The format of the code looks the same, but it is generated and checked on the EUSS pages.
The practical implication: an EU citizen with Settled Status uses the EUSS portal, not the main immigration-status portal. Mixing the two is a common source of confusion. The status of someone holding both a Skilled Worker visa (via UKVI account) and a separate EUSS status (held historically) may need to be checked through both systems depending on which status the checker wants to verify.
How to generate a share code step by step
For the main immigration-status share code, the workflow is:
- Go to gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status and select "Start now".
- Choose the document used to set up the UKVI account: a passport, BRP, or BRC. Enter the document number, date of birth, and the email and phone number associated with the UKVI account.
- Request a six-digit security code by SMS or by recovery email. Enter it on the verification page.
- Once signed in, choose "Prove your status to someone else" (the wording varies slightly over time but is always close to this).
- Select the purpose of the share code: "Prove your right to work", "Prove your right to rent", or "Something else" (used for bank checks, university registration, and similar).
- The system generates the share code on the next page. Copy the code or click "Email this code" to send it to the checker. The same screen confirms the validity window (30 days for work, 90 days for rent).
The visa holder can generate as many share codes as needed, for as many checkers as needed. Each generation produces a new code; old codes remain valid until their expiry, but it is simpler to issue a fresh code for each checker rather than recycle one.
Share code expiry: 30 days vs 90 days
The expiry window depends on the purpose chosen when the code is generated. Right-to-work share codes are valid for 30 days from the date of generation. Right-to-rent share codes are valid for 90 days. "Something else" codes are valid for 90 days.
The shorter right-to-work window reflects Home Office expectations on how quickly an employer should complete a right-to-work check before employment starts. The Right to Work statutory guidance, published at GOV.UK, sets out the timing rules in detail. An employer who tries to use an expired share code will be told by the GOV.UK checker page that the code is no longer valid; they must ask the worker to generate a new one before continuing the check.
The 90-day right-to-rent window is set in the landlord checking guidance, published at GOV.UK: landlord's guide to right to rent. Landlords have to complete the check before the tenancy begins and retain a dated record of the check; the share code itself does not need to remain live after the check is completed.
Expiry runs from generation, not from sharing. A code generated on 1 March for a job application that is finally completed on 5 April will have expired. A new code must be generated. The system records the date of generation on the same page where the code appears, so the validity window is always visible.
How employers and landlords use your share code
The checker side of the workflow is separate from the holder side. An employer opens the GOV.UK check a job applicant's right to work page. A landlord opens the GOV.UK check a tenant's right to rent page. Both pages ask for the nine-character share code and the holder's date of birth.
On submission, the page returns the holder's name, photograph (taken from UKVI biometric records), immigration status (for example "Skilled Worker", "Indefinite Leave to Remain", "EU Settled Status"), and any work or study conditions. For employment checks, the page also shows the date the check was carried out and any conditions on the work permitted (full-time only, sponsored employer only, prohibited types of work).
The checker is expected to retain a screenshot or printout of the result page as their statutory record of the check. They are not expected to retain the share code itself. The Home Office's online check is what discharges the employer's "statutory excuse" against a civil penalty for employing an illegal worker; a screenshot of the worker's BRP or eVisa app is not sufficient on its own under the latest right-to-work guidance.
Common error messages and what they mean
The most frequent errors on the share-code system fall into a few categories:
- "Share code not recognised": usually a typo. The nine characters mix letters and digits; the letter "O" and the digit zero are visually similar, as are "I" and "1". Copy and paste the code from the email rather than re-typing.
- "Share code expired": the code is past its 30-day or 90-day window. Ask the holder to generate a new one.
- "Date of birth does not match": the date entered on the checker page does not match the UKVI record. Confirm the date with the holder; UKVI records use the date as it appeared on the original visa application.
- "Wrong type of share code": the code was generated for a different purpose (for example a right-to-rent code used by an employer). The holder must generate a fresh code with the correct purpose selected.
- "This service is not available": scheduled maintenance, usually overnight UK time. The GOV.UK service status page lists planned outages.
