UK Digital Visa System Confuses Twin Sisters, Leaving Traveler Stranded in Spain

A traveler who holds legal settled status in the United Kingdom was temporarily unable to board a return flight from Spain after a database error in the British immigration system swapped her profile with her identical twin sister’s details. The error left her unable to verify her legal right to enter the country at the airport departure gate.

Nidia Webb, who has resided in the UK for eight years, was attempting to travel back home when gate staff stopped her from boarding. Webb explained that her digital immigration records had become attached to her identical twin’s personal details, preventing border control mechanisms from correctly matching her official status to her identity.

According to Webb, officials acknowledged that the mix-up was a recognized technical glitch that specifically affects certain twins recorded in the UK Home Office database. In an effort to resolve the situation, she spent several hours on the phone communicating directly with immigration personnel while waiting at the Spanish airport.

Although department staff assured Webb over the phone that her record would be updated, the government subsequently sent the email confirming the resolution to her sister’s inbox rather than her own. As a result, Webb was unaware that her status had been updated until airport staff permitted her to board the plane. Webb stated that without spending hours managing the situation over the phone, she had no way of knowing how long she might have remained stuck overseas.

In a statement regarding the incident, a spokesperson for the Home Office defended the digital infrastructure, stating that more than 10 million individuals have successfully used eVisas to prove their immigration status. The representative emphasized the government’s commitment to data accuracy and support safeguards, adding that in rare instances where errors are found, most cases are fixed within 24 hours. The Home Office indicated that Webb’s file had been corrected and that personnel would contact her directly.

Advocacy groups warned that the incident demonstrates ongoing flaws in the transition to digital immigration records. Monique Hawkins, the acting chief executive of the immigration campaign group the3million, told Politico that her organization has documented previous cases similar to Webb’s. Hawkins argued that the rollout of the digital system was “rushed” and emphasized the necessity for individuals to have a stable means of proving their status. She added that affected passengers often face boarding rejections and struggle to obtain compensation while airlines and government departments shift responsibility between each other.

Background

The UK government has been transitioning from physical immigration documents to a fully digital eVisa system following the country’s departure from the European Union. Under the new digital framework, foreign nationals residing legally in the UK must demonstrate their immigration status online rather than presenting physical paper documents or cards when crossing borders.

The digital transition has drawn widespread concern from advocacy groups and lawmakers regarding technical glitches, database inaccuracies, and accessibility challenges. Reports in July 2025 indicated that up to 200,000 long-term legal UK residents were at risk of disruption because government departments had not successfully made contact with them to migrate their legacy paper documents to the new digital platform.