Immigration · Documents

An expired BRP stops working on 31 December 2026

The plastic BRP cards have expired and been replaced by eVisas. An old card is still accepted, but only for three things and no later than 31 December 2026. For entering the country it is already useless.

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The Home Office building on Marsham Street in London with its coloured glass canopy — The Home Office on Marsham Street. Photo: Alan Hughes / CC BY-SA 2.0

Every biometric residence permit in the UK has expired and been replaced by a digital status — the eVisa. This is not permission to stay but the way you prove it: your status and its end date do not change, only the document you show.

What does the old BRP card still do?

An expired BRP is accepted for 24 months after the date printed on the card, or until 31 December 2026 — whichever comes first. And only for three things: accessing and sharing your eVisa, creating a UKVI account, and applying to extend your permission to stay.

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Everything else runs through the eVisa. A right to work check, a landlord check, proving status to a bank or a hospital: each needs a share code from the account, not the plastic.

Will the old card get you through the border?

Separately and immediately: an expired BRP does not work for entering the UK. You need an eVisa, and your UKVI account must hold the details of the passport you are travelling on. An airline may ask for a share code before boarding — not as paperwork, but as the condition for letting you on the plane.

The most common mistake is changing passport and not updating it in the account. The status is still there, but at check-in the carrier cannot see it, because it looks up the new passport number.

What should you do now?

If you still have no UKVI account, create one. It is free. You will need your BRP number or application number (GWF/UAN), a valid passport, an email address, a phone and a smartphone for the identity check app. Then open the eVisa, confirm your passport details are current, and check the status and dates it shows.

If your BRP is lost or stolen you must report it to the Home Office — not the police — even though the card has expired. Failing to report it carries a fine of up to £1,000 and you can be made to leave the UK; the Home Office replies within one working day. You no longer have to replace the card itself. If you find it after reporting it, you cannot use it — destroy it by cutting through your personal details, the royal coat of arms and the chip.

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Who does this not affect?

A biometric residence card (BRC) still works in some situations, and a visa vignette in a passport is valid until its own expiry. Check by the specific document rather than the general rule.

And the thing to understand about the deadline: nothing in your status ends on 31 December 2026. What ends is the window in which the old plastic can open the door to your digital status. The closer to the end of the year, the longer the Home Office support queue.

All the upcoming filing deadlines, bank holidays and decision dates are gathered in the ONLYWAY calendar, day by day with explanations.

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Published 13 September 2026, 09:00 3 min read Editorial desk of the British newspaper ONLYWAY NEWS - LONDON - UK

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