Switching from BRP to eVisa: what international students need to do

What happened to BRPs

The UK government replaced Biometric Residence Permits with digital eVisas. BRPs stopped being issued in late 2024. If your current visa was granted before then, you may still have a physical BRP card — but your immigration status now lives in a UKVI account online, not on the card.

You can still travel on a valid BRP if it hasn't expired, but proving your status to a landlord, employer, or bank now means generating a share code — not showing the plastic card.

Do you still need to switch?

If you arrived in the UK after late 2024, you were likely given a UKVI account reference when your visa was approved and never received a BRP. You already have an eVisa.

If you arrived before late 2024 and hold a physical BRP, check whether your UKVI account is set up. Go to the View and Prove service↗ and try signing in. If you can see your immigration status there, you're already done.

If you can't sign in — or you've never heard of UKVI — read on.

How to switch: step by step

1. Create a UKVI account

Go to gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits↗ and follow the link to create a UKVI account. You'll be routed through GOV.UK One Login, the government's single sign-in system. Use an email address you access regularly — all future correspondence, including visa expiry reminders, will go there.

You'll need:

• Your passport
• Your BRP card
• Access to that email address

2. Link your BRP

Once logged in, enter the details from your BRP card — your reference number, date of birth, and nationality — so the system can match them against the Home Office records tied to your visa. Verification usually takes a few minutes, though it can take up to 24 hours.

3. Check your eVisa details

After linking, your immigration status appears in your UKVI account. Confirm:

• Your name matches your passport exactly
• Your visa category is correct (Student, Graduate, etc.)
• The expiry date is right

If anything is wrong, contact UKVI straight away — see the section on common problems below.

4. Download the app (optional)

The UKVI mobile app lets you view your status and generate share codes from your phone. Search "UKVI" in the App Store or Google Play. You don't need it — the website works the same — but having it on your phone saves time when a landlord asks for proof at short notice.

Proving your status with a share code

A share code is a temporary code you generate in your UKVI account. You give the code to a landlord, employer, or bank, who enters it at www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status↗ to confirm your right to rent or right to work.

When generating a code, you'll be asked for the purpose: right to rent, right to work, or general. Pick the one that matches. Generate a fresh code each time you need one rather than reusing old ones.

Travelling on an eVisa

Your eVisa is linked to your passport number. When you travel:

1. Use the passport registered to your account. If you get a new passport, update your UKVI account before travelling — your eVisa is attached to the old passport number until you change it.
2. Airlines verify your status electronically. You don't need to present a share code at check-in or the airport gate.
3. At the UK border, your eVisa is read from your passport chip alongside the standard checks.

Common problems — and what to do

Wrong name or date of birth. Name mismatches happen when a name is transliterated differently across documents — a shortened first name, a missing hyphen, a middle name included on one but not the other. Contact UKVI via gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk↗ with your passport and BRP ready.

Locked out of your email. You can update your GOV.UK One Login email address at account.gov.uk. If you've lost access entirely, use the "I can't sign in" option on the sign-in page to recover the account.

Verification failed. Usually caused by a mismatch between the name on your BRP and your passport. Contact UKVI with both documents.

Account shows no status. Older visas occasionally take longer to migrate into the system. Wait 48 hours and try again; if the problem persists, contact UKVI.

FAQ

Do I need to carry my BRP card now I have an eVisa?

No. Once your eVisa is active in your UKVI account, the physical BRP card has no legal function. Keep it somewhere safe as a backup record, but you don't need it on you.

What if my BRP expiry date and visa expiry date are different?

That's normal. The BRP card was a physical proof document, and its printed expiry date is often earlier than the visa itself. Your actual leave to remain runs to the visa expiry date shown in your UKVI account — that's the date that matters.

Can a landlord refuse a share code and demand my BRP?

A landlord who insists on the physical card over a share code is out of date. The Home Office's right-to-rent guidance confirms that the View and Prove service↗ is the valid check. If a landlord refuses to accept it, point them to the official guidance or escalate to your university's accommodation office.

My university is asking for my BRP — what do I do?

Generate a share code and show them your UKVI account screen instead. Universities shouldn't be asking for physical BRP cards any more; if a department insists, escalate to your international student office.

I've lost my BRP card — does it matter?

If your eVisa is set up and your UKVI account is active, a lost BRP doesn't affect your immigration status. Report the loss to the Home Office at gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits↗, but practically it's now much less significant than it used to be.