BRP in 2026: what happened to Biometric Residence Permits
Biometric Residence Permits stopped existing on 31 December 2024. Every BRP expired that day, and the Home Office replaced them with the eVisa, a digital record of immigration status. If you employ sponsored workers, this changes how you run a right to work check (RTW) — the physical card you used to photocopy is gone, and checking it now is a compliance risk, not a safeguard. Here's what the switch means, what your workers need to do, and how proving status works now.
What was a BRP?
A BRP was a physical card showing a person's identity, immigration status, visa type and conditions, and their right to work or study. It replaced visa stickers in passports. From 2025, that role passed to the eVisa.
Does an expired BRP mean my visa has expired?
No. BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, but that date did not touch the visa behind the card. If a worker's leave runs to a later date, they still hold it. Status is now proven through the eVisa, not the card. If a worker has received a UKVI decision letter, that letter explains their immigration permission and next steps before they access their eVisa.
What to do if you still have a BRP
There's nothing to renew, but there is one action that matters: setting up a UKVI account to access the eVisa. Point affected workers to these three steps.
- Go to gov.uk/evisa and create a UKVI account, using your BRP number, passport and date of birth.
- Once your account is active, generate a share code whenever you need to prove your status for work, renting or services.
- Keep your passport and contact details up to date in the account.
Proving your right to work
This is the part that lands on your desk. You check an eVisa holder's status with a share code, not a physical card. The worker generates the share code from their UKVI account and gives it to you alongside their date of birth. You then verify it through the Home Office online service. A photocopied, expired BRP no longer counts as a valid check — and relying on one leaves a hole in your audit trail. See our right to work check guide for the full process.
What about travel?
Workers no longer rely on a BRP to re-enter the UK. The eVisa links to the passport held in the UKVI account, so that passport needs to stay current in the account before any travel.
FAQs
Do I need to replace my expired BRP? No. BRPs are not reissued. Set up your eVisa instead.
I cannot access my UKVI account, what do I do? Contact UKVI to recover access. Once your account is set up, you can prove your status with a share code.
I have a UKVI decision letter but no BRP. What should I do? Your UKVI decision letter confirms your immigration decision and explains your next steps. If you're unsure how it works with your eVisa, read our UKVI decision letter guide.
FAQs
If you sponsor workers in social care, this sits on top of an already stretched compliance load. The care sector is in crisis: according to inspection reports by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), some residents are being left to languish in their rooms 24 hours a day. When your team is that stretched, a lapsed UKVI account or an unchecked share code is the kind of admin slip that turns into a right to work breach. Getting the eVisa switch right is one less thing to fail an inspection over.
How Borderless helps
The BRP is gone, but the compliance obligation isn't — it just moved online, where an out-of-date share code or an unverified account can quietly break a right to work check. If you sponsor workers, Borderless keeps every RTW check and your Home Office compliance in order, and handles the visa process end to end. There's just too much at stake to run it on spreadsheets. Book a demo.
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