UK eVisa Transition Status Checker
Find out if your BRP is still valid, what your eVisa status is, and exactly what you need to do next.
Common eVisa Transition Mistakes
Thinking the 31 Dec 2024 BRP date means the visa has expired
Many BRP cards printed this as a transitional placeholder. The actual visa is still valid. Your real leave to remain is in the system regardless of that date on the card.
Travelling without eVisa set up after BRP cutoff
Airlines check immigration status digitally. A BRP card past its printed date will not be accepted. You need the UKVI account active before you travel.
Confusing the BRP expiry with the visa expiry
Your BRP and your visa are two different things. The BRP was just proof of your visa. The visa itself (your leave to remain) has a separate expiry date usually found in your decision letter or vignette sticker.
Using a Share Code from someone else’s account
Share Codes are generated from your personal UKVI account and are single-use, time-limited tokens. A code someone shares with you will not prove your own status. You need your own code from your own account.
How the eVisa Transition Checker Works
This tool takes four inputs: your visa route, the date printed on your BRP card, your actual visa expiry date from your decision letter or vignette, and whether you have already set up a UKVI online account. It then calculates your days remaining, flags any urgency, and tells you exactly what steps to take.
The logic is straightforward. It compares today’s date against both dates, checks travel plans, and maps your specific situation to one of four status outcomes: active and compliant, action needed urgently, expired BRP but valid visa, or action overdue.
The 31 December 2024 Date on Your BRP: What It Actually Means
This is the most searched and most misunderstood aspect of the transition. Many BRP cards issued before 2024 have the date 31/12/2024 printed on them as the expiry date. This date was a placeholder inserted by the Home Office because they knew BRP cards were being phased out. It does not mean your visa expired on that date.
Your actual leave to remain (the visa itself) continues until the date in your decision letter, approval email, or the vignette sticker in your passport. The BRP was only ever proof of that status; the status itself lives in the Home Office database and has not changed.
What Is a UKVI Online Account and What Does It Do
A UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) online account is the digital replacement for the physical BRP card. It is created at the UK government’s immigration portal at gov.uk. Once set up, it holds your digital eVisa, which is a record of your current immigration status, the conditions of your stay, and how long you can remain in the UK.
From this account, you can generate a Share Code. A Share Code is a nine-character alphanumeric code that you give to employers, landlords, and border officials to prove your right to work or rent in the UK. The Share Code expires after 90 days, so you generate a new one each time you need to prove your status.
Table of Truth: BRP and eVisa Scenarios
| Situation | BRP valid? | Visa valid? | UKVI account needed? | Can travel? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRP date 31/12/2024, Skilled Worker to 2027, UKVI set up | No (outdated) | Yes | Done | Yes |
| BRP date 31/12/2024, Skilled Worker to 2027, no UKVI | No (outdated) | Yes | Urgent | Risk |
| BRP date matches visa expiry 2025, UKVI set up | Depends on date | Check date | Done | Yes |
| Visa actually expired, no renewal, UKVI set up | No | No | N/A | No |
| ILR holder, UKVI set up | N/A | Indefinite | Done | Yes |
| Student visa, term-time in UK, no travel plans | Not for travel | Check date | Needed | Set up first |
How to Set Up Your UKVI Online Account: The Basic Process
What you need before starting
You need your current passport (the one associated with your visa), your BRP card (even if past its printed expiry date, it may still contain useful reference data), your email address, and a smartphone with the UKVI app or access to a desktop browser. The app-based identity verification is the most common method.
The setup steps in plain English
Go to gov.uk and search for “UKVI account” or “create a UK Visas and Immigration account.” You will be asked to verify your identity using the UKVI: ID Check app on your phone. This involves scanning your passport chip and taking a selfie. Once your identity is verified, your existing visa is linked automatically from the Home Office database.
The process takes between 10 and 45 minutes for most people. Occasional delays occur when the app struggles to read the chip in older passports or when internet connections are slow.
Share Codes: What They Are and How to Use Them
Once your UKVI account is set up, you generate Share Codes on demand for specific purposes. You choose the reason (right to work, right to rent, or travel) and the system generates a nine-character code valid for 90 days.
Employers, letting agents, and airlines use your Share Code plus your date of birth to view your status on the Home Office checking service. They cannot see any more information than what is relevant to the check. Share Codes are generated fresh each time. Never give the same code to multiple parties if you want to control access.
Realistic Scenarios
Scenario 1: Skilled Worker, BRP shows 31/12/2024, actual visa to 2027
Tunde’s BRP card says 31/12/2024 on the front. He panics. His decision letter shows leave to remain until April 2027. His visa has not expired. But if he tries to travel to Nigeria for Christmas in December 2024 and shows his BRP at check-in, the airline system will flag it. He needs to set up his UKVI account before travelling. Once done, he generates a Share Code for the airline check. His status at the border is verified digitally. His BRP card is irrelevant for travel from that point.
Scenario 2: Student, course ends June 2025, no UKVI account
Amaka is on a Student Visa that expires in September 2025 (three months after her course end date, standard for the Graduate Route transition window). She has not set up her UKVI account. She is not travelling imminently. Her risk is lower urgency but she still needs the account active before any future travel or right to work check. If she intends to switch to the Graduate Route before September 2025, the UKVI account also needs to be in place before that application.
Scenario 3: ILR holder, no BRP card since 2019
Emeka has had Indefinite Leave to Remain since 2019. His BRP card was issued at that time. He has not renewed any visa since. The same transition applies. He needs a UKVI account to hold his eVisa, which in his case reflects his settled status. His ILR itself is not affected, but without the digital account he cannot easily prove his status to landlords or future employers using the standard online check process.