- "Status not found": the holder's record is not linked to the UKVI account used to generate the code. This sometimes happens after a route switch or a recent grant; the holder may need to update their UKVI account or contact UKVI to reconcile the record.
None of these errors are visible to the checker as detail beyond the surface message. The checker should ask the holder to confirm the cause and generate a fresh code; persistent errors should be reported through the holder's UKVI account help pages.
What to do if your share code does not work
When a share code does not work, the first step is for the holder to confirm three things on their own UKVI account: that the account is active and not locked, that the underlying immigration status is current (not expired, not withdrawn, not curtailed), and that the share code being used was generated for the right purpose.
If the underlying status is current and the share code has been generated correctly, the issue is usually with how the checker is entering the details. Asking the checker to use the GOV.UK page rather than a third-party "right to work check tool" is the most common fix; only the GOV.UK page reads UKVI records in real time.
If the underlying status is in doubt (for example a recent decision letter that the UKVI account does not appear to reflect), the holder should contact UKVI through the published help channels on GOV.UK rather than retry the share-code system in a loop. The UKVI contact page sets out the available routes.
Holders who have moved from BRP to eVisa under the recent BRP-to-eVisa transition sometimes find that their UKVI account is set up but their share-code function is not yet enabled. The right to rent document checks user guide and the parallel right-to-work guidance set out interim arrangements for these cases, including reliance on the Employer Checking Service in defined circumstances.
Sharecode practice: tips for everyday use
A few practical points reduce friction with the sharecode system in everyday use. Save the UKVI account email and phone number where the security code is sent: losing access to either makes generating a share code temporarily impossible. Generate the share code at the point of need rather than days in advance, especially for right-to-work checks with their 30-day window. Send the share code by email rather than reading it out by phone to reduce transcription errors. And when the checker asks for "your visa", offer the share code, not a photo of an old BRP: the share code is the version of status the checker is now legally expected to verify.
A right-to-rent sharecode and a right-to-work share code carry the same surface format and arrive in similar-looking confirmation emails. The category, shown on the generation screen and the confirmation email, is what determines which checker can use it. Keeping that distinction in mind avoids a common round-trip where a code is rejected for being the wrong type and a fresh one has to be generated.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a UK visa share code valid?
A right-to-work share code is valid for 30 days from generation. A right-to-rent share code is valid for 90 days. A "something else" share code (used for banks, universities, and similar) is valid for 90 days. Once expired, a fresh code must be generated.
What is the difference between a share code and a sharecode?
"Share code" (two words) and "sharecode" (one word) refer to the same nine-character GOV.UK reference. The single-word form appears in some older guidance and search queries; the GOV.UK service itself uses the two-word form. There is no functional difference.
Can a UK visa share code be generated without a UKVI account?
No. The share-code service requires a UKVI account linked to the holder's immigration status. Visa holders who do not yet have a UKVI account must first create one at GOV.UK using the document number from their visa application or BRP, the email and phone number registered on file, and a security code verification step.
Does the share code show full visa history?
No. The checker sees the holder's current status, photograph, name, and any work or study conditions. It does not display the holder's full historical visa record, document numbers, or contact details. The status snapshot is intentionally minimal to support the specific check being carried out.
Why does a share code work for one employer but not another?
The most common reason is that the code was generated for the wrong purpose. A right-to-rent code does not work on the right-to-work check page. The fix is to generate a fresh share code from the UKVI account with "Prove your right to work" selected.
Can a UK landlord ask for a share code if the tenant has a British passport?
British and Irish citizens are not required to use the share-code system for right to rent. They prove their right to rent by showing a British or Irish passport, a UK birth certificate, or other prescribed documents listed in the GOV.UK right-to-rent user guide. Landlords sometimes ask for a share code by mistake; the holder can point to the GOV.UK guidance.
Is a separate share code needed for EU Settled Status?
Yes. EU Settled and Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme uses the separate "View and prove your rights in the UK" portal rather than the "View and prove your immigration status" service. The login route and the generation steps differ, although the resulting nine-character code looks the same.
