Biometric Residence Permits Have Been Replaced by eVisas

If you have arrived at this page looking for information about getting a biometric residence permit, the short answer is that you no longer need one. BRPs have gone.

What happened

A BRP was a physical card that proved your identity and your right to live and work in the UK. The Home Office stopped issuing them during 2024, and every BRP in circulation expired on 31 December 2024 regardless of how long the permission behind it ran.

They have been replaced by eVisas, which are digital records of your status held in a UK Visas and Immigration account. There is nothing to collect from a post office and no card to carry.

Since 1 July 2026, successful new applicants also stop receiving a vignette sticker in their passport. Your permission to travel and your right to work are both proved digitally now.

What this means for you

• If you are applying for a visa now, you will be told how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa once your application is approved. There is no BRP step.
• If you are already in the UK, you need a UKVI account to see and prove your status. Your expired BRP card can still be used to create that account, but only until 31 December 2026.
• If an employer or landlord asks for your BRP, give them a share code from your eVisa instead. They cannot legally accept an expired card.

Our full guide covers setting up your account, generating share codes and travelling on an eVisa: Your eVisa: Setting It Up, Proving Your Status and Travelling.