Biometric residence permit (BRP), and what replaced it

For years, many people given permission to stay in the UK received a biometric residence permit: a card showing their photo, immigration status and conditions, such as limits on work. Health professionals on a Health and Care Worker visa used it to show employers, landlords and border officers what they were allowed to do.

That system has ended. GOV.UK now states that all BRPs have expired and have been replaced by eVisas. Your status itself has not changed: if your permission runs beyond the date printed on your card, it continues, but the proof is digital. You need a UKVI account to see your eVisa.

GOV.UK says you might be able to use your expired BRP for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first, to:

• create a UKVI account
• sign in to view your eVisa and get a share code
• apply to extend your permission to stay

For anything else, such as a right to work check, GOV.UK says to use your eVisa to prove your immigration status. After the deadline, sign in with your passport instead, so add your current passport to your UKVI account now.

1. Create a UKVI account with your BRP number and passport, or with your expired BRP while it is still accepted.
2. Confirm your identity in the ID check app to link the account to your eVisa.
3. Add your current passport so you can travel and sign in later.
4. Check the eVisa shows the right name, dates and conditions, and report any error.
5. Note the National Insurance number printed on the back of the card if there is one. GOV.UK says it may also be shown in your UKVI account.

Each family member who had a BRP needs their own UKVI account, and GOV.UK lets a parent create and manage a child's account using the parent's phone number and email. A biometric residence card (BRC) is a different document: GOV.UK says you may still be able to use a BRC in some situations.

GOV.UK says you must report a lost or stolen BRP, even though it has expired. If you do not, you could be fined up to £1,000 and removed from the UK. The Home Office says it will respond within one working day of your report. If you find the card after reporting it, you must destroy it.

• Thinking an expired card means expired permission. Check the end date on your eVisa, not the card.
• Missing the 31 December 2026 cut-off for using the card to sign in.
• Employers asking for the card. The right to work check now uses a share code.
• New arrivals waiting for a BRP. New grants come as eVisas only.

Our first weeks checklist covers the eVisa steps for new arrivals.