Clarification on information in email received to apply for evisa

[Cremer2025]

Thanks all, I have also got my evisa now. There are confusing messages about when we can use evisa for travelling: some say as soon as one gets evisa, whereas others say at the end of this year or even 2025 . It would be great if anyone knows a certain/ authoritative answer about it, or even better to have experience of using it to travel aboard and back .

There seems to be a clear reality: no one has certain answers to the questions you raised. My understanding is that even the people working at the UKVI do not know precisely when the eVisa will be fully functional. If you read their news update, you can see that they made it clear that the eVisa will replace the BRPs by the end of this year but they never give a precise date. It is not hard to understand that they are working on the system and rolling over to communicating with the carriers all over the world. This must be a huge work. What we can do is simply wait and hope it will come soon.

As I wrote some of the above messages, from abroad back to UK, you will still have to show your BRP at the airport/station/port before boarding. However, upon arriving at the custom in the UK, one can just show the document that is registered for the eVisa account. In my case, I registered with my passport. The officer at the UK custom only checked my passport and did not check my BRP. And the officer confirmed to me that at the UK custom I do not need to show my BRP.

[Cremer2025]

Thanks again. Exactly!! These are permuations and combinations we have pondered over and been dreading to countenance. Thought along similar lines. Then realized that for BA at least though their long haul tickets especially for bus/ club world and even economy too are often significantly cheaper to Europe via LHR (they like to fleece their loyal UK customers with tickets to/from LHR?), the checked-in luggage is checked in all the way through to Y (in your analogy)! So do we travel with hand baggage? Not even sure whether the tickets get invalidated for the return journey as some US based carriers tend to do for the same practice - skiplagging as it is called I think!
Anyway just hoping fervently that we do not have to face these issues - and either the new BRP valid till December comes through really soon OR the Home Office announces and authorises carriers to accept people with e-visas and goes live.
Fingers crossed.

Indeed you will have to take hand baggage only (the check-in luggage will go directly to Y), and you might consider to only buy a one-way ticket because if one stops half way, the entire return ticket becomes invalidated. Sometimes buying a return ticket is cheaper than a one-way ticket, so in that case it is worthwhile to abandon the remaining. This is really the last resort if your new BRP does not come sooner. But I believe you will get it these days.

[flying_carpet]

Thanks all, I have also got my evisa now. There are confusing messages about when we can use evisa for travelling: some say as soon as one gets evisa, whereas others say at the end of this year or even 2025 . It would be great if anyone knows a certain/ authoritative answer about it, or even better to have experience of using it to travel aboard and back .

There seems to be a clear reality: no one has certain answers to the questions you raised. My understanding is that even the people working at the UKVI do not know precisely when the eVisa will be fully functional. If you read their news update, you can see that they made it clear that the eVisa will replace the BRPs by the end of this year but they never give a precise date. It is not hard to understand that they are working on the system and rolling over to communicating with the carriers all over the world. This must be a huge work. What we can do is simply wait and hope it will come soon.

As I wrote some of the above messages, from abroad back to UK, you will still have to show your BRP at the airport/station/port before boarding. However, upon arriving at the custom in the UK, one can just show the document that is registered for the eVisa account. In my case, I registered with my passport. The officer at the UK custom only checked my passport and did not check my BRP. And the officer confirmed to me that at the UK custom I do not need to show my BRP.

Thanks a lot for your first-hand experience. Were you boarding from an EU coutry or a Non-EU country? I ask it because I heard it may be more relexed from an EU country and hence a print-out of the evisa may do the trick for boarding instead of BRP?

My daughter will have a school trip in October to Spain. Her BRP has expired, but she has got the new evisa, so I was just wondering if she could just use her evisa for the trip?

[Cremer2025]

Thanks a lot for your first-hand experience. Were you boarding from an EU coutry or a Non-EU country? I ask it because I heard it may be more relexed from an EU country and hence a print-out of the evisa may do the trick for boarding instead of BRP?

My daughter will have a school trip in October to Spain. Her BRP has expired, but she has got the new evisa, so I was just wondering if she could just use her evisa for the trip?

No idea about that. I indeed flew from an EU country back to the UK, but still used the BRP card when boarding. I think we can wish by October the eVisa should be functional. And you should also have received your new BRP card by then, even if you make the application now.

[flying_carpet]

Thanks again for your info. Finger crossed and hope that evisa will be ready for travelling soon.

[Cremer2025]

Just to add some new experience. I had another trip and this time when returning home I was asked to show the BRP card at the UK custom. I said last time the officer told me I don't need to show it as I have evisa. His reply is something like this: yes, the BRP is phasing out but still better to show your BRP. My impression is that there does not seem to be a universally definite rule and different officers do things differently. Also I guess I would still be admitted in even if I do not hold the BRP with me. Anyway, just to share my experience for your information.

[xmanby]

Thanks again for your info. Finger crossed and hope that evisa will be ready for travelling soon.

