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Lost passports or biometric residence permits (BRP)

You must take different actions depending on which immigration document you have lost, or has been stolen, and whether this happens in the UK or abroad.

Lost or stolen passports

If your passport is lost or stolen you must:

  • apply to your country's government (the embassy or high commission in the country you are in now) for a replacement passport, or a travel document to return home
  • provide a police reference as evidence that you have reported your passport missing or stolen. If you lost your passport in the UK, contact the police to get a reference number. If you're overseas, contact the local police.

If you have lost a passport containing your visa sticker

If you have lost a passport that contains your full visa for the UK (a vignette sticker in your passport for the full duration of your leave/visa), or it has been stolen, the action you must take depends on whether you are in the UK or overseas.

If you are in the UK you must:

  • Apply for a new passport at your country's embassy, consulate or high commission
  • Transfer your visa to a BRP card. Note that the Transfer Of Conditions (TOC) can take around eight weeks.

If you are outside the UK you must:

You can find more information in the guidance on the UK government's website.

Lost or stolen biometric residence permits (BRPs)

General advice

The advice for reporting a lost biometric residence permit (BRP) depends on whether or not you are in the UK. In either case, you must first:

  • report the loss or theft of your BRP to the local police and obtain a police report/lost property report.
  • contact the Home Office and report your lost or stolen BRP. The Home Office will contact you within one working day to tell you what to do next.

There is more advice on the UK government's website.

If you are inside the UK

  • You may be advised to make a BRP replacement application costing £56. You may have to pay an additional £19.20 as biometrics enrolment fee.

The Student Immigration Service can help you with this application and send your documents on your behalf. Please email studentimmigrationservice@bath.ac.uk in the first instance and we will arrange for you to come and see us. You will need to fill in the online application form and must bring in the required documents, which include a current student status letter that you can request through SAMIS online.

If you are outside the UK

  • Apply for a replacement BRP visa single entry, costing £154, to re-enter the UK - when you are asked to select a visa type, choose "To transfer or replace your visa (vignette)"

You should apply for a replacement BRP card as soon as you return to the UK.

If you have left the UK without taking your BRP with you

If you have left the UK without taking your BRP with you, you do not need to apply for a replacement BRP unless you have already reported it as lost or stolen. Instead, you must apply for a single entry visa to re-enter the UK. As long as your BRP is still valid and has not been reported as lost or stolen, you do not need a replacement BRP card.

When to contact the Student Immigration Service

You should contact the University's Student Immigration Service if:

  • you are advised to apply for a replacement BRP card
  • your lost visa is about to expire
  • you have received your replacement visa/passport/BRP

This is a legal requirement and we will need to update our records.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.

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