ILR BRP Card and eVisa: Complete 2026 Guide

What is a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)?

A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) was the physical identity card issued by the Home Office to non-EEA nationals living in the UK on a visa of more than 6 months. For those who had been granted indefinite leave to remain, the BRP served as proof of their permanent settlement in the UK.

The BRP card contained the holder's photograph, fingerprints (stored as a chip on the card), full name, date of birth, nationality, and details of their immigration status. For indefinite leave to remain holders, the card showed that their status had no time limit, giving them clear, portable proof of their right to live and work in the UK indefinitely.

The BRP was introduced in 2008 to replace vignette stickers in passports and entry clearance documents. For over 15 years, it was the primary document that indefinite leave to remain holders used to prove their status for employment, rental accommodation, banking, and travel purposes.

However, the BRP system has now been replaced by a fully digital eVisa system. Understanding what has changed, and what it means for your indefinite leave to remain status, is essential for all settled residents in the UK.

BRP vs eVisa: the 2025 transition

The Home Office phased out Biometric Residence Permits by December 2024. From 2025 onwards, immigration status in the UK is recorded and evidenced entirely through a digital eVisa system. This is one of the most significant changes to the way indefinite leave to remain is documented and proved in recent years.

What happened to BRP cards

Physical BRP cards stopped being issued as new primary proof of immigration status from late 2024. Those who already held a BRP (including indefinite leave to remain holders) were migrated to the eVisa system. The BRP cards themselves were not recalled, but they are no longer the authoritative record of immigration status. The digital eVisa record held by UKVI is now the definitive source.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is a digital record of your immigration status held in the Home Office's UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) database. It is not a document you carry physically; instead, it is accessed through an online UKVI account. Your indefinite leave to remain status is recorded in this digital system and can be viewed, shared, and verified electronically.

The eVisa system is modelled on the EU Settlement Scheme digital status that was introduced for EU citizens after Brexit. EU settled status holders have had digital-only evidence of their status since 2021, and the broader rollout of eVisa to all visa holders represents a continuation of that approach.

How to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa

To access your indefinite leave to remain eVisa, you need to create a UKVI account on the official UK government website. The process involves:

1. Visiting the official UKVI account creation page on GOV.UK (search for "UKVI account" or "view and prove your immigration status")
2. Entering your personal details and passport information
3. Verifying your identity using a smartphone and the UKVI identity verification app, or by providing your BRP card details if you have one
4. Setting up multi-factor authentication using your email and phone number
5. Completing the account setup and accessing your immigration record

Once your account is active, you can see your indefinite leave to remain status, which will show as a permanent settled status with no expiry date. If you encounter difficulties setting up your account, the UKVI Resolution Centre (available through GOV.UK) provides free assistance.

How to share your eVisa with employers, landlords, and border force

The eVisa system uses a Share Code mechanism to allow indefinite leave to remain holders to prove their status to third parties. The process works as follows:

1. Log into your UKVI account
2. Navigate to the "Share your immigration status" section
3. Generate a Share Code (a unique reference number)
4. Give this code, along with your date of birth, to the employer or landlord
5. They enter these details on the Home Office employer or landlord checking service on GOV.UK
6. They will see a confirmation of your indefinite leave to remain status

Share Codes are valid for 90 days from the date of generation. After 90 days, generate a new one. There is no limit on how many Share Codes you can generate. Each code can only be used once, but you can generate a fresh code for each new employer or landlord check without any issue.

What your ILR BRP or eVisa shows

One of the most important things to understand about indefinite leave to remain is that your status genuinely has no expiry date. This is different from a visa, which expires on a set date, and understanding this distinction prevents a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.

What appears on an ILR BRP card

If you hold a BRP issued before the eVisa transition, your card shows:

• Your full name and photo
• Date of birth and nationality
• Your National Insurance number (on the reverse of some cards)
• An immigration status code indicating settled status (such as "ILR" or "No time limit")
• A date field that may show "31 Dec 2024" or may be left blank for some older ILR cards

What appears on an eVisa for ILR holders

In your UKVI account, your indefinite leave to remain eVisa shows your settled status without any expiry date. The status description will use language such as "No time limit" or "Indefinite", and there will be no future end date shown. This correctly reflects the nature of indefinite leave to remain as a permanent immigration status.

