Biometric residence permits (BRPs)
Getting your BRP
How you get your biometric residence permit (BRP) depends on where you made your visa or immigration application.
If you applied from inside the UK
Your BRP will be sent to you by courier. You do not need to collect it.
You’ll usually receive it within 7 to 10 days of getting your ‘decision letter’ from the Home Office saying that you can remain in the UK.
Find out what to do if your BRP has not arrived within 10 days.
Your BRP will be sent to the address you gave in your application. If you want it to be sent elsewhere, you need to update your address before you receive your decision letter.
If you applied from outside the UK
Collect your BRP once you’re in the UK.
You must usually do this before the vignette sticker in your travel document expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.
Do not collect your BRP if you’re self-isolating because of coronavirus (COVID-19). The Post Office will keep your BRP for 90 days. Collect it when you finish self-isolating.
Check your decision letter. It will tell you to collect your BRP from either:
- a named Post Office branch
- your sponsor, if you chose this option when you applied
You must be over 18 to collect a BRP.
If your Post Office branch is closed because of coronavirus, your BRP will be stored safely until it reopens. Contact your Post Office for more information.
What you’ll need
Bring your passport or travel document with your vignette sticker in when you collect your BRP.
You’ll get your vignette sticker when your visa application is approved. You have permission to come to the UK within 90 days of getting it.
Collecting a child’s BRP
You must be nominated to collect a child’s BRP, even if you’re the child’s parent.
The Home Office will contact you if you’re approved to collect the child’s BRP.
It’s currently taking over 30 days to approve requests to collect a BRP on behalf of a child. This is because of coronavirus.
If the child needs to leave and re-enter the UK before you’re approved to collect their BRP, apply for a ‘replacement BRP visa’. This will let them re-enter the UK once only. It costs £154.
You do not need to be nominated if you’re also collecting your own BRP and you are named on your child’s vignette sticker.
Collecting your BRP from a different Post Office branch
You can choose to pick up your BRP from a different Post Office branch. You’ll need to arrange this at the branch and pay a fee.
Check that the Post Office branch you want to use offers a ‘BRP collection service’.
Nominate someone else to collect your BRP
You can nominate someone else to collect your BRP if you have a serious illness or disability that prevents you from collecting it. They must provide your passport as evidence that you’ve entered the UK.
You cannot nominate someone to collect your BRP if you’re self-isolating because of coronavirus. Collect it when you finish self-isolating.
The person you nominate must have one of the following:
- a passport
- an EU national identity card
- a BRP
You can get someone to make the nomination for you, for example a legal representative, charity, employer, college or university.
The Home Office will contact you if the person you nominate is approved to collect your BRP.
It’s currently taking over 30 days to approve nominations to collect a BRP on behalf of someone else. This is because of coronavirus.
If you need to leave and re-enter the UK before the person you’ve nominated to collect your BRP is approved, apply for a ‘replacement BRP visa’. This will let you re-enter the UK once only. It costs £154.
If you change your mind, you can still collect your BRP yourself or you can nominate a different person. You do not need to cancel the original nomination.
Report a problem with collecting your BRP
Tell the Home Office if you cannot collect your BRP for any reason, for example:
- you went to collect it from the Post Office and it was not there
- you’ve lost your passport or travel document, or cannot prove your identity
- you do not know which Post Office to go to because you’ve lost your decision letter
The Home Office will email you to tell you what to do next. It’s currently taking over 30 days to respond because of coronavirus. It’ll take longer if you do not give an email address.
If you need to leave and re-enter the UK before you get your BRP, apply for a ‘replacement BRP visa’. This will let you re-enter the UK once only. It costs £154.
Do not tell the Home Office that you cannot collect your BRP if you’re self-isolating because of coronavirus. Collect it when you finish self-isolating.
If there’s a problem with your BRP
Report any problems with your BRP within 10 days of collecting it.