Lost/Stolen Passports and Visas
Your passport, visa and Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) are vital documents so you should make every effort to keep them safe. Remember to take copies of these documents. Also, a travel insurance policy might cover you for some of the costs if they are lost or damaged.
We deal with an increasing number of cases where passports and visas have been lost/stolen both in the UK and overseas. It is known that thieves operate in European capital cities and target tourists. We therefore recommend that you do not carry your passport/visa with you unless absolutely necessary. It is much safer to leave it in a secure place in your home, or perhaps in the hotel safe of where you are staying. Remember that if you do lose you visa when overseas, in most cases you will need to apply for a replacement before you can re-enter the UK, and this can take a number of weeks.
If your passport/visa is lost or stolen the procedures differ depending on where the loss occurs and what type of visa you have.
- My Passport/Visa has been lost or Stolen in the UK. What Should I do?
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If this happens you should:
- report this to the police as soon as possible. You can do this by visiting a police station or making the report online. You will need to fill in a form explaining what happened and you will be issued with a crime reference number, which will be important for applying for replacement documents
- report the loss to immigration@sussex.ac.uk so we are aware
- If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), you will need to report the loss to the UKBA. The email address is given on their website
- Contact your embassy in London to apply for a replacement passport. You may need to supply your crime reference number
If you have lost your visa, the process will then differ depending on whether you had a vignette (sticker) in your passport, or whether you had a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP):
Sticker or Stamp in your passport
When you get your new passport from your embassy, you will need to apply to the UKBA to transfer your visa into your new passport. They will not replace it with a new sticker, but will instead issue you with a BRP (which will then be your visa). The form you will need to complete is a Tranfer of Conditions (TOC) form and full details on the process can be found on the UKBA website. You can contact immigration@sussex.ac.uk if you have questions about this process.
If your visa was about to expire when you lost it, it may not be necessary to replace it. The TOC Guidance Notes, states the following on page 2:
“If you are within 8 weeks of the end of your permitted stay and want to remain in the UK for a further period” you should not apply to replace your vignette with a BRP but should instead make a fresh leave to remain immigration application “in the appropriate category”.
“If you do not intend to extend your stay in the UK, you should carry your old passport (if you still have it) and/or any letter from the Home Office with your permission to be here as evidence of your status.”
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
Follow the guidance on the UKBA website about what to do if you lose your BRP.You will need to apply for a replacement BRP on form BRP (RC) within 3 months of reporting the loss. Failure to do this could result in you receiving a fine or your visa being cancelled.
If your BRP was about to expire when you lost it, it may not be necessary to replace it. The guidance for applying to replace a lost/stolen BRP, entitled BRP(RC) Guidance Notes, states the following on page 2:
“If your permission to stay in the UK is due to expire in four weeks or less, you should not apply for a replacement Biometric Residence Permit. If you are in that situation and want to remain in the UK for a further period, you must apply for permission to remain here on the application form specified for the type of application you wish to make. If the application is one where you must also apply for a Biometric Residence Permit, you will be issued with a new one with a new expiry date if your application is successful. If you do apply for a replacement Biometric Residence Permit when your permitted stay is due to run out in four weeks or less, please note that we will not be able to issue a replacement Biometric Residence Permit and we will not refund the fee.”
If your permission to stay in the UK is due to expire in more than four weeks you should apply for a replacement BRP, regardless of how long you wish to remain in the UK. However, it can take several months for a replacement BRP to be issued. It is very important that you do not let your leave expire while you wait for the UKBA to send you a new BRP, as you will become an overstayer (which is an illegal status in the UK). Please contact an adviser for advice if you think you will need to leave the UK soon and the UKBA have not yet returned your BRP.
- My Passport/Visa has been lost or stolen outside the UK. What should I do?
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If this happens you should:
- report the loss to the police in the country where you are
- report the loss to immigration@sussex.ac.uk so we are aware and can assist if necessary
- If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), you will need to report the loss to the UKBA. The email address is given on their website
- Contact your embassy in the country where you are to apply for a replacement passport (if necessary)
- Contact the UKBA visa application centre in the country where you are to apply for a replacement BRP visa (see below for more info)
- Contact your travel insurance company (if applicable) and your bank as they may be able to assist you with money or claiming some of the costs back
If you have lost your visa, the process will then differ depending on whether you had a vignette (sticker) in your passport, or whether you had a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP):
Sticker or stamp in your passport
If you are outside the UK, see the UKBA's Entry Clearance Guidance, Paragraph ECB17.2 Replacing a visa (or leave), which confirms that you must make a normal Tier 4 application in order to replace it. You must pay the full application fee [£289], and that no CAS is required.
The guidance says that "If required, [the Entry Clearance Officer] may ask for supporting documentation to establish that [the applicant's] circumstances have not changed". UKCISA recently asked an Entry Clearance Manager at a European post what evidence may be required for such applications, and in what format. She responded as follows:
On maintenance:
"We should not require evidence of maintenance, because this would have been satisfied when they originally applied, but this would be assessed on a case by case basis".On evidence of studies:
"[We] would expect to see evidence of continuing studies (usually in the form of a letter from the establishment they are attending)".On format of evidence:
"Whilst original documents are always preferable, a good quality copy would be acceptable, or internet documents (mentioning the full details of the applicant)".A successful entry clearance application will give you a replacement sticker, with the same end date and conditions.
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
Follow the guidance on the UKBA website. This explains that you will need to apply for a Replacement BRP visa (normally valid for one month) which you will use once to return to the UK. Once back in the UK you will need to follow the instructions above on how to apply for a replacement BRP. It is important you do this before your short term visa expires.
You may want to contact the Visa Application Centre in the country where you are directly to see if they offer any priority services which would speed up your application.