Digital record replaces passport travel sticker

People travelling to the Isle of Man will no longer receive a visa sticker in their passport from the 1st July.

Instead, the Immigration Service will record a person's immigration status digitally. The changes apply to people granted entry clearance from 1 July.

Anyone granted a visa will receive a letter confirming the details of their permission and an explanation of how to travel using their digital status.

The confirmation letter itself is not proof of immigration status, but airlines, ferry operators and UK Border Force officers will be able to verify a traveller's immigration permission electronically under the new system.

The government said the change marked the first phase of its transition to a digital immigration system.

Officials stressed the new digital status is not an eVisa, but forms part of the Island's longer-term move towards one and work was continuing with UK Home Office on creating a comparable scheme.

Existing stickers, known as visa vignettes, and passport stamps issued before July will remain valid, and people who already hold Isle of Man immigration permission do not need to create an online account at this stage.

The change allows a person's immigration status to be updated digitally if circumstances change, reduces the risk of lost or damaged physical documents, and brings the island more closely into line with the UK approach.

The move follows wider changes to the Island's immigration system introduced this year.

New Worker Migrant visa rules came into force on 1 June, introducing updated salary thresholds, a focus on higher-skilled roles and a new labour market test requiring employers to prioritise recruitment from the Isle of Man. Existing visa holders are not affected by those changes.

Further changes are due from 1 August, when a range of immigration application fees will increase to bring them into line with those charged in the UK.

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