Your BRP Card
Your BRP card is your visa and proof of your permission to be in the UK and study at Aston University.
You don’t need to keep it with you, apart from when you need to travel outside of the UK.
Although it’s the size of a credit card (and fits very nicely in your wallet or purse!), we don’t recommend that you carry it with you or use it as ID because it’s very easy to lose, and it can cause you problems if you do.
If you need an alternative, cheaper form of ID to use in shops, pubs or clubs,you can apply for a proof of age card that is accredited by the Home Office’s PASS scheme. Find out more here.
If you have lost your BRP card, you must report this to the Home Office within 3 months, otherwise you could face a £1000 fine and be made to leave the UK.
Click on the tabs below to find out exactly what you need to do.
- Lost or Stolen BRP/Passport – Outside of the UK
It’s not possible to replace your BRP card from outside of the UK. If you have lost your BRP card and you are not in the UK, you’ll first need to apply for a single entry ‘Replacement BRP Visa’.
The application will cost £154, and you’ll need to get this visa before you can re-enter the UK.
1) Report it to the police
Report to the local police that you have lost your BRP card and/or passport. If possible, ask the police to provide you with a crime or incident report and try to obtain a reference number.
2) Report to your embassy (lost passport only)
If you have lost your passport and you are not in your country, report this to your country’s embassy. Apply for a new passport or temporary travel document.
3) Report it to the Home Office
Report the loss of your BRP card to the Home Office. You can do this here. The Home Office will then cancel your BRP card, so even if you find it later you will still need to apply for a new one.
4) Apply for a Replacement BRP Visa
You can apply for this type of visa here.
- Create an account
- Click ‘Applying For Myself’
Select Visa Type:
- Reason for Visit: Other
- Visa Type: Others
- Visa Sub Type: Replacement Biometric Residence Permit
You will need to make an appointment at a Visa Application Centre to submit your documents
Take these documents with you:
- your passport
- 2 passport photos
- the police report
- your student status letter (request this from MAP, and ask thehub@aston.ac.uk to email it to you)
5) Return to the UK
Once you have the Replacement BRP Visa, you can re-enter the UK and follow the steps for replacing your BRP card inside the UK.
Please bring your new visa and/or passport to the Hub to be scanned.
Please note that you must apply for a replacement BRP card within 1 month of returning to the UK, otherwise you could face a fine of up to £1000 and be made to leave the UK.
- Lost or Stolen BRP/Passport – Inside the UK
The International Student Advice team at Aston can help you to apply for a new BRP card. Please follow the steps below and then book an appointment to see an adviser at the Hub in order to complete your application.
1) Try to find your BRP/Passport
If you have lost your BRP card, try to find it first:
- If you lost it on a night out, call any venues that you visited.
- If you lost it on campus, visit the Security team behind reception in the Main Building to check lost property
- Call or visit the local police station to see if somebody has handed it in
If it is definitely lost or stolen…
2) Report it to the police
Visit the local police station, or call the police non-emergency number on 101. Some police forces also allow you to report crimes and lost property online.
Ask the police to provide you with a crime reference or incident number. You will need this number to use in your replacement BRP application form.
3) Contact your embassy (lost passport only)
If you have lost your passport, you’ll need to contact your embassy to get a replacement. You can find a list of embassies in the UK here.
4) Start the replacement BRP application form
You can find the application form here.
Follow our guide below to help you fill in your details. If you log out of the application once you get to the ‘Check your details’ screen, the International Student Advice Team can help you to submit the application at your appointment.
5) Prepare your documents
You will need some or all of the following documents for your application:
- Passport
- Credit or debit card
- Proof of address, such as a bank statement or utility bill
- Student status letter (you can request this from MAP)
6) Make an appointment to see an International Student Adviser
Visit the Hub or call 0121 204 4007 to make an appointment with an International Student Adviser.
Complete the application form up to the ‘check your details’ section, and bring the above documents to your appointment
At your appointment, we can check your application details, help you submit it and make the payment, and send your documents to the Home Office for you.
We can arrange for your new BRP to be sent back to the University (there will always be somebody here to receive it), and you can then collect it from the Hub.
- Lost or Stolen Passport (Visa in Passport)
Outside of the UK
If your visa is a sticker (vignette) in your passport and you have lost your passport outside of the UK, you’ll need to apply to transfer your visa to your new passport. The application will cost £154.
1) Report the loss of your passport to the local police and try to obtain a police report and/or reference number.
2) Contact your embassy to apply for a new passport
3) Once you have your new passport, apply for a Vignette Transfer here.
