BRP card has expired? The 2026 permanent residence status must be proved in this way, otherwise you will not be able to come back after leaving the country.

At midnight on December 31, 2024, all UK entity Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards will officially expire. Regardless of the expiration date printed on the card, all BRPs have been replaced by eVisas. If you still hold your permanent residence BRP card and think you can continue to use it to prove your identity - you may be refused boarding the next time you leave the country.

This is not alarmist. As of April 2025, there are still around 300,000 UK residents who are not registered with eVisa. Many of them are Chinese with permanent residence (ILR / Indefinite Leave to Remain), thinking that "identity is permanent and irrelevant" - until the airline asked for digital identity records, they found that they could not board the flight back to the UK.

📱What is eVisa? Why do I need to register for permanent residence?

BRP cards have been completely replaced by eVisa. eVisa is a digital record of your identity and immigration status, stored in a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account, without a physical card.

Many misunderstandings among permanent residence holders: "I have already obtained permanent residence and there is no time limit on my status. Why do I need to register for something eVisa?"

The answer is simple: your permanent residence status itself does not expire, but the way you prove it must be updated. The British immigration system now uses eVisa to prove identity. Old documents such as physical BRP and passport stickers are being phased out and are no longer accepted as valid proof of permanent residence in most cases.

real case: A Chinese permanent residence holder flew back from London Heathrow to visit relatives in March 2026. On his return trip, he was told at the airport that he could not board the plane - the airline system could not find his eVisa record. He holds an expired BRP card and passport, but after June 1, 2025, the expired BRP can no longer be used for travel. In the end, he could only contact Home Office 24/7 Carrier Support Hub for emergency treatment, and it took him two days to return to the UK.