Transition to a fully digital system – changes to guidance on eVisas and BRPs

On 6 August 2024 the guidance for eVisas changed to state that anyone with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) can now create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access an eVisa. The system previously in place encouraged people to only create a UKVI account if they were invited. According to the guidance, it is planned that people will be able to travel on an eVisa from 2025, but at present people with a BRP will still need a BRP to travel.

Creating a UKVI account

You can use the following link to create a UKVI account: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa if you do not have one. Once you have created your UKVI account you will be able to view the details of your eVisa online, for example your type of permission, when it expires and your conditions of stay. You will also be able to update your personal details and register your passport in your UKVI account so that you can easily travel to and from the UK.

If you have an eVisa

If you do not have a BRP and instead have digital status by way of an eVisa, you will already have a UKVI account and therefore do not need to take steps to create one. You should however ensure that your current passport is linked to your UKVI account as the identity document and update this when your passport expires, and you receive a new one. It is also worth keeping a copy of the identity document used for logging into the account safely, as well as any immigration application reference numbers, in the event the identity document is lost in future and access to the account is needed.

Destroying your old BRP

Currently, there is not a streamlined way of disposing of your BRP once you receive new immigration status. Some approval emails/letters state that your old BRP should be destroyed, and others say that it should be cut into 4 pieces and returned to BRP Returns, P.O. Box 195, Bristol, BS20 1BT. It is our view that you should follow the instructions specifically on your approval email or letter, and also retain a copy of your decision emails which you can access easily in future if necessary, along with a copy of the front and back of your old BRP.

If you are asked to dispose of your BRP, it would be prudent to also keep a note of when and how you disposed of it. This is because UKVI would usually ask for the BRPs to be returned to a specific address. The different approach here is most likely linked to the phasing out of BRPs.

It is unlikely UKVI would ever question what happened to your old BRP. Nevertheless, keeping a note confirming that you followed the instruction to destroy them, alongside your decision emails instructing you to do so, will ensure you have a record of this should it ever be needed.