Lost passports, visas and BRPs

Please follow these steps in the event that you lose your passport, visa or BRP.

In UK: lost/stolen passport

Step 1: Inform the police

Inform the police that your passport has been lost/stolen. They will give you a crime reference number and/or a police report. Make sure you store this somewhere safe as you will usually need this for your replacement passport application.

Step 2: Contact your country’s embassy in the UK

Explain what has happened and to ask how to replace your passport. You may be required to take the application to the embassy to submit it in person (please note that some embassies are in London).  It is important that you apply to replace your passport immediately as the process can take several weeks. Please refer to your embassy for guidance on their specific procedures and on how long it may take.

Step 3: Update the university and UKVI

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa or passport details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new passport and new visa / BRP using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it.

You must also inform UKVI that you have received a new passport by providing your new passport details by updating your online UKVI account 

In UK: lost/stolen BRP or visa sticker for full length of leave

Lost BRP

Step 1: Inform the police

Contact the police to inform them that your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) has been lost/stolen. They will give you a crime reference number and/or a police report.

Step 2: Report loss/theft to UKVI. You can no longer request a replacement BRP card. Read the guidance on what to do if yours has been lost, stolen or damaged. 

If your lost or stolen BRP was valid for 3 months or more, you should report the BRP as lost/stolen to UKVI. You must do this within 3 months of the theft or loss of your BRP, otherwise you may have to pay a financial penalty of up to £1,000 or UKVI may shorten your permission to stay.  

If your lost or stolen BRP was valid for less than 3 months, please follow the guidance at the UKVI website

Step 3: Set up an eVisa account, you will need to provide the University with a Share Code as BRP's are discontinued from 2025. 

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new eVisa details using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it.

Lost visa sticker in passport (for full length of leave) - 

Step 1: Inform the police

Contact the police to inform them that your passport containing your visa has been lost/stolen. They will give you a crime reference number and/or a police report. Make sure you store this somewhere safe as you will need this for your replacement passport and visa application.

Step 2: Contact your country’s embassy in the UK (passport)

Explain what has happened and to ask how to replace your passport. You may be required to take the application to the embassy to submit it in person (please note that some embassies are in London).  It is important that you apply to replace your passport immediately as the process can take several weeks. Please refer to your embassy for guidance on their specific procedures and on how long it may take.

Step 3: Replace your visa sticker if lost and have valid visa vignette in passport

Please contact us at internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk for further advice.

Step 4: Update the university and UKVI

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa or passport details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new passport and new visa / BRP using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it.

You must also inform UKVI that you have received a new passport by providing your new passport details by updating your online UKVI account 

Outside UK: lost/stolen passport

Step 1: Inform the local police

You should contact the police in the area where your passport was lost/stolen to inform them that your passport has been lost/stolen. They should give you a crime reference number and/or a police report. Make sure you store these somewhere safe as you will need them.

Step 2: Contact your country’s embassy

Explain what has happened and to ask how to replace your passport. You must not try to travel with a photocopy of your passport. The Border Force Officers will not permit you entry to the UK without an original passport.

Step 3: Update the university and UKVI

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa or passport details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new passport and new visa / BRP using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it.

You must also inform UKVI that you have received a new passport by providing your new passport details by updating your online UKVI account 

Outside UK: lost/stolen BRP or visa sticker (for full visa)

Lost BRP

Step 1: Inform the local police

You should contact the police in the area you are staying to inform them that your BRP has been lost/stolen. They should give you a crime reference number and/or a police report – make sure you store these somewhere safe as you will need them.

Step 2: Inform UKVI

You must also report the loss or theft of a BRP to UK Visas & Immigration soon as possible. You should do this by entering the details online using the UKVI webpage to report a lost or stolen BRP. 

Step 3: Inform your School Office / Graduate School at UoG:

Let your School Office / Graduate School know what has happened and when you expect you will be able to return to the UK to resume your studies.  It is important that Student Visa holders continue to meet the attendance and engagement requirements for your course at UoG, and avoid any absences that would result in your School Office or Graduate School reporting the end of sponsorship to the Immigration Compliance Team (which would affect your Student Visa sponsorship). 
 
Step 4: Please find out more informatio on what to do on UKVI webpages. 

If you need to leave and re-enter the UK, you’ll need to do one of the following:

  • set up access to an eVisa

An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status which you can use to prove your status, instead of a biometric residence permit (BRP). If you’ve never had a BRP, check if you can access an eVisa.

You’ll need a UKVI account to set up access to your eVisa. If you do not have a UKVI account already then you’ll be able to create one at the same time as you set up access to your eVisa

You’ll need to get a replacement BRP visa if you:

  • cannot set up access to your eVisa or update your UKVI account
  • are outside the UK
Step 4: Apply for a temporary single-entry visa  

You must apply for a temporary single-entry visa after you have reported your BRP as lost/stolen to UKVI.  This will be a sticker placed in your passport.  You will need to apply at the local Visa Application Centre in the country which you are in.

For 'category of application', select 'A replacement biometric residence permit (BRP) visa'.

You do not need to provide a CAS for this application but a providing a Certifying Letter confirming that you are still studying would be helpful. 

To avoid missing or taking a prolonged absence from studies that could affect your Student Visa sponsorship, you should consider using a priority visa application service where available to receive the visa sticker as soon as possible.

You must not try to travel with a photocopy of your BRP. The Border Force Officers will not permit you entry to the UK without an original visa.

Step 5: Update the University

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new visa / BRP using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it. 

Lost visa sticker in passport (visa sticker for full length of leave)

Step 1: Inform the local police

You should contact the police in the area you are staying to inform them that your visa sticker in your passport has been lost/stolen. They should give you a crime reference number and/or a police report. Make sure you store these somewhere safe as you will need them.

Step 2: Contact your country’s embassy (passport)

Explain what has happened and to ask how to replace your passport. They can advise if you can be issued a new passport or an emergency travel document - the embassy can advise how long it will take to apply.  It is important that you apply to replace your passport as soon as possible as the process can take several weeks.  If you are issued with an emergency travel document and can enter the UK on this, you also need to apply for a passport as soon as possible once back in the UK.

Step 3: Inform your School Office / Graduate School at UoG:

Let your School Office / Graduate School know what has happened and when you expect you will be able to return to the UK to resume your studies.  It is important that Student Visa holders continue to meet the attendance and engagement requirements for your course at UoG, and avoid any absences that would result in your School Office or Graduate School reporting the end of sponsorship to the Immigration Compliance Team (which would affect your Student Visa sponsorship). 

Step 4: Apply for a replacement visa sticker 

Once you have the new passport, follow the instructions here to apply for a replacement visa sticker to return to the UK. 

At 'Confirm your visa type', select 'BRP Vignette transfer'.  At 'Category of application', select 'To transfer or replace your visa (vignette)'

To avoid missing or taking a prolonged absence from studies that could affect your Student Visa sponsorship, you should consider using a priority visa application service where available to receive the new visa sticker as soon as possible.

Prepare a Certifying Letter confirming that you are still a registered student at UoG for the application. 

Step 5: Update the University and UKVI

All students are required to inform the Immigration Compliance team at the university of any change in their visa or passport details. Therefore, you must upload a copy of your new passport and new visa / BRP using the Helpdesk form called Visa/Passport Updates once you receive it.

You must also inform UKVI that you have received a new passport by providing your new passport details by updating your online UKVI account