Your BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) and passport
If you are in the UK for more than 6 months and have not been issued with digital immigration status (most European nationals), you are likely to be issued with a BRP. A BRP is evidence of your immigration status, you will need it for various reasons including to prove you have the right to study or work in the UK.
If you applied for your Student visa overseas and have an entry clearance sticker, you will need to collect your BRP from the place you designated when you arrive in the UK.
If your BRP is lost or stolen after you have received it or it is incorrect, you will need to inform the Home Office and obtain a new one immediately.
Read the information in our international pages to find out all about BRP’s including:
- Collecting your BRP when you arrive in the UK.
- What to do when you have received your BRP.
- BRP problems including if it’s lost or stolen.
New passport
When you have your new passport, please bring it to your Student Services Hub along with any other new immigration documents as the University is required to retain a copy. You will also need to update the details held by the Home Office, follow the guidance on our Changes to your personal information and contact details page.
If your passport was lost, stolen or damaged you will need to:
- If you are in the UK, report any theft to the police (if it happened in the area covered by Essex Police you can report it online).
- Report the loss to the relevant authorities in your country and apply for a new one, if you are in the UK you may need to contact the consular section at your embassy.
If you are outside the UK:
- If you still have your old passport and it contains a valid entry clearance vignette (sticker), you can show both your new and old passports to gain entry to the UK. However, if you want to work in the UK you will need to apply to transfer your visa to a BRP when you arrive.
- If you still have your valid BRP, you can enter the UK with your existing BRP and new passport.
- If your visa was a sticker in your old passport which has been lost/stolen or damaged and you do not have a valid BRP, you will need to obtain a new passport and apply to transfer your visa to a new passport online before you can travel.
Visit the UKCISA website for guidance about transferring your visa to a new passport or BRP.
