BRPs will expire on the 31st of December 2024. The Home Office will continue to issue BRPs until the autumn. From the 6th of August 2024, all BRP holders will be able to access their eVisa by creating a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) account at GOV.UK. This transition means that customers can instantly, accurately and securely prove their rights to those who need to check their immigration status. Most people will be able to see their eVisa right away (the small number who cannot do so will be able to soon afterwards).

https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa GOV.UK webpage also includes details of the range of support available.
Visa nationals should continue to carry their in-date physical immigration documents when travelling internationally, until they expire, to show carriers they have a valid visa.

If a person has been issued with a BRP but no longer has one (for example because it is lost) they can create a UKVI account using their passport or their application reference number (this will be called a ‘UAN’ or ‘GWF’).

People who have been granted settlement (also known as indefinite leave to enter or remain) who prove their rights using either a passport with an ink stamp, a vignette visa sticker or another type of paper document are encouraged to make a free ‘No Time Limit’ application at GOV.UK, which currently provides successful applicants with a BRP. They can then use this to create a UKVI account and we encourage them to do so to access the full benefits of eVisas. However, these customers will still be able to use their paper documents as they do today.

If a person’s BRP expires on the 31st of December 2024 they should create a UKVI account and access their eVisa. They should keep their BRP card as it could be beneficial to enable a more streamline process for future applications to stay in the UK.

It is important for people to link their most up-to-date travel document with their UKVI account before travelling.

The transition to eVisas will not impact a person’s underlying immigration status, but they should create a UKVI account to access their eVisa to reduce unnecessary delays or difficulties when travelling or proving their immigration permissions.

Next Steps

The Home Office will roll out eVisas to most immigration routes for new visa applicants throughout 2024. However, successful applicants on some selected routes, for example visitor visas, will not be given an eVisa until later in 2025 and will continue to use physical documents until then.

The transition to eVisas does not change current practice for those who are exempt from immigration control. Those who are exempt should follow existing guidance on how to evidence their exempt status before travelling to the UK. This includes obtaining an exempt vignette, or carrying the relevant documents which evidence their exempt status.

The Home Office plans to launch a digital version of the exempt vignette in 2025. Further details on the application process for this digital version should be available in advance of the change.