How to exchange permanent residence in the UK from BRP to eVisa? Complete solution to identity inheritance in 2026
Let me start with a real and common picture: the BRP card (Biometric Residence Permit) with "Indefinite Leave to Remain" written on it in your hand is the most important card when you get your permanent residence. But now you change jobs, rent a house, or leave the country to return to the UK. What the other party wants is not the card itself, but a string of share codes generated online. The card is still in the wallet, but the identity "cannot be proven" - this is the embarrassment that many permanent residence holders are encountering in 2026.
The core of one sentence: Your permanent residence status (ILR) will not be invalidated just because you have not obtained eVisa, but without a UKVI account, you cannot prove . And "can prove" is almost equal to "effective" in daily life in the UK.
How to transfer British permanent residence status from BRP to eVisa?
Let’s first clarify the skeleton of this change. Starting from October 31, 2024 , the British Home Office (Home Office) stopped issuing physical BRP cards and fully switched to eVisa - which is an online digital immigration status record. It replaces not just the BRP, but also the BRC (residence card), the sticker (vignette) in the passport and the stamp endorsement.
Here’s the key point: eVisa itself is not a “new visa”, but the digital carrier of your existing identity, . Your permanent residence has not changed, has not expired, and you do not need to reapply for permanent residence. What has changed is "where does the identity exist and how to show it to others?" What you have to do is to have an UKVI account (UK Visas and Immigration account) , bind your ILR to the account, and generate a sharing code from it when needed.
Don’t remember the key dates for permanent residence holders again
Over the past year or so, GOV.UK has repeatedly updated its transition arrangements, and the timing can easily get mixed up. Let me give you a few of the ones that are still valid today (July 2026):
🔹 From on June 2, 2025, the expired BRP/BRC will no longer be accepted as a travel document for entry into the UK. The era of trying to get through security just by saying "the date on the card hasn't arrived yet" is over.
🔹 Starting from February 25, 2026, airlines, railways, ferries and other carriers have begun to digitally verify your permission to enter the UK. This means that when checking in, the system will directly read your passport corresponding to eVisa instead of looking at the physical card.
🔹 The grace window for using expired BRP as "identity document" to to establish a UKVI account is until June 30, 2026 - this day has passed. If you haven't opened an account yet and only have expired BRP, you have to use other valid identity documents (such as a valid passport) to complete the verification, or take the NTL route mentioned below. Stop putting it off.
I have permanent residence but no UKVI account, what should I do now?
There are two situations where you can be seated:
situation 1: You have BRP (even if it has expired) and your status is permanent residence. goes directly to the eVisa page of GOV.UK to create a UKVI account, and uses your BRP number, passport and other information to complete identity verification. After the account is established, you can see and call your ILR status online. This step itself is free of charge.
Situation 2: Your permanent residence has never been reflected in BRP - for example, the identity is stamped in an old passport, and the passport has been lost, expired or renewed, and you have no usable certificate at all. What you need to do at this time is to apply for with an "No Time Limit" (NTL, no time limit). It is not to re-apply for permanent residence, but to ask the Ministry of Interior to confirm your existing ILR identity , and issue you eVisa after success. According to GOV.UK’s current guidelines, NTL application itself is free of charge (if additional biometric information/IHS and other related fees are required, please refer to the official website). If you have a valid passport during the application process, you can create a UKVI account at the starting point.
The trap that many Chinese people fall into is that they think that "permanent residence is permanent and you don't have to worry about it." The identity is indeed there, but if you do not create an account or do NTL for a long time, you will find that you cannot generate a sharing code until the day you rent a house, join a job, or leave the country, and you will often be unable to make a temporary replacement in time.
How to prove permanent residence status? View and Prove sharing code practice
After the account is established, daily "identification" relies on GOV.UK's View and Prove services. After logging in, a one-time, time-limited sharing code is generated:
· Show the employer the right to work → generate Right to Work sharing code (starting with W) , valid for 90 days;
· Show the landlord the right to rent → generate Right to Rent sharing code (starting with R) , also valid for 90 days.
The other party takes the sharing code and adds your date of birth to verify your identity and rights on GOV.UK. Because you are a permanent resident, what is displayed here will be the residence status of "no time limit" - this is the most decent way of presenting ILR after digitization. It is recommended to go through the process of generating a sharing code in advance, so as not to be in a hurry when HR rushes you.
When permanent residence holders travel abroad, their passports must be updated.
This is the easiest to ignore but has the most direct consequences. Your eVisa is digitally bound to in a certain passport. Once you get a new passport (for example, when your Chinese passport expires and is renewed), you must log in to your UKVI account as soon as possible, update your passport information, and then book a flight.
The reason is that starting from February 2026, the carrier will digitally verify the entry permit. If the new passport is not bound to your eVisa, the check-in system cannot read your permanent residence, and may directly refuse to board the - even if your ILR is completely valid. Updating account information is free, but it can save you the nightmare of being at the airport and unable to prove your identity. Always travel with the passport that has bound to eVisa.
If you are still on the road to permanent residence (Skilled Worker, Spouse Visa, BNO, 10-year residence, etc.), it is also recommended to maintain your UKVI account and keep your passport information up to date now. On the day you get ILR, your identity will be automatically transferred to the same account, making the connection smoother. You can use the 永居计算器 APP to calculate exactly how many days are left and whether the number of days to leave the country will exceed the limit, so you can know for sure.
In the final analysis, the transformation from BRP to eVisa is essentially to move the matter of "proving identity" from the pocket to the cloud. The permanent residence status has not been reduced, but "whether you can use a cloud account" has become a new watershed. Spending half an hour sorting out these three things: account, passport, and sharing code is more practical than anything else.
This article is for reference only. For specific situations (especially NTL, passport replacement, complex identity history), please refer to the latest announcement of GOV.UK, or consult a licensed attorney.
[Data source] GOV.UK eVisa and No Time Limit guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-immigration-status-evisa; https://www.gov.uk/evisa/get-evisa-settlement-uk
💬 Chat in the comment area: Have you set up your permanent UKVI account? Did you remember to update the binding after getting a new passport? Have you ever encountered problems when using sharing codes when renting a house or getting a job? Tell me about your experience and help others in the future.
Collect this article if you find it useful . Check it out before changing your passport, looking for a job, or booking a flight, so you don’t have to worry.
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