eVisa share code won't generate: "Sorry, there is a problem with the service"
If your UKVI account shows the eVisa correctly but every share code attempt returns "Sorry, there is a problem with the service", the good news is that your immigration status is not affected — this is almost always a temporary technical fault, not a problem with your leave. The error typically comes from a service outage, a recently updated passport that hasn't fully synced to the share-code function, cached browser data, or occasionally using the wrong service. You can usually resolve it by waiting and retrying, switching browser, and checking your account details match the document you're using. If it persists after you've reported it, there are official ways to escalate and to prove status without a code in the meantime.
- "Sorry, there is a problem with the service" is a technical error, not a status problem — your eVisa and leave are still valid.
- Always generate codes at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status — never through a third-party or search-engine link.
- A share code lasts 90 days and can be reused, so you only need it to generate once.
- Right to work and right to rent have their own share-code services — use those if that's what you actually need.
What the error usually means
The message is a generic "something went wrong at our end" response, so it rarely tells you the exact cause. In practice the common triggers are:
- A service outage or heavy load. The Home Office platform has planned and unplanned downtime. The error can appear for everyone for a few hours and then clear on its own.
- A recently updated travel document that hasn't fully synced. This fits your case exactly. When you replace an old passport with a new one in the UKVI account, the profile can show correctly while the share-code function is still catching up in the background. Updates are not always instant across every service.
- A mismatch between the document you signed in with and the passport now on the account. If you log in using the old passport number but the account has been updated to the new one, the check can fail.
- Browser or cache issues. Stale cookies, saved form data, or an old session can break the final step even when everything else looks fine.
Step-by-step fixes to try first
Work through these in order — most people are unblocked within a day.
- Use the correct, official service. Go directly to gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status. Do not use a bookmarked deep link or a page you reached through a search advert.
- Sign in with the document that matches the account. Since you updated to the new passport, sign in using the new passport details (or your UKVI customer number), not the old document. The identifier you use must match what's on the account now.
- Try again later. If it's an outage, waiting a few hours — or trying early morning — often just works.
- Clear your cache or use a private/incognito window, or a completely different browser or device. This clears stale session data that commonly breaks the last step.
- Check for any half-finished account update. Confirm the new passport was saved and there is no pending change still in progress on your profile.
Only ever generate a share code through the official gov.uk service. Never share your UKVI sign-in details, one-time codes, or password with anyone — including a landlord, employer, or someone offering to "fix" your account. The Home Office will never ask for your full password, and no legitimate helper needs your login.
How long syncing takes, and how to escalate
There is no published fixed timescale for an updated travel document to propagate to every service, so a short wait after updating your passport is normal. If share codes still fail after 24–48 hours of retrying with a clean browser, treat it as a technical fault to report.
Use the official UKVI account help and account recovery route and the eVisa support webchat linked from the eVisa help pages, and the contact UKVI tool to reach the right team. When you report it, give them your UKVI account details, the exact error wording, the date and time it happens, and the fact that your eVisa displays correctly but the share code will not generate — that helps them see it's a system issue, not a status issue. You've already reported it, so keep the reference and chase if you hear nothing.
Proving your status without a share code meanwhile
If you have an urgent deadline, you have options while the fault is fixed:
- For a job, an employer can carry out a Home Office check — you can point them to the dedicated right-to-work share-code service, or use the online right-to-work route, rather than the general status service.
- For renting in England, the right-to-rent service works separately, and landlords can request a check directly from the Home Office.
- For anything else urgent, contact UKVI through the official tool and explain the technical failure; they can advise on alternative proof.
If the underlying issue is really about an old code sitting in another account, our guide on an expired eVisa share code in your Life in the UK test account may help, and if you're moving off a BRP, see how to prove your ILR with an eVisa.