Thursday 19 December 2024

Subsequent to the Home Office’s recent announcement of transitional measures to ease the transition to eVisas, allowing airlines and other carriers to accept biometric residence permits (BRPs) and EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence cards (BRCs) expiring on 31 December 2024 as evidence of permission to travel to the UK, until 31 March 2025, we answer some frequently asked questions regarding the eVisa roll-out.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa allows individuals to view and prove their immigration status online, which can be accessed via their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. The aim is for eVisas to replace physical BRPs and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs).

How do I set up my eVisa?

You will require a UKVI account. If you do not have one already, you can create this via this link and will require your passport or BRP number, name, nationality, telephone number and email address. You will be required to carry out an identity check process which will involve scanning your face and identity document.

Once this has been completed, or if you already have a UKVI account, you will need to log back in and apply to link your eVisa to your account. You should receive confirmation via email once the Home Office has linked your eVisa – this may either be actioned automatically or can sometimes take a few days or longer.

What if I only have a physical BRP but no eVisa?

You should set up a UKVI account as above. You should then retain your BRP even after it expires on 31 December 2024 as you are recommended to carry this with you when travelling abroad. Your BRP may also be useful for any future immigration applications. This means that individuals should no longer be subject to the previous £1,000 fine for any BRPs that have not been returned to the Home Office

What if I am granted UK immigration permission from outside the UK?

If you are granted immigration permission for longer than 6 months you will be invited by the Home Office to set up a UKVI account and eVisa linked to the passport that you applied with. You can set this up prior to or after having arrived in the UK, however we recommend creating your UKVI account prior to your entry to the UK to avoid any issues at the border.

You will not be issued with a physical BRP and shall be required to rely solely on your eVisa as evidence of your immigration status. Individuals who attend biometric appointments as part of their application should still be issued with a vignette in their passport in which they must enter the UK within the 90-day period.

What if I am granted UK immigration permission from inside the UK?

The Home Office ceased production of physical BRPs on 31 October 2024. Anyone who is granted permission to stay in the UK will be invited to create a UKVI account in their approval email, if they have not already set it up. If they do have an account, their status should be updated automatically once approved, however this can take a few days to update. Individuals will therefore be required to rely on their eVisa as sole evidence of their UK immigration status.

What if I already have an eVisa?

If you already have an eVisa, you should ensure that all details on your eVisa are up to date by logging in via this link. You should ensure that your phone number, email address, name, address and linked identity documents are correct.

What should I do if my BRP is my linked identity document on my UKVI account?

You should update your UKVI account as soon as possible by logging in via this link and adding your current passport as your new identity document. As the most recently added document, your passport number should become your new log in document.

Linking your UKVI account to your passport shall reduce the chance of any delays at the border when travelling internationally.

What if I no longer have access to the email address and telephone number linked to my account?

The Home Office has a UKVI account recovery took which can be accessed via this link.

What if there is an error on my eVisa?

Any errors on your eVisa such as your name, date of birth, nationality, status, validity dates, national insurance number or photo should be reported via this link. The Home Office should then respond to you within 10 working days to confirm whether they have been able to rectify the issue. This website can also be used to report where your eVisa is not visible on your account.

What if I have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK that I show through a vignette or ink stamp in a previous passport?

The Home Office has confirmed that these individuals can still use their documents as they do today, such as for travel, whilst the Home Office extends the eVisa digitalisation transition to 31 March 2025. Nevertheless, they are still encouraged to make a No Time Limit (NTL) application to receive an eVisa in anticipation of eVisas becoming mandatory in the future. NTL applications are free of charge, and subject to approval these individuals will be issued with an eVisa to evidence their ILR status. These applications can take up to 6 months to process during which time the individual is permitted to travel.

Do my family members need to set up separate accounts?

Everyone must have their own UKVI account, including children. Parents or guardians should create an account for any child that is unable to do this themselves. They will be able to switch the account details to their children’s once they are of age to manage this themselves.

How do I need to prepare when travelling abroad?

Alongside setting up your eVisa and ensuring all account details are up to date, all individuals are advised to generate a share code prior to their travel, which can be generated via this link (once their eVisa has been set up). This code will then be valid for 90 days, after which the individual will need to generate a new code if they wish to travel after this period. The Home Office has confirmed that individuals may be asked to present this share code to airline carriers in the case of any technical issues at the border.

When do I need to apply by? Can I use my expired BRP/BRC for international travel?

The Home Office has confirmed that individuals will be able to present their expired BRP/BRCs to airline carriers provisionally up until 31 March 2025. The Home Office will review whether the 31 March 2025 cut-off will be extended in the future. We would, however, encourage anyone with UK immigration permission to apply for their eVisa as soon as possible.

How do I keep up with Home Office updates on the eVisa rollout?

LDI will be publishing any updates on this on our Insights page – please ensure to subscribe to our mailing list if you wish to receive any updates directly to your email.

Further questions

Please contact your lawyer at LDI or email enquiries@lauradevine.com should you have any further questions as the Home Office implements the full digitalisation process. We shall be more than happy to assist you.