Old BRP — what to do before 30 June 2026
Updated 27 May 2026
30 June 2026 is the end of the 18-month window for BRPs printed to expire 31 December 2024. It does not mean your status is lost: after that date, proving or linking your status may become harder. Setting up now takes 5-10 minutes on gov.uk.
All BRP cards expired on 31 December 2024. Until 30 June 2026 you can use your expired BRP number to set up a UKVI account (5-10 min). After that, setup is possible through passport + GWF/UAN or a video interview route. Your status (right to live in the UK) does not expire — only the process to prove it becomes harder.
01 Set up UKVI account with expired BRP — 5-10 minutes
- Go to gov.uk/evisa/set-up-ukvi-account
- Enter your BRP number (on the back of the card — format ZZ XXXXXXX). The card is expired — still enter the number.
- Enter your date of birth and create an email and password for your UKVI account
- Identity verification — passport + camera through the UK Immigration: ID Check app (NFC scanning)
- Account created → now you can generate share codes
02 What the 30 June 2026 BRP window means (no panic)
| Before 30 June 2026 | After 30 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Use expired BRP number for UKVI setup — possible | Expired BRP number for setup — not possible |
| 5-10 minutes on gov.uk/evisa/set-up-ukvi-account | Need: passport + GWF/UAN, video interview route, or NTL application |
| Status (legal right) — kept | Status (legal right) — still kept |
- 30 June 2026 = 18 months after the universal BRP expiry (31 December 2024)
- No civil penalty has been issued according to public data
- Claiming unawareness is accepted (Code of Practice 27 March 2025)
- Over 70 years old — fully exempt from sanctions
03 What to do if you miss the deadline
Setup is still possible — through alternative routes:
- Passport + GWF/UAN — from your old visa application email from the Home Office
- “Request your reference” service — if you lost your GWF/UAN, there is a special form on gov.uk
- Video interview route — for people without documents, through the UKVI helpline 0300 790 6268
- Assisted Digital 03333 445 675 or SMS VISA to 07537 416 944
04 BRP physically lost — what to do
- A physically lost BRP is not needed for UKVI setup — you only need the number
- If you do not remember the number either — look in old emails from the Home Office (GWF number)
- OR use the “Request Your Reference” service on gov.uk
- Do NOT pay middlemen — all routes through gov.uk are free
- Migrant Help 0808 801 0503 — free help to find your reference
05 Wet-ink stamp ILR in old passport
If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain through an ink stamp in your passport (1990s – 2000s) — you need an NTL (No Time Limit) application.
- NTL application converts your wet-ink ILR into a digital eVisa format
- 2024 update: you no longer need a residence history declaration if absence < 2 years (wider threshold)
- After NTL — full UKVI account and share code
- Wet-ink stamp remains legally valid, but employers/landlords expect a digital proof
- Pre-Windrush sensitivity: older migrants with lost documents → Windrush Help Team 0800 678 1925 (free)
06 Where to get free help
Government funding for vulnerable migrant help ended on 31 March 2026. The organisations listed above continue to work pro bono.
07 Who does what
Route
- Standard expired BRP, have documents → do it yourself before 30 June 2026
- Wet-ink stamp ILR → NTL application through gov.uk
- Over 70 + lost documents → Windrush Help Team 0800 678 1925
- Digital beginner → Migrant Help + Assisted Digital
Do not do this
- Do not pay middlemen £200-500 — all gov.uk routes are free
- Do not leave setup late — after 30 June it is harder
- Do not create a second UKVI account if you already have one
08 What is important to know
What is important to know
- 30 June 2026 — end of the 18-month BRP window
GOV.UK says an expired BRP can be used for 18 months after the date on the card. For BRPs dated 31 December 2024, that is 30 June 2026. After that, the process is harder, but status does not end.
- Do not pay middlemen
Do not pay £200-500 for “consultancy”. Setup through gov.uk is free. Migrant Help is also free. You only need to pay the official visa fee on gov.uk (if applying for a new visa).
- Over 70 years old — exempt from sanctions
Sanction exemption applies to people 70+. Help for older people: Windrush Help Team 0800 678 1925.
- Wet-ink ILR = legally valid, but need NTL
The stamp in your old passport does not lose its validity. But employers and landlords expect a digital share code. NTL application is the bridge to modern UKVI.