Changing your BRP to eVisa

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is moving to a digital visa system from 1 January 2025.  This means the UKVI is replacing physical documents, such as biometric residence permits (BRP), with an online record of your immigration status. This is known as an eVisa.

Find more information about eVisas and why you need one at gov.uk/evisa. UKVI have also produced this video explaining what an eVisa is and how this affects you: What is an eVisa? (video)

Do I need to get a UKVI account and eVisa?

  • Students who already have an eVisa will not be affected by this transition. Most EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, and some students who applied for their current immigration permission inside the UK, will have been able to apply using the UK Immigration: ID Check App and will already have an eVisa and a UKVI account. This gives you access to your visa information online and lets you generate a Share Code to prove your immigration status to others.

  • If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, you must create a UKVI account and get access to your eVisa. All BRPs have been short-dated to expire on 31 December 2024, even if your visa has been granted for longer. If you have been granted a visa that expires later than 31 December 2024 you will need an eVisa to prove your immigration status after this date.

  • If you have dependants here with you in the UK, they will also need to create their own separate UKVI accounts to get access to their own eVisas.

  • If your visa expires before 31 December 2024 and you plan to leave the UK before the end of 2024, you do not need to get an eVisa and a UKVI account.

How do I get an eVisa and a UKVI account if I have a BRP?

If you have a BRP you can get create your UKVI account and get your eVisa now. You will need to complete a short online form and use the ‘UK Immigration ID Check’ app to verify your identity. The process is free and most people will get access to their eVisa as soon as it is finished.

As of 6 August 2024 UKVI have rolled out the eVisas system to everyone. You no longer need an email or invitation from UKVI before you create your account.

Click this link to find out how to create your UKVI account. Please follow the instructions on this page.

UKVI have also produced this useful video explaining what you need to do: How to create a UKVI account access your eVisa (video)

You will need access to a smartphone and your BRP card before you start. When you set up your UKVI account you will need to link it to a mobile phone number and an email address. You must give a phone number and email address that you can use again because you will need these to log in to your account in the future. As part of the process you will need to verify your identity using the UK Immigration ID Check App. You can find more information about the app, including tips on how to scan your BRP, here.

How do I get an eVisa and a UKVI account if I don’t have a BRP?

If you don’t have a BRP, and instead have a different type of immigration document, you can check if you can access your eVisa here.

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain (also known as settlement) and currently prove your rights with a passport vignette sticker or ‘wet ink stamp’, you should make a ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to replace your document with a BRP. Once you have a BRP, you’ll be able to use it to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa. It is free to make a NTL application, and further information is available at gov.uk/evisa.

What shall I do if I encounter problems with creating my UKVI account or accessing my eVisa?

In the first instance, please make sure you have read the information available on gov.uk/evisa. You can also use this UKVI service if you need help or have a question about getting access to your eVisa.

I already have a UKVI account, do I need to do anything?

You should already have a UKVI account if you used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify your identity as part of your immigration application process.

If you applied for your visa by submitting your biometric details in person at a Visa Application Centre, then you will not have a UKVI account yet.

If you already have a UKVI account, you will be able to continue to access your eVisa and View and Prove your immigration status after 1 January 2025.

We recommend that you log in to your UKVI account and check your details to make sure they are up-to-date, and that you have linked your current BRP and passport to the account.

You must keep your UKVI account up-to-date with any changes to your personal details (including your name, nationality and appearance) and your contact details (address, email, and phone number).

Find out how to update your UKVI account here.

I think there is an error with my BRP or eVisa, what should I do?

You can find information about what to do if you think there is an error with your BRP or visa here.

What shall I do after getting access to my eVisa?

If you did not use your passport to get access to your eVisa, please make sure that you update your UKVI account with your current passport details after your UKVI account is created. You will need to link your passport details to your account before you can use your eVisa to travel to the UK.

After you have created your UKVI account and got your eVisa, you will be able to use the 'View and prove your immigration status' service to:

  • View your eVisa details and check what rights you have in the UK
  • Get a ‘share code’ to prove your status to others, for example employers
  • Update your personal details in your UKVI account, for example if you get a new passport or if you change your contact details or address
     

If you are studying at the University of Leeds, have a BRP that expires on 31 December 2024, but you do not have have a Tier 4 (General) or Student visa, then we will need you to generate a share code and send it to us so that we can confirm your new visa expiry date. Once you have got your share code, please send it to us by completing our eVisa Document Upload form. This will allow us to update the University’s records with your correct visa expiry date.

If you have a Tier 4 or Student visa, you do not need to use the above eVisa Document Upload form to send us your share code. We will be get details of your new visa expiry date in a different way.

You will need to be logged in with your University of Leeds Microsoft account in order to access the eVisa Document Upload Form. If you see a ‘You do not have permission’ error when you attempt to open the form, please follow the instructions below to fix this:

  • Open www.office.com
  • Click on your initials/photo on the top right of the page and click sign out
  • Close the browser that you are using
  • Re-open the browser and go to www.office.com and log in using your University of Leeds email and password
  • Then re-open the eVisa Document Upload Form.

If this solution doesn’t fix the issue, you should try using a private browsing window to access the form.

What should I do when travelling to the UK with an eVisa? 

You must continue to carry your in-date BRP with you when travelling internationally until it expires.

From next year, airlines and other carriers will be able to digitally check your eVisa to confirm your immigration status if the passport or travel document you are travelling with has been linked to your UKVI account.

You can link your passport details to your eVisa in your UKVI account. You must keep your passport or travel document details up-to-date in your account and tell UKVI about any changes, so that your immigration status can be easily identified at the UK border. Find out how to update your UKVI account here.

If you’ve told UKVI that you have a new passport and you’re still waiting for confirmation that your UKVI account has been updated, you should also carry your old document with you, if possible, to avoid unnecessary delays at the border. 

You can watch this video from UKVI with more information and advice: How to travel with your eVisa (video)

What should I do with my BRP after having access to my eVisa valid beyond 31 December 2024? 

You should continue to carry your BRP with you for international travel until it expires.

After your BRP card expires, keep it safe as you may need it for future applications to stay in the UK or for your personal records. You do not need to return the expired BRP back to UKVI.

How to get further help?

If you have problems creating or updating your UKVI account, and if you have been unable to get help from UKVI directly, you can get in touch with the University’s Student Visa Advice team by email for help at studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk. Please include your student ID number in the email as well as a description of the problem.