Due to UK Government delays to the eVisa rollout and concerns about accurate records, the Government’s Department for Home Affairs (Home Office) announced on 4 December 2024 that carriers (such as airlines, ferries and international rail) will be permitted to accept expired Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) expiring on or after 31 December 2024 as valid evidence of permission to travel into the UK until at least 31 March 2025.
All BRPs are set to expire on 31 December 2024 and affected individuals have been urged to apply for eVisas in good time before this cut-off. The Home Office has announced that it will allow carriers to accept a BRP expiring on or after 31 December 2024 as valid evidence of permission to travel until 31 March 2025, keeping this date under constant review.
BRP holders, including those who already hold an eVisa, who are planning on travelling in the early part of 2025 are advised by the Home Office to continue carrying their expired BRP, in order to add to the range of checking options already available to airline carriers. As a further precautionary measure, in case of any issues with their eVisas, those travelling in the early part of next year are also advised to carry a print-out of their online eVisa profile and a copy of their most recent application approval letter, where they still have this.
Employers should continue to advise their employees who are BRP holders to apply for their eVisa as soon as possible, if they have not done so yet. In practice, issues with airlines accepting expired BRPs may be inevitable despite the new Home Office guidelines. In line with the new Home Office guidance, alongside their expired BRP, employees should also carry a printed copy of their eVisa profile page and a copy of their most recent application approval (where they still have this).
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Lyudmyla Davies
Partner (Solicitor)
Ian Robinson
Partner
Andrea Als
Director (Solicitor)
Tom Marsom
Director (Solicitor)
Lucy Vaux
Senior Manager (Solicitor)
Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
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