What the codes mean

On older BRP cards and in Home Office system records, several different codes were used to describe indefinite leave to remain:

• ILR: Indefinite leave to remain. The primary code for permanent settlement granted to non-EEA nationals.
• No time limit: Equivalent to ILR, sometimes used for older grants of settlement or cases processed before the BRP system.
• Indefinite: A descriptor used in some Home Office letters and digital records to describe the ILR status.
• Settled: Used in the EU Settlement Scheme context for EU citizens, but functionally equivalent to indefinite leave to remain for those covered by the scheme.

All of these codes and descriptors indicate that you are permanently settled in the UK and that your leave has no expiry date. For employers and landlords conducting status checks, any of these codes appearing on the UKVI employer or landlord checking portal is sufficient confirmation of permanent settlement.

BRP expiry date confusion

This is one of the most common sources of anxiety for indefinite leave to remain holders in the UK, and it is worth addressing in detail: why do many ILR BRP cards show an expiry date of 31 December 2024, and what does that mean for your status?

Why BRPs show 31 December 2024

The Home Office made a deliberate decision to print 31 December 2024 on BRP cards issued after a certain date as part of the phased introduction of the eVisa system. This date was chosen as the technical end date of the BRP card programme rather than as an expiry date for any individual's immigration status.

In other words, 31 December 2024 is the date when BRP cards ceased to be the primary official document for evidencing immigration status, not the date when any individual's indefinite leave to remain expires.

Your indefinite leave to remain is perpetual

Indefinite leave to remain, once granted, does not expire unless you leave the UK for more than 2 continuous years or it is revoked by the Home Office in exceptional circumstances (serious criminal offending, fraud, national security). The date printed on your BRP card has no bearing on these conditions.

If your BRP shows 31 December 2024 and you are now reading this guide in 2026, your indefinite leave to remain is still fully valid. The correct way to evidence your status is through your UKVI eVisa account, which will show your permanent settled status with no end date.

What to do if you are asked about the date on your BRP

If an employer, landlord, or other party queries the date shown on your BRP card, the most effective response is to direct them to the Home Office employer or landlord checking service (available on GOV.UK). When they enter your Share Code and date of birth, the portal will confirm your current immigration status directly from Home Office records, which overrides anything printed on the card. Your indefinite leave to remain will show as current and permanent.

A helpful resource to share with concerned employers or landlords is the official GOV.UK page on the eVisa transition, which explains that the date on older BRP cards does not indicate an expiry of immigration status.

Lost or damaged BRP or eVisa issues

Losing or damaging a document that is your primary proof of indefinite leave to remain is understandably stressful. The process for resolving this has changed significantly following the eVisa transition.

If you lose your BRP card (before the eVisa transition)

If you lost a BRP card that was issued before December 2024, the first step is to check whether you already have an active UKVI account with a linked eVisa. If your eVisa is accessible and correctly shows your indefinite leave to remain status, then for most practical purposes (Right to Work, Right to Rent, travel), the lost physical card is not a critical problem.

You are technically required to report a lost or stolen BRP to the police and to the Home Office within three days of discovering the loss. Report the loss to your local police and obtain a crime reference number. Then report the loss to the Home Office through GOV.UK (search for "report lost or stolen BRP"). You may be asked to apply for a replacement card, though given the transition to eVisa, the circumstances under which a replacement physical card is issued are now limited.

Updating your eVisa details after a name change

If your name has changed (for example, following marriage or divorce) and your eVisa still shows your old name, you should update your records. This is done through the UKVI account portal. You will need to provide evidence of the name change (such as a marriage certificate or deed poll). Until the name change is reflected in the system, there may be discrepancies between your passport and your eVisa record, which can cause complications at border checks.

For guidance on what to do if you have lost your indefinite leave to remain evidence or believe your status has been affected, see our guide on losing ILR.

If your eVisa is not showing correctly

If your UKVI account is not correctly showing your indefinite leave to remain status, or if there are errors in your recorded details, contact the UKVI Resolution Centre through GOV.UK. This is a free service provided by the Home Office to resolve eVisa access and accuracy issues. Do not use third-party paid services for this; the official route is the correct one.