Hey mate, could you please share how you managed to get from the 'We cannot show proof of your status' message to receiving your e-visa? Did you just wait for longer, or did you do something about it?

[chuey603]

First of all, thank you to everyone who has shared information in this chat.

I have IRL and an expired BRP card (expired in May). When I came back into the UK recently, the border guard noticed my card had expired and mentioned something about eVisas and just let me in. He told me to just go online and link my BRP and off I go.

After hours of stress and guess work, I now have an eVisa account confirming my Settled status. I also linked my Passport to it, based on what I read about how the eVisa will get linked to it when I enter the country.

My big stress is the ambiguity as to whether or not I still need a physical BRP for travel. I have a trip booked in September to visit my elderly parents back home in Canada and I fear renewing my BPR will not come back in time for the trip. I will do my rounds and call UKVI, submit a question via web and also try webchat but it sounds like no one will definitively know. I fear the airline in Canada will not let me board without a BRP (although as long as I show onward travel for example, shouldn't they just let me board?)

If anyone has heard anything otherwise, please share and I guess I will just have to pay the ££ and get a biometric appointment booked asap to submit my BRP card renewal and hope it makes it back in time (doubtful though). I had trouble getting bills dating back to 2014 to prove my residency but thankfully got a letter from my employer (which is one of the allowed supporting docs).

[Cremer2025]

First of all, thank you to everyone who has shared information in this chat.

I have IRL and an expired BRP card (expired in May). When I came back into the UK recently, the border guard noticed my card had expired and mentioned something about eVisas and just let me in. He told me to just go online and link my BRP and off I go.

After hours of stress and guess work, I now have an eVisa account confirming my Settled status. I also linked my Passport to it, based on what I read about how the eVisa will get linked to it when I enter the country.

My big stress is the ambiguity as to whether or not I still need a physical BRP for travel. I have a trip booked in September to visit my elderly parents back home in Canada and I fear renewing my BPR will not come back in time for the trip. I will do my rounds and call UKVI, submit a question via web and also try webchat but it sounds like no one will definitively know. I fear the airline in Canada will not let me board without a BRP (although as long as I show onward travel for example, shouldn't they just let me board?)

If anyone has heard anything otherwise, please share and I guess I will just have to pay the ££ and get a biometric appointment booked asap to submit my BRP card renewal and hope it makes it back in time (doubtful though). I had trouble getting bills dating back to 2014 to prove my residency but thankfully got a letter from my employer (which is one of the allowed supporting docs).

Firstly, I presume you have a Canadian passport. So you are lucky that you can always board a flight to the UK and enter the UK simply with your passport. Any EVisa or BRP will just help prove your status, but not necessary for the matter of entrance alone. So practically, you have no worry at all.

On the other hand, officially, yes, you do need to apply for a new (i.e., renew) physical BRP card. According to the UKVI website, if your current card expires before 31 December 2024, then you do need to apply for a new BRP card for travel. If I were you, I will do it, although it indeed means a lot of effort, time and documents to be prepared. However, you are also right that there is certainly some ambiguity, which is caused by the uncertainty on the actual implementation time of the evisa. If it starts early, then you can simply travel with your evisa and passport, and there is no need for the new BRP card at all. But if the system can only start very late towards the end of the year, then you still need a new BRP card.

This might not be very helpful thinking. But at least you have no trouble in returning to the UK with your passport alone.

[ReallyConfused]

Quick Update - Finally relieved to receive the new BRP 9 (took ~ 12 weeks) valid till December 24 with a generic email instructing to open an UKVI account and set up e-visa. UKVI account already done and can see e-visa.
Updated UKVI/evisa account to link it to passport. Got approved very quick as was mentioned in another thread referred in an earlier post.
Have nothing but appreciation for the way the system eventually worked in spite of all the ambiguity.
Thanks all, especially Cremer2025 for sharing experiences and thoughts. Good luck all

[Cremer2025]

Quick Update - Finally relieved to receive the new BRP 9 (took ~ 12 weeks) valid till December 24 with a generic email instructing to open an UKVI account and set up e-visa. UKVI account already done and can see e-visa.
Updated UKVI/evisa account to link it to passport. Got approved very quick as was mentioned in another thread referred in an earlier post.
Have nothing but appreciation for the way the system eventually worked in spite of all the ambiguity.
Thanks all, especially Cremer2025 for sharing experiences and thoughts. Good luck all

Congratulations! Indeed a big relief which I share very much. Well done and wish you a wonderful summer ahead.
Just being curious, what do you mean BRP "9"? Was it a typo?

[ReallyConfused]

Sorry. Yes. Typo... must have been trying to type the open bracket without hitting shift key.
Should have been just BRP

[flying_carpet]

Thanks again for your info. Finger crossed and hope that evisa will be ready for travelling soon.

Hey mate, could you please share how you managed to get from the 'We cannot show proof of your status' message to receiving your e-visa? Did you just wait for longer, or did you do something about it?

