What is an eVisa? My BRP has expired: how do I get a UKVI account and a share code?

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation. It is based on GOV.UK pages as of October 2026.
• GOV.UK says you need a UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) account to access an eVisa. The service is described for people with a UK visa or settlement (indefinite leave to remain, ILR). There are also digital records for people with right of abode and for people exempt from immigration control.
• This post does not say whether older cards and documents are still valid for other purposes.

What is an eVisa?

• An eVisa is a digital record of identity and immigration status. It also shows conditions, such as whether you can work or study.
• GOV.UK says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. The official BRP page says all BRPs (biometric residence permits) have expired and been replaced by eVisas.
• The same page says a biometric residence card (BRC) may still be usable in some situations. A visa vignette (sticker in a passport) stays valid until it expires.
• Setting up a UKVI account and accessing your eVisa is free.

Details

What to have ready to set up a UKVI account:

1. A phone number and email address you can use each time you sign in.
2. A valid passport plus either your visa application number or your BRP number. Or your expired BRP.
3. A smartphone for the identity check, in most cases. There are other ways if you have no valid passport or expired BRP.

• After you set up the account, you must link it to your eVisa. You cannot access your eVisa until you do. If you did not link it when you set up the account, you can do it later from your dashboard.
• If you already have an account, you should not create another one. You may have one from the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app, from changing to an eVisa, or from an EU Settlement Scheme application.
• Partners and children who join as dependants need their own UKVI accounts. Someone who cannot manage their account (for example a child, or a person you hold power of attorney for) can have it managed by someone else. The helper uses their own phone number and email address. When the person can manage it themselves, or the child turns 18, the account details are changed to their own phone number and email.

Share code: a code that proves your status without showing your whole eVisa.

• A code lasts 90 days. You can use it as many times as you need before it expires. You can get a new one when you need it.
• The official page says codes are for people such as employers or landlords, or for use when you travel. The person receiving the code also needs your date of birth. When you get the code, you are shown what they will see.
• To get a code you need the details you use to sign in to your UKVI account (for example a passport or expired BRP) and access to the phone or email linked to the account.
• If your name or nationality has changed, or your photo no longer looks like you, the page says to update your account first.

Points to watch

• The official BRP page says an expired BRP can only be used to sign in to view your eVisa and get a share code, to set up a UKVI account, or to apply to extend your permission to stay.
• Setting up an account is free. Use only the GOV.UK links. Be careful with anyone who asks for money.
• If your eVisa shows a wrong name or status, GOV.UK points to its "report an error" page.
• Official pages can change. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• Read the Get access to your eVisa page.
• For codes, see View your eVisa and get a share code. For travel rules, there is a Travel with your eVisa page.
• For account questions, the UKVI account update page links to webchat and account recovery.
• For personal immigration questions, find a registered adviser: GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser. GOV.UK says advisers must be registered with the IAA or belong to an approved professional body. You cannot get your money back from an unregulated adviser.