On the application form, select the following options:
- Reason for Visit: Other
- Visa Type: Others
- Visa Sub Type: Vignette transfer
In the additional information section, explain why you need to apply to transfer your visa.
4) When you go to your appointment at the visa application centre take:
- your passport
- a passport photo
- the police report
- your student status letter (request this from MAP, and ask thehub@aston.ac.uk to email it to you)
5) Once you return to the UK, please visit the Hub so that we can scan your new passport and visa.
Inside the UK
If your visa is a sticker (vignette) in your passport and you have lost your passport outside of the UK, you’ll need to apply for a Transfer of Conditions to get a BRP card instead.
The International Student Advice Team can help you with this application, which will cost £161. Contact the Hub to make an appointment with an adviser.
1) Report the loss of your passport to the local police and try to obtain a police report and/or reference number.
2) Contact your embassy to apply for a new passport
3) Apply for a Transfer of Conditions here.
4) Once you have your new passport and BRP, please bring them to the Hub for scanning.
Guide to the Replacement BRP Application Form
Click below for our guide to completing the Replacement BRP application form.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I am overseas - can I travel back to the UK without my BRP card?
If you are a ‘visa national’ (you require a visa to enter the UK) you must apply for a Replacement BRP Visa before you return to the UK. This is a single-entry visa to allow you back into the country in order to replace your BRP card.
If you try to return to the UK without your BRP card and without applying for a Replacement BRP Visa, you will be denied entry to the UK at the border.
In this case, you’d have to pay for a flight back to your country of origin in order to apply for entry clearance. You may also have to declare on future visa applications that you have been denied entry to the UK, and explain the reasons why.
If you are a ‘non-visa national’ (you don’t require a visa to enter the UK), see the answer to the next question.
- I am overseas, but I don’t need a visa to enter the UK – do I need to apply for a Replacement BRP Visa to re-enter the UK?
If you are a ‘non-visa national’, you are not normally required to apply for a visa before you travel to the UK. Instead, non-visa nationals have the ability to apply for permission to enter the UK when they arrive at the UK border (at the airport).
However, we do still recommend that non-visa nationals apply for a Replacement BRP Visa before they travel back to the UK.
If you don’t apply for this type of visa first, we cannot guarantee that the border guard will allow you to enter the UK using your Tier 4/other visa.
If you enter the UK as a visitor, this could in theory cancel your other immigration permission. It could potentially also cause problems if you need to extend your visa from within the UK at a later date.
If you are a non-visa national, but you don’t think you will have time to apply for a Replacement BRP Visa before you return to the UK, we recommend that you bring the following documents with you in your hand luggage:
- Copy of your BRP card - the International Student Advice Team can provide you with this.
- Police Report
- Student Status Letter - this can be requested from MAP. Please email thehub@aston.ac.uk to request the letter to be sent by email.
You will need to explain the situation to the border guard and ask them to grant you entry to the UK based on your current Tier 4/other visa in order to apply for a new BRP card.
If you need advice upon your return, get in touch with the International Student Advice Team on 0121 204 4567 or astoninternational@aston.ac.uk.
- I am in the UK, but I need to travel outside of the country soon – can I leave before I replace my BRP?
If you don’t have time to replace your BRP card before you leave, it is still possible to leave the UK without it. However, you will need to apply for a Replacement BRP Visa in order to return to the UK.
The Replacement BRP Visa application can take 15 working days, so you should consider whether you will have enough time to get the visa before you need to return. If not, then you may need to amend your travel plans so that you either leave or return to the UK later.
You could also pay for a super-priority appointment in order to get your BRP card replaced more quickly before you leave the UK. The premium appointment costs £685.20 using the new application service.
If you pay for a premium/super-priority appointment you should get a decision by the end of the next working day and you will receive your BRP card within 10 working days after that.
- I am finishing my course soon and I will be leaving the UK permanently – do I need to replace my BRP?
If your visa is valid for less than 3 months and you’ll be leaving the UK, then you are not required to replace your BRP card. However, you still need to report that you have lost it to the Home Office.
You can report that you have lost your BRP card here. Click ‘Report a BRP lost or stolen if you do not need replacement’ and then enter your BRP details and the date that you lost it.
Please note that your BRP will be cancelled once you complete this report. This means that even if you find it again you will not be able to use it to re-enter the country.
If your BRP card is valid for more than 3 months but you will be leaving the UK permanently, please contact the International Student Advice Team on astoninternational@aston.ac.uk. The International Student Advice Team can inform the Home Office about your situation to prevent any issues due to not replacing your BRP card within the required time.