UK BRP, eVisa, and the Path to British Citizenship

Two unrelated but commonly confused topics dominate the end-game of the UK immigration journey: the wind-down of the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card and its replacement by the UKVI eVisa digital status; and the path from Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) to full British citizenship by naturalisation. The two intersect — you cannot naturalise without first holding ILR, and ILR itself is now evidenced by an eVisa rather than a BRP — but they answer different questions. The BRP-to-eVisa transition is an administrative change in how your immigration status is evidenced; naturalisation is a substantive change in legal status, from settled migrant to British citizen. This guide walks through both, including the 31 December 2024 BRP expiry deadline, the naturalisation "good character" test, the Life in the UK test, the \£1,500 application fee, the citizenship ceremony, the British passport application, and the often-misunderstood distinction between British citizenship "by descent" and "otherwise than by descent."

What a BRP is and why it existed

The Biometric Residence Permit is a polycarbonate card, the size of a driving licence, that has been issued to most non-EEA nationals granted leave to enter or remain in the UK for more than six months since 2008. The card carries the holder's photograph, fingerprints, name, date and place of birth, nationality, immigration status, the conditions of their leave (such as "no recourse to public funds" or "work permitted"), and the expiry date of the leave. The BRP was introduced to comply with EU Regulation 380/2008, which required member states to issue biometric residence cards to third-country nationals.

For more than 15 years, the BRP has been the primary evidence of immigration status for non-EEA nationals in the UK. Employers use it for right-to-work checks under Section 22 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006; landlords use it for right-to-rent checks under Section 22 of the Immigration Act 2014; banks, the DVLA, the NHS, and HMRC all rely on it for status verification. The card is produced by the Home Office's contractor and posted to the applicant after a successful visa decision; the application fee for the card itself is bundled into the overall visa application fee.

The BRP's design has been criticised for fragility — the card's chip is embedded in the polycarbonate and can crack if the card is bent, and the photograph is laser-engraved but the holder details are printed on a layer that can delaminate over time. Replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged BRP costs \£56 and requires the holder to re-enrol biometrics. Despite these issues, the BRP has functioned as the UK's main physical immigration evidence for the entirety of the post-2008 immigration system.

The eVisa transition: BRPs expire 31 December 2024

The BRP is being phased out. The Home Office confirmed in 2023 that all BRPs will expire on 31 December 2024, regardless of the expiry date printed on the card. This is not a change to anyone's immigration status — the underlying leave to remain continues to exist — but a change in how that status is evidenced. From 1 January 2025, the only way to prove UK immigration status is via a UKVI eVisa, which is a digital record accessible through the holder's UK Visas and Immigration account.

The eVisa is not a separate document. It is a record of the holder's immigration status held on UKVI's central system, viewable by the holder through an online portal and shareable with third parties (employers, landlords, banks) via a "share code" that grants read-only access to the relevant portion of the status record. The share code system was already in use for EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) holders since 2018; the eVisa extends the same approach to all non-EEA migrants.

To obtain an eVisa, holders must create a UKVI account and link their immigration status. The process is straightforward for most — the account is created online at gov.uk/get-access-evisa, and the holder's existing BRP or passport details are used to link the status. Once linked, the eVisa is immediately viewable, and the physical BRP becomes redundant on 1 January 2025 (though it can still be used for right-to-work and right-to-rent checks until 31 December 2024, after which only the eVisa share code is accepted).

Three categories of holder should be particularly proactive: those whose BRP was due to expire in 2024 anyway (the eVisa is now the only option); those with ILR or settled status who have held the same physical card for many years (the card expiry date printed on the front may show 2024 or later, but it is no longer valid as physical evidence); and those who travel internationally — the eVisa must be linked to the holder's passport before they re-enter the UK, otherwise the carrier may refuse boarding.

British citizenship by naturalisation: the overview

Naturalisation is the process by which an adult non-British national becomes a British citizen. It is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981, primarily Section 6(1) (for those married to a British citizen) and Section 6(2) (for those not married to a British citizen but holding ILR). The two routes share most of the same requirements but differ on the residence qualifying period: three years for spouses of British citizens, five years for everyone else.

For the five-year route under Section 6(2), the applicant must have been resident in the UK for at least five years immediately before the application date; have been physically present in the UK at the start of those five years; have held ILR (or settled status under the EUSS) for at least 12 months before the application date; have not been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the five-year period; and not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days in the final 12 months. For the three-year route under Section 6(1) (spouse of a British citizen), the residence period is three years, the absence cap is 270 days, the final-year absence cap is 90 days, and the 12-month ILR holding period does not apply — the applicant can apply immediately on being granted ILR.

In addition to residence, the applicant must demonstrate English language ability at B1 CEFR level (or higher); pass the Life in the UK test; demonstrate "good character"; intend to make the UK their principal home (or, if their spouse is a Crown servant posted abroad, intend to enter Crown service); and have adequate knowledge of the English language. Two of these — the Life in the UK test and the good character requirement — produce more refusals than all the others combined.

