Biometric Residence Permit

BRPs have been issued since 2008 and contain a chip with the holder's fingerprints, photo, and leave conditions. From 31 December 2024, the Home Office stopped issuing BRPs for most visa routes; applicants now receive an eVisa linked to a UKVI account instead. Existing BRP holders are being migrated to eVisas and should create or access their UKVI account at gov.uk/eVisa. Landlords, employers, and others who need to conduct right-to-rent or right-to-work checks can verify status online using the Home Office online checking service with the individual's share code. Losing a BRP must be reported to the Home Office and a replacement fee of £65 applies. BRPs for EU Settlement Scheme holders were never issued — EU citizens use their digital status directly.

In practice, the move from card to eVisa changes what you actually hand over when someone asks to see your status. Instead of producing a card, you log into your UKVI account, generate a share code, and give that code plus your date of birth to the employer, landlord or letting agent, who checks it against the Home Office online service. The share code is single-purpose and time-limited, so you generate a new one for each check rather than reusing an old one.

Worked example: Ade holds leave that runs to 2028 and still has a physical BRP card that expired at the end of 2024 even though his leave did not. He creates a UKVI account, links it to his passport and BRP, and confirms his digital status appears correctly. When he starts a new job, he generates a share code for right-to-work purposes and sends it to his employer, who completes and retains the online check. When he travels, he keeps the passport he has linked to the account up to date in his UKVI profile, because carriers verify status against the linked travel document at boarding.

The pitfalls catch people out at the worst moment. An expired BRP card does not mean expired leave — the card expiry and the leave expiry are different dates, and confusing the two causes needless panic and bad advice. Failing to update your UKVI account when you renew your passport can leave you unable to board a flight back to the UK. And a share code generated for right to rent will not work for a right to work check, because each service is separate.

Your status document connects directly to right to work and right to rent checks, and to routes such as the Skilled Worker visa and eventual indefinite leave to remain. If you still hold a card, read our guides to biometric residence permits and the move to eVisas and set your account up before you next need to prove anything.