Several recent updates to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) guidance highlight a significant change for individuals holding biometric residence permits (BRPs) and biometric residence cards (BRCs): expired BRPs and BRCs can no longer be used for travel to the UK as of June 2, 2025. This change impacts various aspects of immigration status, travel, and how individuals prove their right to reside in the UK.
Here’s a summary of 6 of those recent updates and the key areas affected:
1. Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and eVisas
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as settlement, signifies that there is no time limit on an individual’s stay in the UK. For those with ILR whose BRPs have expired or will expire, it is now essential to create a UKVI account and obtain an eVisa. An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and is required to demonstrate your permission to travel to the UK. See UKVI guidance here.
2. Using Your UK Visas and Immigration Account
Your UKVI account is a central tool for managing your immigration status. It allows you to:
The update reinforces that expired BRPs and BRCs are no longer valid for travel; an eVisa is now the necessary document for demonstrating travel permission. See UKVI guidance here.
3. Online Immigration Status (eVisa)
An eVisa serves as an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. If you have been granted permission to stay for more than six months or have ILR, an eVisa is now mandatory to prove your identity and status. The change effective June 2, 2025, means that expired BRPs can no longer be used for travel, making the eVisa the primary document for this purpose. See UKVI guidance here.
4. Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs)
BRPs are issued to individuals granted permission to stay in the UK. While they served as proof of immigration status, the recent changes emphasize their non-usability for travel once expired. Even if your BRP expires on or after December 31, 2024, it was previously advised to carry it when traveling to the UK on or before June 1, 2025. Now, regardless of the BRP’s expiry, an eVisa is required for travel. See UKVI guidance here.
5. Checking Your eVisa Before Travel
Before any travel into or out of the UK, it is vital to ensure your eVisa details are correct. This involves signing into your UKVI account to confirm your eVisa is linked to your current passport or travel document and obtaining a share code to prove your immigration status if needed. The new rule explicitly states that expired BRPs and BRCs are no longer sufficient for travel. See UKVI and Home Office guidance here.
6. Travelling Between the UK and Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey, or Jersey
While the Common Travel Area (CTA) generally allows for ease of movement between the UK, Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies, the new travel rules still apply. British and Irish citizens have extensive rights within the CTA, but for others with UK immigration permission, an eVisa is now required for travel to the UK from any of these areas if their BRP or BRC has expired. See UKVI guidance here.
Get access to your eVisa!
In summary, the overarching theme of these updates is the transition towards eVisas as the primary digital record for proving UK immigration status and facilitating travel. All individuals with BRPs or BRCs should be aware that these physical documents, once expired, are no longer valid for travel to the UK, and an eVisa is now essential for this purpose. See guidance from .gov here.
