BRP vs eVisa — What's Changing in 2026?

If you hold a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), you've probably heard that "BRPs are ending." What you may not know is exactly what that means for you, when to act and what happens if you do nothing. This article explains the BRP to eVisa transition as it stands in April 2026, the deadlines that still matter and the real-world consequences at airports and landlord checks.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is not a document. It's an online record of your UK immigration status linked to your passport. You prove your status by logging into your UKVI account and generating a share code for employers, landlords, banks and airlines.

Replacing BRPs with eVisas has been Home Office policy since 2022, accelerated in 2024–25 with the physical-card phase-out. As of 31 December 2024, the Home Office stopped issuing new BRPs to most applicants. Anyone granted leave from January 2025 onwards received an eVisa only.

Who still holds a BRP?

If your BRP was issued before 31 December 2024 and is still valid, you still hold a physical card — but the card expires on 31 December 2024 on its face regardless of your actual leave duration. This is not a bug. The card's expiry date is not your visa's expiry date.

Your underlying immigration leave continues as granted (e.g. 5 years on Skilled Worker, ILR indefinite). Only the physical card's usefulness ends.

What you must do in 2026

Create a UKVI account and link your eVisa. Specifically:

1. Go to gov.uk/evisa and click "Create a UKVI account."
2. Enter the passport you used to apply for your visa.
3. Verify your identity via email and SMS.
4. Scan your BRP (or upload a photo) so the Home Office can match the record.
5. Once linked, your eVisa is live. Test it by generating a share code.

Budget 15–30 minutes. Most people finish in one sitting. The Home Office recommends doing this well before any international travel because airlines have started checking eVisa status at boarding.

What happens if you don't create a UKVI account

Nothing immediate — your leave itself doesn't lapse. But practically:

• Airline check-in will fail if the carrier can't verify your status via the electronic border system. Some airlines now refuse boarding with only a BRP.
• Right to Work checks cannot be completed by employers using an expired BRP. They must use the online service, which requires your share code.
• Right to Rent checks follow the same rule.
• NHS registration in new areas may ask for eVisa proof.
• Bank account opening will require a share code.

Many reports in late 2025 and early 2026 show applicants stuck at overseas airports when airlines couldn't verify status. Some were allowed to board after a phone call to the Home Office's carrier liaison; many were denied boarding and had to rebook.

The passport link — the most common mistake

Your eVisa is linked to the passport number you used when applying. If you've renewed your passport since your visa was granted, you must update the passport number in your UKVI account before travel. This is done inside the account under "Update your details."

Forgetting this is the single most common reason for boarding refusals in 2026. New passport = new number = airline's system can't match your eVisa record at check-in.

Share codes — how they work

A share code is a 9-character alphanumeric code generated inside your UKVI account. You give it to a third party along with your date of birth, and they can view your immigration status on gov.uk.

Share code rules:

• Valid for 90 days from generation.
• Employer/landlord/bank-specific — you generate a different code for each check type.
• Does not show your passport number, just your status, conditions and expiry.
• Free to generate; no limit on the number you create.

Treat share codes like one-time passwords. Don't publish them; don't reuse across third parties unnecessarily.

What if your BRP is lost or damaged?

You do not need to replace the physical card. Instead, create your UKVI account using the reference number from your original decision letter, or contact UKVI's BRP team for help linking your record. The Home Office is explicit that replacement BRPs are no longer issued — they will help you move to eVisa instead.

If you never received your decision letter (common for 2015–2018 applicants), use your full legal name, date of birth, nationality and visa type; the Home Office support line can verify identity and issue a recovery link.

ILR holders and the "status lost" myth

There's a persistent rumour that Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) holders can "lose" their status if they don't create a UKVI account. This is false. Your ILR doesn't lapse because you haven't registered an eVisa. However:

• You still can't prove ILR without a share code. So practically, you need the account for any status check.
• ILR can be lost by absence — 2+ continuous years outside the UK, or prolonged residency elsewhere. This rule is unchanged by eVisa.
• ILR can be lost by revocation — serious crimes, deception in original application. Also unchanged.

Create the account. ILR is too valuable to leave unverified.

Dual nationals and British passport holders

If you're a British citizen or Commonwealth citizen with Right of Abode, you don't have a UKVI account or eVisa. Your British passport (or Certificate of Entitlement in a foreign passport) is your proof of status. No action needed.

If you're a dual national holding both British and, say, Indian passports, travel on your British passport into the UK. Don't try to use an eVisa attached to your Indian passport — you don't have one, because you don't need one.

Family members and children

Each person's immigration status is individual. If your spouse and children hold dependant leave, each needs their own UKVI account. Parents can create and manage accounts for children under 18, but the account belongs to the child and must be transferred to their control at 18.

What's coming next

The Home Office roadmap through 2026–2027:

• End 2026 — airline systems fully integrated with UKVI; BRP-only boarding expected to be refused universally.
• 2027 — all remaining paper-based and legacy document holders migrated.
• Longer term — expansion to biometric at-border verification, potentially reducing the need for share codes at entry.

For now, the job is straightforward: create your UKVI account, link your current passport, and test a share code before your next flight.