Checking your BRP and how to report errors

What is a BRP?

A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is a secure identity card which contains your personal details and biometric information.  BRPs are issued to students who are coming to the UK for more than 6 months.  Your BRP card is your visa during your studies in Dundee. Please keep it in a safe location as you’ll need it to re-enter the UK if you travel outside the common travel area of the U.K. and Ireland.

EU/EEA and Swiss students will usually not be issued a BRP card and instead can view their digital immigration status online.

Checking your BRP for errors

After receiving your BRP, please confirm that your details are correct:

• The spelling of your name
• Your gender  
• Your place of birth  
• Your date of birth
• Your nationality  
• The University of Dundee Sponsor Licence Number: WYUXKW7Y7
• The hours you can work. This is 20 hours per week student visa holders studying at degree level programmes. It is 40 hours per week for student visa dependants.
• Your visa’s expiry period. Your visa should cover the full duration of your studies plus a “wrap-up period.” Wrap-up periods vary depending on the length of your course.
  • Course over 12 months: 4-month wrap-up period.
  • Course 6-12 months:  2-month wrap-up period.
  • Pre-sessional course under 6 months:  1-month wrap-up period.

If there is an error with your BRP

If you discover an error on your BRP card, you must report the error to the Home Office online. Errors must be reported to the Home Office within 10 days of receiving your BRP card.

The next steps to take depend on the type of error on your BRP card and the location from which you applied for your visa.

• Application made outside the UK – You can report all errors online at no cost using this link: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem
• Application made inside the UK
  • Spelling and birthdate errors - You can report spelling and birthdate errors online at no cost using this link: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem
  • Visa length or work hours errors – You can apply for administrative review. This costs £80. The cost is refunded if the Home Office agrees an error was made.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us at internationalsupport@dundee.ac.uk

If your full name doesn’t appear on the BRP

If your name is long it may appear ‘cut off’ on your BRP. This is not a mistake - it is because there is limited space on the BRP card. However, if there’s a spelling mistake, you must report it.

If your BRP expires on 31/12/2024

You do not need to tell UKVI if your BRP expires on 31 December.  BRPs will not be required from 1 January 2025. You’ll instead be able to prove your immigration status online, without a BRP.

UKVI will update their websites about how to prove your immigration status in early 2024. You do not need to do anything, and your immigration status will not be affected.

If you were sent more than one BRP

The BRP that was issued first is not valid. You can check which BRP was issued first by checking the issue dates on the BRPs. You will need to cut the older BRP into pieces and post it to the Home Office. Make sure you cut through:

• your personal details
• the royal coat of arms
• the gold biometric chip if your card has one

The cut card should then be posted to:

Returns Unit

PO Box 195

Bristol

BS20 1BT

If you need to leave and re-enter the UK after reporting an error

If there is a problem with your BRP and you need to leave and re-enter the UK while waiting for a replacement, you must apply for a ‘replacement BRP visa’ from outside the UK. This one-time use visa will let you re-enter the UK.  It costs £154.

How long will it take to receive a response?

Once you’ve reported a BRP error, the Home Office will email you with instructions about how to proceed. The Home Office usually responds within 5 business days. This response time is lengthier during busy periods.