When you make a successful Student Visa application from outside the UK, you will usually be granted a short visa in your passport (this is called a vignette). Your vignette will be 30 – 90 days in length and will allow you to enter the UK.
The vignette is proof only of your permission to enter the UK. It is important that you check the date on your vignette. If you do not travel within this period to the UK, your visa will expire and you will need to apply for another visa.
The location of your collection will be clearly visible on your Decision letter from UKVI (Home Office).
BRP cards should be collected within 10 days of arrival, however If you are required to self-isolate on arrival to the UK, you should not collect your BRP until after this period. In line with updated DfE guidance students will not be penalised for being unable to collect their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) while coronavirus (COVID-19) measures are in place.
To meet the COVID-19 concessions set out by the UKVI, the University has introduced a collection service by invitation only from the UniHelp Desk in Sheppard Library .
UniHelp Desk will send an email to your student account once your BRP has arrived. This email will explain requirements and arrangements for you to come and collect your card safely. You must only collect your BRP after you have self-isolated and social distancing rules allow you to do so.
If your collection location is the Post office you should go there to collect your BRP. You do not need an appointment. To collect your BRP, you must have your passport and also the decision letter issued by UKVI. You will have been allocated a post office branch based on the postcode you submitted in your visa application.
If you do not collect your BRP once safe to do so, you may be subject to a financial penalty or cancellation of your leave, so it is very important that you collect it as soon as you can.
We can also receive BRPs for your dependants. In order for us to ensure your dependant's cards are stored with yours, we will ask for their details when we contact you.
If you notice an error on your BRP card such as the length of permission or the conditions, you must inform the Home Office and contact our International team within 14 days and request an administrative review of the error.
A late submission may be rejected so please ensure you contact the Home Office as soon as possible.
On collection you should check that your BRP card includes all the correct information:
Your visa should cover the full duration of your programme, plus an additional ‘wrap-up period’. The length of your wrap-up period will depend on the overall length of your programme.
Additional periods of leave before and after the course
5.67 - In addition to the period granted to the applicant to undertake their course of study, additional periods will also be granted to the applicant as set out in the following table
| Type of Course | Period to be granted before the course starts | Period to be granted after the course ends |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months or more | 1 month before the course starts or 7 days before the intended date of travel, whichever is later | 4 months |
| 6 months or more but less than 12 months | 1 month before the course starts or 7 days before the intended date of travel, whichever is later | 2 months |
| pre-sessional course of less than 6 months | 1 month before the course starts or 7 days before the intended date of travel, whichever is later | 1 month |
| Course of less than 6 months that is not a pre-sessional course | 7 days before the course starts | 7 days |
| Postgraduate doctor or dentist | 1 month before the course starts or 7 days before the intended date of travel, whichever is later | 1 month |
We strongly advise that you keep your Biometric Residence Card (BRC) safe. It is evidence of your right to be in the UK and shouldn't be used as evidence of proof of age.
If it does get lost or stolen, either in the UK or abroad, you will need to report the loss or theft to the nearest police station and obtain a reference number or letter.
If your card is lost or stolen in the UK, you will need to report the theft to the local police as well as on the Gov.uk website.
You must include:
You will also need to send some additional documents with your application such as proof of address, student status letter and a copy of your Biometric Residence Permit.
If your immigration permission was about to expire (within 4 weeks of you losing your passport or ID card) you don't need to apply on TOC or on the BRP (RC) form and you can make a new application to extend your stay in the UK.
If your card is lost or stolen outside the UK, you can apply for a short one month replacement visa at the nearest British Embassy or Consulate.
On your return to the UK, you will need to apply for a full replacement BRP on the BRP (RC) form.
If you lose or have your passport stolen, whether in the UK or abroad, you will need to
If you are in the UK, the closest embassies are in London.
If you are outside the UK when you lose your passport, you can check your country's government website for details of the nearest office.
Some embassies are able to issue new passports here in the UK while others only issue them in your home country and will only give you a travel document. Processing times vary between embassies so check with them directly.
If your lost or stolen passport had your visa on a sticker inside, you will need to apply for a Transfer of Conditions.
If this is the case while you're outside the UK, the process to get the necessary replacement visa to re-enter the UK will take time so you may need to extend your time abroad.
Please follow these steps to replacing your visa:
To apply for your replacement visa online, you will need to register an account (if you do not already have one) and click on Apply for Myself to begin your application. You can then complete/update your details, including your current location.
Please note that the advice on this page is pertinent to the country from which you are applying; in some countries there are supplementary forms/online processes to complete.
You then need to complete the Select Visa Type section as shown below. This is to ensure that the correct form is generated for you:
Complete the rest of the form and press submit. Once you have paid for the replacement visa, you will be able to make an appointment for your nearest UK embassy or visa application centre.
A successful entry clearance application will give you a replacement sticker, with the same end date and conditions.
If your immigration permission was about to expire (within 4 weeks of you losing your passport or ID card), you don't need to apply on TOC or on the BRP (RC) form and you should make a new application to extend your stay in the UK.
If you have lost your passport as well as your BRP card abroad, you will need to:
To apply for your replacement BRP online, you will need to register an account (if you do not already have one) and click on Apply for Myself to begin your application. You can then complete/update your details, including your current location.
Please note that the advice on this page is pertinent to the country from which you are applying; in some countries there are supplementary forms/online processes to complete.
You then need to complete the Select Visa Type section as shown below. This is to ensure that the correct form is generated for you:
Complete the rest of the form and press submit. Once you have paid for the replacement BRP, you will be able to make an appointment for your nearest UK embassy or visa application centre.
You will need scans of your missing passport/visa and your original CAS statement. These scans, or their reference numbers may be required during the above process.
When you have obtained the temporary replacement visa, please make an appointment to see our International team.
We will help you to apply for a full replacement of your BRP visa card (fee is £75.20). You must do this within one month, using the BRP (RC) application form.
If your passport is due to expire while you are in the UK, please contact your country's embassy in London to get information on how to apply for a new passport.
You must apply before your old passport expires.
The Home Office does not require you to apply for a new visa if your expired passport with the visa was returned to you. Instead, you will need to carry both your new and old passports when you travel.
