BRP - Biometric Residence Permits

Biometric Residence Permits or BRP cards are immigration documents. They are a similar size to a photo-driving license or a credit card and contain your personal (name, date of birth, gender etc.) and biometric (scanned photograph and fingerprints) information. BRP cards are issued to individuals who have permission (a visa) to remain in the UK for more than 6 months.

This is an example of a BRP card.

Visa granted

As per the Covid-19 temporary concessions, when your Student visa is granted you will be issued with a vignette (a sticker inside your passport) which is valid for 90 days. Your actual visa, in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), will need to be collected on arrival in the UK. It is very important that you travel to the UK within this 90 days period or you will be required to re-apply for a new vignette. When you receive your visa, you will also receive a Decision letter that contains important information about your BRP collection and what to do when you arrive in the UK. You must retain this letter and bring it with you when you come to the UK.

Course shorter than 6 months

However, if you are coming to study a course with less than six months’ duration i.e. a Pre-Sessional course, you will be issued with the vignette (a sticker inside your passport) showing full-length of your visa – a BRP will not be required in this case.

Collecting your BRP

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation and social distancing guidance the University has temporarily stopped receiving BRP cards on behalf of its students. If you are applying for a Student visa from overseas, you should not use the University’s ACL code and address in your online visa application. You must instead collect your BRP card from a UK Post Office. The location of the Post Office will be determined by the correspondence address you use in your Student visa application. You can also collect your BRP from the Huddersfield Post Office – see address and postcode below:

 

Huddersfield Post Office

65-67 New Street,

Huddersfield,

West Yorkshire

HD1 2BQ

 

See the Post Office website for further detail including opening times .

BRPs for dependants

If your dependants (spouse/partner and children) are applying for their visas at the same time as you and will be coming to the UK with you, you can also collect their BRPs at the post office via the above process.

However if your dependants are applying separately and they will be joining you later, please attend one of the Immigration Drop-in Sessions to get advice from our team.

Related Links

Home Office - Biometric Residence Permits
UKCISA - Biometric Residence Permits
Post Office – BRP FAQs