You’ve gone on holiday, had a great time and now it’s time to return to the UK. But you can’t find your residence permit – the biometric one – otherwise known as a BRP. You need this to get back into the UK because it shows you have permission to stay or Indefinite Leave to Remain. You go to the airport hoping that someone will take pity on you but that fails of course. So you panic - then report it as lost to the Home Office on their website here.
Next step is to apply for a ‘Replacement BRP visa’. This will not replace your BRP but it will give you a single entry visa so you can at least get back into the UK. It costs £154 and takes about 2 to 3 weeks to come through.
Once you are back in the UK, you can apply for a new BRP, although all BRPs will no longer be valid after 31 December 2024 when the whole immigration system goes digital. You will still need a BRP to travel abroad before that date.
Some people still have their Indefinite Leave to Remain as a stamp in an old passport. If they lose their old passport the same rules apply. Report it as lost then apply using the online Replacement BRP visa form. You will be given the choice to transfer the visa to your new passport. You may be asked for evidence you no longer have – for example the expired passport containing the Indefinite Leave stamp. This is the document you have just lost. Explain this on the form. Home Office staff are instructed to go and look for evidence of your status if you cannot provide it.
Following this process will get you back to the UK, but you are likely to be delayed. If you have any further questions on biometric residence permits, contact our team.
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