No, you just need to wait and then it will appear eventually.

[chuey603]

First of all, thank you to everyone who has shared information in this chat.

I have IRL and an expired BRP card (expired in May). When I came back into the UK recently, the border guard noticed my card had expired and mentioned something about eVisas and just let me in. He told me to just go online and link my BRP and off I go.

After hours of stress and guess work, I now have an eVisa account confirming my Settled status. I also linked my Passport to it, based on what I read about how the eVisa will get linked to it when I enter the country.

My big stress is the ambiguity as to whether or not I still need a physical BRP for travel. I have a trip booked in September to visit my elderly parents back home in Canada and I fear renewing my BPR will not come back in time for the trip. I will do my rounds and call UKVI, submit a question via web and also try webchat but it sounds like no one will definitively know. I fear the airline in Canada will not let me board without a BRP (although as long as I show onward travel for example, shouldn't they just let me board?)

If anyone has heard anything otherwise, please share and I guess I will just have to pay the ££ and get a biometric appointment booked asap to submit my BRP card renewal and hope it makes it back in time (doubtful though). I had trouble getting bills dating back to 2014 to prove my residency but thankfully got a letter from my employer (which is one of the allowed supporting docs).

Firstly, I presume you have a Canadian passport. So you are lucky that you can always board a flight to the UK and enter the UK simply with your passport. Any EVisa or BRP will just help prove your status, but not necessary for the matter of entrance alone. So practically, you have no worry at all.

On the other hand, officially, yes, you do need to apply for a new (i.e., renew) physical BRP card. According to the UKVI website, if your current card expires before 31 December 2024, then you do need to apply for a new BRP card for travel. If I were you, I will do it, although it indeed means a lot of effort, time and documents to be prepared. However, you are also right that there is certainly some ambiguity, which is caused by the uncertainty on the actual implementation time of the evisa. If it starts early, then you can simply travel with your evisa and passport, and there is no need for the new BRP card at all. But if the system can only start very late towards the end of the year, then you still need a new BRP card.

This might not be very helpful thinking. But at least you have no trouble in returning to the UK with your passport alone.

Thanks for your comprehensive answer. In my experience, they always request to see my BRP when I check in in Canada to fly back the UK. I wonder if I didn't show one, they would require to see evidence of onward travel but I do agree, I can fly out just on my Canadian passport technically. However, I wonder if I'd have issues at the UK border with no evidence of onward travel and if they'd know I have settled status by just swiping my passport (and I didn't have my BRP with me).

As an aside, I got a reply from UKVI that I WILL need my physical BRP card to travel with until end of 2024 (see below). I've submitted my application today but need to travel mid September so I'm not hopeful that it will come back in time Estimate above says about 12 weeks which is cutting it really close!

I will keep wishing that the new eVisa system will kick in by end of summer but I'm doubtful as most things with Home Office/gov usually run behind schedule. I will share the email I received from UKVI in case it benefits anyone:

Thank you for your email enquiry dated 16 June 2024 regarding creating a UKVI account.

We understand that you have created a UKVI account with your expired BRP and would like to know if you need a replacement BRP.

You will need to apply for a replacement BRP online at gov.uk to use until the end of 2024. All BRPs issued to customers who hold immigration leave beyond 2024, including renewals, are due to expire on 31 December 2024 and will be replaced by eVisas.

In the future you’ll be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK – you will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account.

Until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document when you travel, if you have one. 

[Cremer2025]

Thanks for your comprehensive answer. In my experience, they always request to see my BRP when I check in in Canada to fly back the UK. I wonder if I didn't show one, they would require to see evidence of onward travel but I do agree, I can fly out just on my Canadian passport technically. However, I wonder if I'd have issues at the UK border with no evidence of onward travel and if they'd know I have settled status by just swiping my passport (and I didn't have my BRP with me).

As an aside, I got a reply from UKVI that I WILL need my physical BRP card to travel with until end of 2024 (see below). I've submitted my application today but need to travel mid September so I'm not hopeful that it will come back in time Estimate above says about 12 weeks which is cutting it really close!

I will keep wishing that the new eVisa system will kick in by end of summer but I'm doubtful as most things with Home Office/gov usually run behind schedule. I will share the email I received from UKVI in case it benefits anyone:

Thank you for your email enquiry dated 16 June 2024 regarding creating a UKVI account.

We understand that you have created a UKVI account with your expired BRP and would like to know if you need a replacement BRP.

You will need to apply for a replacement BRP online at gov.uk to use until the end of 2024. All BRPs issued to customers who hold immigration leave beyond 2024, including renewals, are due to expire on 31 December 2024 and will be replaced by eVisas.

In the future you’ll be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK – you will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account.

Until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document when you travel, if you have one. 
[/quote]

Indeed the waiting period is a pain. If you have done the biometrics, then there is some hope for your application to be approved by mid Sept. So many people have shared the similar anxiety. Wish you good luck.