How to Collect a BRP Card in the UK (2026)

This guide reflects the completed move from physical BRP cards to digital eVisas. If you searched for how to collect a BRP card in the UK and landed on older advice, read the Quick answer first, it has probably changed.

You can no longer collect a BRP card in the UK. All Biometric Residence Permits expired on 31 December 2024 and the Home Office has replaced them with a digital eVisa. If you have a new visa, you prove your status online through a UKVI account, not with a card. If you still hold an old, expired BRP, keep it, but set up your eVisa as soon as possible because an expired BRP can no longer be used for travel.

So if you came here expecting a step-by-step on picking up a plastic card from your local Post Office, here's the honest version: that process is finished. I'll still walk you through how it used to work, because a lot of official-looking pages and university handbooks haven't caught up. But the part that actually matters in 2026 is the eVisa, and that's where most of this guide is going to spend its time.

What is a BRP card in the UK?

A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) was a credit-card-sized document that proved a non-UK national's right to live, work, study, or rent in the UK. It held your photo, your fingerprints on an embedded chip, your visa conditions, and the dates your permission ran.

BRPs were introduced in 2008 and were the standard proof of immigration status for anyone granted leave for more than six months. They are no longer issued. They expired on 31 December 2024, regardless of the expiry date printed on the card and regardless of whether the underlying visa was still valid. The card stopped being valid; your actual permission to stay did not.

Expert tip: Your BRP expiring did not cancel your visa. The expiry of your BRP does not affect your immigration status. Your permission to stay remains valid until the end date in your decision letter or UKVI records. The card was just the proof, and the proof has moved online.

How to collect a BRP card in the UK

You don't, not anymore. There is no current process to collect a BRP card in the UK because the Home Office stopped issuing them. New visa holders now receive a digital eVisa instead.

Here's what to do today, depending on your situation:

1. You have a brand-new UK visa (2025 or 2026). You won't get a card. Read your Home Office decision email, then create a UKVI account at gov.uk/evisa to access your eVisa.
2. You hold an old BRP that expired on 31 December 2024. Set up your UKVI account using that expired card before the transitional window closes, then rely on the eVisa from there.
3. You're an existing resident who never had a card (for example, an old ILR stamp in a passport). You can usually still use the legacy document for now, but the Home Office is pushing everyone toward an eVisa.

For historical context, here's the collection process that used to apply if you applied from outside the UK: your decision letter named a Post Office branch, you brought your passport with its entry vignette, and you collected the card before your entry vignette expired or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever was later. No appointment was needed. That's the process people are still searching for, and it's the one that no longer exists.

Expert tip: If a letter, agent, or website tells you to "collect your BRP at the Post Office" in 2026, treat it as out of date and check gov.uk before acting on it.

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How long does it take to get a BRP?

You don't get a BRP at all now. The relevant question in 2026 is how long it takes to access your eVisa, and the answer is usually minutes once your application is approved, because it's created automatically.

After your visa is granted, you'll get a decision email. You then create a UKVI account, verify your identity, and your eVisa appears linked to that account. There's no card in the post and no waiting for delivery.

For reference, when cards were still issued the timing looked like this: applicants inside the UK typically received the card by courier within 7 to 10 days of their decision letter, while overseas applicants collected within 10 days of arrival. None of that applies to new grants today.

Expert tip: Set up your UKVI account the moment your visa is approved, not the night before you fly. If your passport details don't match, you want to find out with time to fix it.

How much does a BRP cost?

There is no separate BRP cost in 2026 because the card no longer exists. Creating a UKVI account to access your eVisa is free.

Historically, the BRP card itself was cheap: the standalone biometric/card fee for applications made inside the UK was around £19, and for overseas applications the card was included in the visa fee. The real cost was always the visa application, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and biometrics, never the plastic. So if you're budgeting for a UK move now, ignore "BRP cost" entirely and focus on the visa fee and the health surcharge.

Expert tip: Anyone asking you to pay a fee specifically to "release" or "collect" your eVisa is not following an official process. The eVisa itself costs nothing.

Collecting your BRP from the Post Office

Collecting your BRP from the Post Office was the standard route for people who applied from overseas, and it's the phrase that still floods search results. It no longer happens, but it's worth understanding so you can recognise outdated instructions when you see them.

When it ran, the process was:

1. You received a decision letter naming a specific Post Office branch and a collection code.
2. You travelled to the UK on your entry vignette.
3. You went to that branch with your passport and brought the decision letter for reference.
4. You collected the card in person; you had to be 18 or over, and a child's card needed a nominated responsible adult.

Missing the collection window risked a fine of up to £1,000, and in some cases cancellation of leave. Today there's no branch, no code, and no card, so none of those penalties apply to collection. What replaces it is simply making sure your eVisa is set up and your passport is linked.

Expert tip: If you're a 2026 arrival, the Post Office plays no part in your immigration status. Don't waste a trip.

What to do if you cannot collect your BRP on time

This used to be a genuine worry. Now it mostly resolves itself, because there's nothing to physically collect. If your eVisa isn't showing or your account won't set up, that's the modern version of the same problem, and here's how to handle it:

• Account won't verify. Recheck the passport number and personal details against your decision letter. A single typo is the most common cause.
• eVisa shows nothing or wrong details. Use the official "update your details" and "report an error with your eVisa" tools on gov.uk rather than ignoring it.
• You're about to travel and it's not working. Sort it before you leave the UK. The safer approach is to make sure your digital status and passport details are correct before you travel. A mismatch is much harder to fix from abroad.

Expert tip: Screenshot your eVisa and your "View and Prove" page once it's working. It won't replace the live status, but it helps you spot if something changes later.

