Lost BRP and eVisa access problems — what to actually do

If you're searching for how to replace a lost Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), the honest first answer is: you can't, and you don't need to.

Why there's no replacement card anymore

The UK stopped issuing physical BRPs on 31 October 2024. Immigration status is now held digitally as an eVisa, checked through a UKVI account rather than a card. GOV.UK is direct about the old cards: "eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents." So if your BRP is lost, stolen, or damaged, there's no card to reissue — what you actually need is working access to your eVisa, which is a different problem with a different fix (see below).

You still have to report a lost or stolen BRP

Even though it can't be replaced, GOV.UK still requires you to report a lost or stolen BRP — including one that's already expired. The consequence for not reporting is stated plainly: "You can be fined up to £1,000 and made to leave the UK if you do not report a lost or stolen BRP." The Home Office responds within one working day of a report. You can have someone else report it for you — GOV.UK lists a legal representative, a charity, a family member, an employer, or a college/university as acceptable.

If the "lost" BRP turns up afterwards, you can't use it — GOV.UK's instruction is to destroy it: cut through the personal details, the royal coat of arms, and the chip. If you're in the UK, post the pieces to the Home Office (Returns Unit, PO Box 195, Bristol, BS20 1BT); outside the UK, hand it to the police or the nearest British embassy or consulate — don't include anything else in the envelope.

Last verified: 2026-07-04 against gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged and gov.uk/evisa.

The eVisa problem you actually have

"eVisa isn't working" usually means one of three different things, each with its own fix — trying the wrong one wastes days.

1. You can't sign in at all

If you've lost access to one of the email address or phone number your UKVI account uses, you can usually still sign in with the one you still have (receive your one-time code there) and update the other from inside the account — no separate recovery process needed.

If you've lost access to both, use the Home Office's dedicated Recover your UKVI account service instead. Be ready with your identity document details, date of birth, and a new phone number and email to sign in with — the process includes a face scan to confirm you're the account holder, which GOV.UK notes is usually easier on a smartphone than a computer. Recovery typically takes a few working days; contact UKVI directly if you need it faster or if you didn't request a recovery yourself and one is underway.

2. You can sign in, but your eVisa details are wrong or won't load

This is a different service: report an error, not account recovery. GOV.UK's own criteria for when to use it:

your eVisa shows the wrong date of birth or immigration status,
you can view your eVisa but can't generate a share code, or
you can't view your eVisa at all due to a technical fault, or
"the Home Office set up your UKVI account and you've never been able to sign in to it."

Report it at gov.uk/evisa/report-error-evisa with your name, date of birth, nationality (exactly as they appear on your eVisa if you're correcting one of those fields), and one reference number (passport, expired BRP, application number, or UKVI customer number). GOV.UK states UKVI "aims to fix most issues within 5 working days," with more complex cases taking up to 15 — you'll get an email if it's going to run longer or if they need more from you.

3. You need to prove your status to someone right now (employer, landlord, border)

This doesn't need a fix — it needs the View and Prove service inside your UKVI account, which generates a time-limited share code the other party can use to check your status online, without them (or you) needing the physical card that no longer exists.