eVisa UK: Replacing Your BRP and Proving Your Status in 2026

An eVisa is the digital record of your UK immigration status. It has replaced the biometric residence permit (BRP). To use it, you need a free UKVI account, where you can view your status and generate a share code to prove your right to work, rent or travel. If you still rely on an expired BRP, note that it can only be used to access your account until 31 December 2026 at the latest, according to GOV.UK.

Key points

• All BRPs have now expired and have been replaced by eVisas.
• An expired BRP can still be used to create or sign in to a UKVI account, or to extend your stay, but only for 24 months after expiry or until 31 December 2026, whichever is sooner.
• Share codes last 90 days and can be reused within that time.
• Link your current passport to your UKVI account before travelling.
• From 9 December 2026, BRPs can no longer be used as identity evidence for the EU Settlement Scheme.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is an online record of your identity, your immigration status (for example a Skilled Worker visa or indefinite leave to remain) and its conditions, such as whether you can work or study. You get one after a successful UK visa or permission application. GOV.UK says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents.

Visa stickers (vignettes) in passports stay valid until their expiry date.

People with British or Irish nationality do not need an eVisa. They should travel on their British or Irish passport.

Step 1: set up your UKVI account

You need:

• a phone number and email address you can use every time you sign in
• a smartphone for the identity check app
• one of these identity options:
  • a valid passport plus your visa application number (GWF or UAN)
  • a valid passport plus your BRP number
  • your expired BRP (within 24 months of its expiry date, or before 31 December 2026, whichever is sooner)

Then:

1. Check you do not already have a UKVI account. If you used the UK Immigration: ID Check app for a past application, you may already have one.
2. Create the account through the official link on GOV.UK.
3. Confirm your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
4. Link the account to your eVisa. You cannot see your eVisa until you do this.

If you have no valid passport and no expired BRP, or cannot use the app, GOV.UK says you can confirm your identity another way. Contact UKVI webchat for help.

Why the 31 December 2026 date matters

If your only identity option is an expired BRP, set up and secure your account before the concession ends. After that, you will need a valid passport and application number, or help from UKVI, to get in. Once your account is set up, add your current passport so you can sign in with it in future.

Step 2: prove your status with a share code

Employers, landlords and others will ask for a share code instead of a physical card.

Item	Detail
Cost	Free
Validity	90 days
Reuse	As many times as needed within the 90 days
What the checker needs	The share code and your date of birth
How to get one	GOV.UK “View your eVisa” service

Sign in using the details on your account and the phone number or email linked to it. You will be told what the person checking will see. They do not need access to your eVisa itself. Source: GOV.UK share code page.

Step 3: travel with your eVisa

Before you travel:

1. Add the passport you will travel on to your UKVI account. You can add more than one.
2. Check that the details in your account exactly match the passenger information you give the airline.
3. Carry that passport.

Your eVisa is checked when you check in to return to the UK. You can also give the carrier a share code. If your details are wrong, the carrier may refuse boarding and you may be delayed at the border. If your carrier cannot check your eVisa, they can contact the UK Border Force carrier support hub. Source: GOV.UK travel page.

An expired BRP is not on GOV.UK’s list of things you can use it for, so do not rely on it to travel.

Keeping your account up to date

You can update these yourself online:

• passport or travel document (including adding a new one)
• name, phone number, email address and home address
• date of birth (to correct it) or nationality
• photo, if it meets the digital photo rules

You cannot change your name or passport while a visa decision is pending. If your eVisa shows the wrong name or status, use the report an error service rather than the update service.

If you have ILR in an old passport or on paper

People with settlement shown only as a passport stamp, vignette or letter can get an eVisa through a free no time limit (NTL) application. You give biometrics at a UKVCAS service point and upload documents, or pay for scanning at the appointment. Processing can take up to 6 months, and your physical document stays valid while you wait. Getting an eVisa does not change your status.

EU Settlement Scheme: BRPs and 9 December 2026

Under the HC 584 Statement of Changes, from 9 December 2026 BRPs can no longer be used as proof of identity or nationality in EU Settlement Scheme applications. If you are applying to the EUSS and planned to use a BRP, use a passport or national identity card instead.

Key dates

Date	What happens
9 December 2026	BRPs no longer accepted as identity or nationality evidence for the EUSS
31 December 2026	Latest date to use an expired BRP for UKVI account access, share codes and extensions
31 December 2026	Latest date an expired BRP can be used as ID to book the Life in the UK test

Common problems

• Two accounts. If you created a second account by mistake, contact UKVI webchat rather than using both.
• Lost access to your phone or email. Use the GOV.UK account recovery service.
• Old passport still linked. Update before you travel, or you may be stopped at check-in.
• Employer or landlord unfamiliar with share codes. Point them to the GOV.UK right to work or right to rent checking services.

What to do next

1. If you have not already, set up your UKVI account now, especially if you only have an expired BRP.
2. Add your current passport and check every detail matches.
3. Generate a test share code to make sure everything works.
4. If you plan to settle or naturalise, see our guides to ILR and the UK country hub.
5. Watch /updates/ for any change to the BRP deadline.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Details are as of October 2026.