eVisa, BRP and Share Codes: What to Do in Your First 10 Days in the UK

Until 2024, every student collected a plastic Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from a post office. Today most students receive an eVisa: your immigration status lives in an online UKVI account and you prove it with a share code. The idea is simpler; the reality trips people up in week one. This is the checklist we run through with every student we collect from the airport.

Day 0–1: Landing

• Use the eGates if your passport is eligible (most are). There is no stamp — that is normal.
• If your decision letter mentions a BRP, you have 10 days to collect it from the post office named on the letter or from your university.
• Take a photo of your decision letter and keep the PDF in your phone.

Day 1–3: Create your UKVI account

Go to gov.uk/get-access-evisa and link your account to the passport you travelled on. You will need:

1. Your passport (the one used in the visa application).
2. Access to the phone number and email used in your application.
3. The UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan your passport chip.

Once set up, the "View and prove your immigration status" service becomes your digital visa.

Day 3–10: Prove your status where it matters

• Landlord: generate a Right to Rent share code. Private landlords are legally required to check it.
• Employer: a Right to Work code, valid for 90 days. See our working during your studies guide.
• Bank: most banks accept the share code or a university enrolment letter — details in our bank account guide.
• University: they check your status directly, but bring your passport to registration anyway.

Update your details, always

If you get a new passport, move house or change phone number, update the UKVI account within a few days. When you travel, carry the passport linked to your account — border staff see your status automatically, but only for that passport.

What if something is wrong?

If the eVisa shows the wrong dates, name or conditions, use the "report an error" link in the account or contact the UKVI Resolution Centre. Do this before you need the code for a tenancy, not after. Your university's international student adviser can escalate urgent cases.