What if I forgot my BRP in the UK?

"I forgot my BRP in the UK, how can I re-enter the UK?" is one of the most common panicked searches, usually from someone who travelled and left the card at home. In 2026 the good news is that the card is irrelevant. Your status is digital, so a BRP left in a drawer in Manchester doesn't stop you boarding or entering.

What actually matters now is that the passport you travel on is linked to your UKVI account. The key check point is no longer the UK border; it's the moment the airline checks your details against Home Office systems. If your passport isn't correctly linked, you may be treated as not holding permission even when you do.

So the modern equivalent of "I forgot my BRP" is "my passport isn't linked to my eVisa." Fix that, and a forgotten card is a non-issue.

Expert tip: Renewed or replaced your passport recently? Update it in your UKVI account before you book travel. A new passport number that doesn't match your eVisa is the single most common cause of airline check-in problems.

How can I re-enter the UK if my BRP is lost?

Short version: a lost BRP no longer blocks re-entry, because BRPs aren't valid for travel anyway. After 1 June 2025, expired BRP cards on their own are no longer valid for travel back to the UK; you need the digital status linked to your passport. So a lost card doesn't change anything about your ability to return.

To re-enter the UK now:

1. Make sure your eVisa is live and your current passport is linked to your UKVI account.
2. Generate a share code through "View and Prove" before you travel, in case a carrier asks.
3. Travel on the passport that's linked to your status.

If your BRP is lost or stolen, you should still report it, even though it's expired, because you must report a lost or stolen BRP even though it has expired. Reporting it is about security, not about getting a replacement card; there won't be one.

Expert tip: If you're outside the UK and can't access your eVisa at all, contact UKVI before you fly rather than gambling on talking your way through check-in.

A note for people who lost their BRP while outside the UK

If you're abroad and worried, separate two things. The card itself isn't your ticket home anymore, so losing it is not the emergency it once was. What you need is working access to your digital status. If you can log in to your UKVI account and your passport is linked, you're in a strong position. If you can't, sort that access out with UKVI before booking travel, and keep your decision letter, UKVI customer number, and any GWF or UAN reference numbers handy in case you need to recover the account.

For international students and new arrivals

If you're arriving in the UK to study or work in 2026, here's the honest, short version of what to do:

1. After your visa is approved, find your Home Office decision email.
2. Create a UKVI account at gov.uk/evisa and access your eVisa.
3. Generate a share code when your university, employer, or landlord needs proof.
4. Update the account immediately if your passport ever changes.

You will not be handed a card at the airport, and you don't need to find a Post Office. Your university's international student team can help if the account setup goes wrong, and many have published their own eVisa walkthroughs.

Expert tip: Set up your eVisa before your first rent check or right-to-work check, not during it. Landlords and employers now verify through a share code, so you'll need the account live to move into accommodation or start a job.

What most people get wrong

A few misconceptions cause most of the panic I see:

• "My BRP expired, so my visa expired." No. The card expired; your permission runs to the date in your decision letter.
• "I need to collect a card when I arrive." Not since the switch to eVisas. New arrivals get digital status.
• "I can travel on my old BRP." Not after 1 June 2025. You need the linked digital status.
• "The eVisa costs money." Creating the UKVI account is free.
• "I can print my eVisa and carry it." You can't. It lives online; you prove it with a share code.

BRP vs eVisa: what changed

The simplest way to see the shift:

In plain terms: the era of physical immigration documents in the UK has ended, and your status is now entirely digital. The card was a thing you held; the eVisa is a record you log in to.

FAQs

Can I still collect a BRP card in the UK in 2026?

No. BRP cards are no longer issued and all existing ones expired on 31 December 2024. There is no collection process at a Post Office or anywhere else. New visa holders receive a digital eVisa instead, which they access through a free UKVI account online.

How much does a BRP cost now?

Nothing, because BRPs are no longer produced. Setting up the UKVI account that holds your eVisa is free. Historically the card itself cost around £19, but that fee no longer exists. Your real costs today are the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

How long does it take to get a BRP?

You don't get a BRP anymore. Your eVisa is created automatically when your visa is approved and appears in your UKVI account within minutes of setting it up. There's no card delivery and no Post Office wait, so the old "7 to 10 days" timeline no longer applies.

I forgot my BRP in the UK. How can I re-enter the UK?

A forgotten BRP won't stop you re-entering, because your status is digital. What matters is that the passport you're travelling on is linked to your UKVI account. Check your eVisa before you fly and generate a share code in case a carrier asks for proof.

What if my BRP is lost or stolen?

You should still report a lost or stolen BRP to the Home Office, even though it has expired. There's no replacement card to issue. The important step is keeping access to your UKVI account so your digital status stays available for work, rent, and travel checks.

Do international students still collect a BRP?

No. Students arriving in 2026 get a digital eVisa, not a card. After your visa is granted, create a UKVI account, access your eVisa, and use a share code to prove your status to your university, landlord, or employer. There's nothing to pick up at a Post Office.

Read Also: How to Get UCAS Points in 2026: Full Guide

Conclusion

If you came here searching how to collect a BRP card in the UK, the most useful thing I can tell you is that you don't need to. The card system is finished, and chasing it will only cost you time. Set up your UKVI account, access your eVisa, link your current passport, and generate a share code whenever someone needs proof. That's the whole job now.

Immigration rules shift, and individual cases vary, so always confirm anything that affects your status against the official guidance on gov.uk or with a qualified adviser before you act.

Moving to the UK or just arrived? Browse Acolyte Living's student accommodation and read our arrival and settling-in guides so your housing is sorted before you even think about share codes and check-ins.