Old BRP: how to open your eVisa

Check your emails from UKVI: an account may already have been created when you applied, verified your identity in the app or switched from a BRP. If one exists, you do not need to create a new one. If you have lost access, use recovery.

To create an account, you need an email and phone you can access. GOV.UK lists the document options: a valid passport with a GWF or UAN application number, a valid passport with a BRP number, or an eligible expired BRP. Follow the option offered by the official service.

After registering, you need to verify your identity and link your eVisa. The app requires a compatible smartphone. If you do not have a suitable document, a smartphone or the ability to use the app, another way to verify your identity is available. Do not stop at the account creation email: check that the eVisa itself is available.

• Creating an account and linking your eVisa
• Recovering access

According to GOV.UK, you can use an expired BRP to create a UKVI account for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card or until 31 December 2026 — whichever comes first. This is a rule for creating an account, not a visa extension or permission to travel with an expired card.

Previously, this page gave 30 June 2026 as a guide. It has been replaced by the current GOV.UK rule; do not use the old timer. If the date on the card is 31 December 2024, the limit under the current rule is 31 December 2026. For an earlier date on the card, the 24 months may end sooner.

This is a condition for using the card when creating an account. It does not turn a BRP into a valid document for travel or a physical right to work check. For signing in to an existing account, GOV.UK separately states that an expired BRP can be used; do not apply the account creation time limit to every other action.

• Rule for creating a UKVI account
• Which details can be used to sign in?

Do not conclude that your permission has automatically ended. The date and conditions of your permission are checked separately — in your UKVI decision and status record. Switching to an eVisa does not in itself grant a new visa or extend the previous one.

Open the current account creation instructions: a passport and application number or another available identity verification method may be suitable. If you do not have the required details or the process is unclear, contact UKVI. Do not use someone else's document or pay for a promise to “activate your status” without an official procedure.

• Official document options
• UKVI help

Look for your GWF or UAN application number in your letters and documents, as well as your BRP number if you still have it. Do not post these numbers or passport photos in chats. In the account creation service, check the option using a valid passport and an available number.

Not having a card or smartphone does not mean your eVisa is unavailable forever. GOV.UK provides an alternative identity check. If you cannot complete the process offered, use UKVI help and keep your reference number. A fixed number of minutes or days cannot be promised for your case.

• Account creation and other verification methods
• Official UKVI webchat

This is a separate case for people with settlement — ILR or ILE. For a physical document with no expiry date that confirms indefinite status, there is a free No Time Limit (NTL) application to get an eVisa. It is not intended for a seasonal visa and does not grant indefinite status to someone who does not have it.

Do not choose NTL just because your BRP has expired: BRPs and a number of other forms of proof have their own processes. GOV.UK explains which evidence is suitable and how to verify your identity. While an eligible NTL application is being considered, you can continue using your existing physical document under the rules in the official guidance.

A free application does not mean all additional services are free: for example, document scanning may be offered for a fee when booking an appointment. Check exactly what you are being asked to pay for.

• GOV.UK: eVisa with settlement and NTL

You can ask someone you trust to go through the instructions alongside you. Where possible, use your own email and phone so you do not depend on an intermediary the next time you sign in. A one-time sign-in code is not a share code for your employer.

Start with the official UKVI videos and webchat. Help with reading should not come with a promise of a visa decision. If your question concerns the right to stay or work itself, choose a regulated adviser and check the terms of their service in advance.

• UKVI videos
• UKVI webchat
• Find a regulated adviser

You check your details, access and documents. UKVI creates or corrects the government record after the required checks. Your employer checks your right to work through their service; your scheme operator can help with organisational issues but does not change your status in UKVI.

Svoi explains the options and provides official links. There is no form here to upload your passport or hand over access to your account. If the record is wrong, use Report an error; if you have lost access, use Recover your UKVI account.

• Report an error
• Recover your account

An eVisa reflects your existing status and its conditions. Creating an account does not extend a seasonal visa, remove work restrictions or guarantee a border control decision.

Before working, use the appropriate share code; before travelling, check the valid passport in your account. Do not use the old card as evidence that your permission has automatically ended or been extended.

• Code for your employer
• Preparing to travel