eVisas & BRPs

Although BRPs will only be valid to 31 December 2024*, your immigration permission may run beyond this date.  You can check the details of your permission:

• from the UKVI decision details sent to you
• using the view and prove link to your eVisa details
• when confirming right to work or rent online

* To support the transition to eVisas the Home Office has allowed expired BRPs to be used for the purpose of travel to the UK up to and including 1 June 2025.  This assumes your immigration permission is still in place at the time of travel. UKVI advise to keep any expired BRP.  For a limited time it might still be used:

• to prove a right to work or rent (while these services continue in addition to the eVisa ‘view and prove’)
• for accessing your digital account/generating a share code
• in a visa extension application in the UK (a BRP might still be useful for this purpose up to 18 months from expiry ie up to June 2026).

If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, you should have been able to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.

Creating the digital account/eVisa is not a visa application, there is no fee, it does not require a new CAS.

The explanatory videos from UKVI include how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.

UKVI provide online help with creating a digital account and accessing eVisa details.  The online help will initially provide automated responses, if necessary it eventually offers to put you through to chat with a person.

Although you will use the UK Immigration: ID check app to set up a digital account, scan ID documents and your face the app does not contain your digital account or your eVisa details.

You can use different UKVI links to access your digital account and eVisa details online depending on the purpose required:

• View and prove – is used to see a summary of your visa status and for creating a share code to prove your status to others.
• Update your UKVI account details - to check and update relevant details, including current passport, contact details.
• there is a dedicated link to report an error with your eVisa

if you are unable to access your digital account there is a link to recover access.

The explanatory videos from UKVI include ‘How to travel with your eVisa’

Prior to travel it is important to ensure your eVisa details are correct and that the passport you will use is linked to your digital account:

• Check your immigration status is displaying correctly by using the view and prove your immigration status service
• If your status appears incorrect, report an error with your eVisa
• Use the update your UKVI account details service to check:
  • the passport you will use for travel is linked to your account
  • your personal details are correct

If your digital account and eVisa details are correct travel providers should be able to use your passport details to check your immigration status.  Nevertheless UKVI also advise you create a view and prove share code in advance of travel, which is valid for 90 days, in case the carrier asks to check that instead.

Given concerns about how the transition to eVisa and travel may work, the Home Office will also allow travel to the UK on expired BRPs up to 1 June 2025.  This assumes that your immigration permission is still in place at the time of travel.  The Home Office has said it will keep this arrangement under review and advise:

• Passengers whose immigration permission is still valid but whose BRP expires on or after 31 December should continue to carry their expired BRP with them when they travel in the early part of 2025.
• Passengers may also wish to create a view and prove share code in advance of travel, which is valid for 90 days.

If your travel provider is unable to check your permission to travel, they can contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub.

UKVI advise that if you’re unable to access or recover your account and have no other evidence of your permission to travel, you should consider applying for a temporary visa which lets you re-enter the UK once only.

Provided you have linked your current passport details to your digital account travel providers such as airlines, Eurostar or ferry companies should be able to check your visa status directly from your passport. See the travelling with an eVisa section for more details.

In some circumstances you may have to obtain a share code and provide this to the person who needs to check your visa status, eg

• To the University to check your right to study
• To an employer to check your right to work
• To a landlord to check your right to rent

To get the relevant share code you access your eVisa details using the view and prove your immigration status service.

The explanatory videos from UKVI include ‘How to prove your immigration status with an eVisa’.

For a limited time an expired BRP might also be used to prove a right to work or rent (while these services continue in addition to the eVisa ‘view and prove’ service).

It is important to keep your digital account details up to date, especially if there is a change to your contact details, passport or other personal details such as name.  See the further information on how to update your UKVI account details.

If you are unable to access your digital account there is a webpage to recover access.

If your status is displaying incorrectly, you can report an error with your eVisa online.

UKVI provide online help with creating a digital account and accessing eVisa details.  The online help will initially provide automated responses, if necessary it eventually offers to put you through to chat with a person.

UKVI can also be contacted by telephone.  Selecting the ‘eVisa’ option tends to just lead to online information.  In order to speak with someone instead, select the most appropriate option for the eVisa related issue such as problems with view and prove, accessing or updating your account.  Generally this will lead to:

UK Visas and Immigration contact centre
Telephone: +44 (0)300 790 6268 - select option 3
Telephone: +44 (0)203 875 4669, if you are unable to dial 0300 numbers
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8.30pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm

In addition you can also contact Student Advice and Support Service at advice@lboro.ac.uk.

If your BRP is lost or stolen, you must still notify UKVI by completing an online report.    

If it is stolen you should report this to the police and try to obtain a police report/reference. Many police forces (including Leicestershire and Metropolitan police) do not take reports of lost ID. 

If you have set up a digital UKVI account with current eVisa and passport details you should be using this for checking/proving your status and travel.