Using your eVisa to prove indefinite leave to remain status

As an indefinite leave to remain holder, you will regularly need to prove your immigration status to employers, landlords, banks, and other organisations. Understanding how to do this correctly and efficiently is essential.

Right to Work checks

Employers in the UK are legally required to check that all employees have the right to work before they start employment. For indefinite leave to remain holders, the process under the eVisa system works as follows:

1. Generate a Share Code through your UKVI account
2. Provide the Share Code and your date of birth to your employer
3. Your employer enters these on the Home Office employer checking service
4. The portal confirms your unlimited right to work as an indefinite leave to remain holder

Alternatively, if you hold a British or Irish passport, you can present that instead, as passports from those countries confirm unlimited right to work without needing a UKVI check. However, if you hold indefinite leave to remain and your passport is from another country, the Share Code route is the standard process.

Right to Rent checks

Landlords and letting agents must verify the Right to Rent status of all adult occupants in a rental property. The process for indefinite leave to remain holders is identical to the Right to Work Share Code process: generate a code, give it to your landlord alongside your date of birth, and they complete the check online.

Travelling internationally with eVisa

When you travel internationally as an indefinite leave to remain holder, your passport is used to identify you at borders. Your indefinite leave to remain status is linked to your passport details in the Home Office systems. When you return to the UK, Border Force can verify your settled status electronically from the passport data.

For travel to some non-EU countries, you may need to apply for a visa as a non-British national. In this context, your indefinite leave to remain does not automatically provide visa-free access to third countries. Check the visa requirements of your destination using your home country passport rather than assuming your settled status provides additional rights.

The Share Code system explained

The Share Code is a 9-character alphanumeric code generated through your UKVI account. It is designed to be used once per check and expires after 90 days. Key points to remember:

• Always generate a fresh Share Code for each new check rather than reusing old ones
• The code must be used with your date of birth; it cannot be used without this
• There is no limit on how many Share Codes you can generate
• Share Codes do not affect your immigration status; generating many codes has no negative consequence

What happens at the border with eVisa

Crossing UK borders as an indefinite leave to remain holder under the eVisa system is straightforward in most cases, but it is worth understanding exactly what happens so you are not caught off guard.

eGate pre-clearance

Many indefinite leave to remain holders can use eGates at UK airports and ports rather than queuing at staffed immigration desks. eGates read your biometric passport and verify your immigration status against the Home Office database in real time. If your indefinite leave to remain record is linked to your current passport, the gate should open without issue.

Whether you can use eGates depends on your nationality and passport type. Currently, nationals of many countries including those with biometric passports from a growing list of nations are able to use UK eGates. Check the current GOV.UK guidance on which nationalities can use eGates before travelling.

What to do if the eGate rejects your passport

If an eGate does not accept your passport, this does not necessarily mean there is a problem with your indefinite leave to remain. Common reasons include:

• Your passport is physically damaged or the chip cannot be read
• Your passport details in the Home Office system do not yet reflect a recent renewal
• The eGate has a technical fault
• Your nationality is not currently eligible for eGate use

If rejected by an eGate, proceed to a staffed border desk. Present your passport and, if asked, explain that you hold indefinite leave to remain and have a UKVI eVisa account. The Border Force officer can check your status directly in the Home Office system. Carrying a printout of your UKVI account status page (showing your indefinite leave to remain with no expiry date) can be useful in these situations, though it is not an official document.

What to do if your eVisa is not showing correctly at the border

If a Border Force officer cannot confirm your indefinite leave to remain status and you believe there is an error in the Home Office system, ask to speak to a supervisor and request that the system check be escalated. In rare cases where a genuine error exists in the Home Office database, this may require resolution through the UKVI Resolution Centre after your trip.

If you regularly encounter border difficulties linked to your eVisa, resolve the underlying issue with your UKVI account before your next trip. Do not leave eVisa account problems unresolved if you plan to travel internationally.

For more detail on what your indefinite leave to remain status means for international travel and what steps to take to protect your status, see our ILR Application Guide and our guide on losing ILR. You can also check your eligibility and key dates with our ILR Eligibility Calculator. For guidance on the biometrics appointment process, see our ILR Biometrics guide.