Short answer. A UK student visa now comes as an eVisa, a digital record of your status, not a BRP card. You see it in a free UKVI account, travel on the passport linked to it, and prove your status to employers, landlords and airlines with a share code that lasts 90 days. Check the details before you fly.
Until late 2024, Indian students arriving in the UK collected a biometric residence permit, the BRP card, after landing. That has ended. The UK has replaced physical immigration documents with eVisas, and GOV.UK confirms that all BRPs have now expired. If your Student visa is approved, your decision email or letter tells you how to access your eVisa, and you need a UK Visas and Immigration account to do it.
Most guides and agents still describe the old BRP routine, which is why students get stuck at airline check in or with a landlord. Everything here is from GOV.UK, checked in October 2026. For the visa application itself, see our UK student visa guide.
What changed from the BRP
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of status | A BRP card collected in the UK | An eVisa, a digital record linked to your passport |
| Where you see it | On the card | In your UKVI account |
| Proving status to others | Showing the card | A share code, valid 90 days, plus your date of birth |
| Travel | Passport plus BRP | The passport you added to your UKVI account |
| Cost | Included in the visa | Free to set up a UKVI account and access your eVisa |
Setting up your UKVI account
You may already have an account. GOV.UK says you have one if you used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to confirm your identity when you applied, or created an account during your visa application. Do not create a second one. If you need a new account, you need:
- A phone number and email address you can use every time you sign in.
- Your valid passport and your visa application number, the GWF number or unique application number.
- A smartphone to install the app that confirms your identity, unless you qualify for the alternative route.
After creating the account, you confirm your identity and link the account to your eVisa. You cannot see the eVisa until both steps are done. Access is usually immediate once linked, but can take up to 24 hours. If your partner or children are coming as dependants, each of them needs their own UKVI account.
Faz's ruleUse an email address and phone number you will still have after you move.
Your UKVI account is the only way to see or prove your status, and you sign in with the phone number or email on it. Many students set it up with an Indian SIM they stop using a month after landing, then cannot sign in when an employer or landlord asks for a share code. Add a number and email you will keep, and update the account when you get a UK number. If you do lose access, GOV.UK has an account recovery route, but it is slower than doing this right the first time.
Travelling with an eVisa
Your eVisa is checked when you leave and enter the UK and when you check in with your airline to fly back in. GOV.UK warns that your carrier may refuse to let you travel, or you may be delayed at the border, if your details are wrong. Before every flight, check three things:
- Your UKVI account shows your correct personal details and the passport you are travelling on.
- Your eVisa shows the right immigration status.
- Those details exactly match the passenger details you gave the airline.
If a carrier or border officer asks for more proof, you can give them a share code, which is valid for 90 days and can be used more than once, so it is sensible to generate one before you fly. If you renew your passport, add the new one to your UKVI account before travelling; with a biometric passport you can update the number, expiry, name and nationality yourself.
Proving your status in the UK
Employers checking your right to work and landlords checking your right to rent will ask for a share code instead of a card. You generate it in your UKVI account and give it to them with your date of birth; they see some of your personal details and your status, but not your full eVisa. As a student, this is how you will prove you can take on a part time job within your visa’s work limits. You can generate a new code whenever you need one.
If your eVisa shows a mistake, such as a wrong date of birth or the wrong conditions, report the error through GOV.UK before you rely on it. If you hold an old, expired BRP from an earlier visa, GOV.UK says you can use it only to sign in, create an account or apply to extend, for 24 months after its expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.
The honest closing take
The eVisa removes a chore, collecting a card in your first week, and adds a dependency: your phone number, email and passport details have to stay right in an online account. Most problems Indian students hit are not with the visa itself but with an account they cannot sign in to, or details that do not match their passport at the airport.
Set the account up from your decision email before you travel, with contact details you will keep, check it before every flight, and know how to make a share code. That is the whole job. Our list of what to carry to the UK covers the rest of your first weeks.
FAQ
Do Indian students still get a BRP in the UK?
No. eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents, and GOV.UK says all BRPs have now expired. A successful Student visa now comes as an eVisa.
How do I access my UK eVisa?
Through a UK Visas and Immigration account. Create one, or sign in to the one you made when applying, then confirm your identity and link the account to your eVisa. It is free.
How long is a UK eVisa share code valid?
90 days. You can use it as many times as needed before it expires and generate a new one at any time.
Can I travel to the UK with an eVisa?
Yes, on the passport you added to your UKVI account. Check your account and eVisa details match your passport and airline booking before you fly.
What if I change my passport?
Add the new passport to your UKVI account before you travel. With a biometric passport you can update the number, expiry, name and nationality yourself; other changes go through UKVI.
Where these figures come from
- GOV.UK, eVisas: access and use your online immigration status
- GOV.UK, Biometric residence permits
- GOV.UK, Student visa
Checked against the sources above in October 2026. The Home Office updates eVisa guidance regularly; check GOV.UK before you travel.