The "good character" requirement

The good character requirement is set out in Section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 and elaborated in the Home Office's Nationality policy: good character guidance. It is one of the most subjective and least predictable elements of the naturalisation process, and it has tightened significantly since the Home Office published updated guidance in July 2023. The test is not about moral character in a vague sense — it is a structured assessment across seven dimensions: criminality; international crimes, terrorism, and extremism; financial soundness; deceptive or dishonest behaviour; immigration-related matters; notorious activities; and any other behaviour that seriously prejudiced UK interests.

For criminality, the rules are partly codified. A custodial sentence of 12 months or more results in a permanent refusal — the applicant will never naturalise, regardless of when the sentence was served. A custodial sentence of less than 12 months triggers a 10-year refusal period from the end of the sentence. A non-custodial sentence (fine, community order, conditional discharge) triggers a three-year refusal period from the date of conviction. The applicant must declare all criminal convictions, including spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 — the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to nationality decisions.

Beyond criminality, the financial soundness limb is the most common trap. Unpaid taxes (including late-filed Self Assessment), unpaid council tax, defaulted debts to UK government bodies, and bankruptcy (within the last 10 years) can all trigger a good character refusal. The Home Office routinely checks with HMRC and credit reference agencies. Applicants who have been self-employed should ensure all tax returns are filed and any tax owed is paid before applying — even a small arrear can lead to refusal.

Immigration-related deception is a particularly serious limb. An applicant who has used a false document, made a false representation, or failed to disclose a material fact in any previous immigration application faces a 10-year refusal period under the general grounds of refusal (paragraph 320(7B) of the Immigration Rules), and the deception will be treated as a serious good character issue even after that period ends. This is one reason why naturalisation applications are sometimes refused even years after the underlying immigration breach — the deception remains on the Home Office file.

The Life in the UK test

The Life in the UK test is a 24-question multiple-choice exam based on the official Home Office handbook Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition, 2013). The test costs \£50, is delivered at one of approximately 30 test centres across the UK operated by PSI (a private contractor), and lasts 45 minutes. The pass mark is 75% — 18 out of 24 questions correct. The questions cover British history from the Stone Age to the present, the structure of UK government, the legal system, religion, culture, and everyday life.

The test must be booked in advance through the gov.uk portal and is normally available within two to four weeks. The applicant must bring photographic ID (passport or biometric residence permit, while the BRP remains valid). The pass certificate is issued immediately on completion and is valid for life — there is no expiry. The test can be retaken any number of times, but each attempt requires a fresh \£50 fee.

The test is required for all naturalisation applicants aged 18 to 65, with limited exemptions. Applicants aged 65 or over are exempt from both the Life in the UK test and the English language requirement. Applicants under 18 are not eligible to naturalise in their own right (they may be registered as British citizens under Section 1 of the 1981 Act, which has different rules). The test is in English; there is no Welsh, Gaelic, or other-language version, though certain reasonable adjustments are available for applicants with disabilities.

The English language requirement

Naturalisation applicants aged 18 to 65 must demonstrate English language ability at level B1 CEFR. This is the same standard required for the Skilled Worker visa and the spouse visa, but it must be met independently at the naturalisation stage — the test certificate from the original visa application will only be accepted if it is within the validity period (typically two years for a SELT). Applicants whose English test has expired must sit and pass a new one before applying.

Four routes satisfy the requirement: pass a B1 SELT with an approved provider (IELTS UKVI, Trinity College London, LanguageCert, Pearson PTE Academic UKVI, or IELTS SELT Consortium); hold a degree taught in English and recognised by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) as equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or above; be a national of a majority English-speaking country (the list is in Appendix English Language and includes the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, and certain Caribbean nations); or have already met the English requirement in a previous successful UK visa application, where the test certificate is still within validity. The test fee is between \£150 and \£200.

Applicants who learned English informally or who have lived in the UK for many years often assume their conversational fluency will be enough; the B1 standard requires demonstration of specific skills in a structured, timed, recorded interview. Practising the test format in advance is recommended even for confident speakers.

The \£1,500 application fee

The naturalisation application fee (2024) is \£1,500 per adult, payable to the Home Office at the time of application. There is no fee waiver available for naturalisation — unlike certain other immigration applications, where fee waivers exist for those unable to pay. The fee covers the cost of processing the application, biometric enrolment, and the citizenship ceremony (the ceremony fee of \£80 is bundled into the total). Minor children applying for registration as British citizens under Section 1(3) of the 1981 Act pay a separate fee of \£1,214.

The fee is non-refundable if the application is refused. Applicants who are uncertain about their good character or who have minor concerns about their absences from the UK should consider seeking professional advice before applying — a refusal not only loses the fee but also creates a record on the Home Office file that may complicate future applications.

In addition to the application fee, applicants should budget for ancillary costs: the Life in the UK test (\£50), the English SELT (\£150–\£200), passport photographs or digital biometric upload, and (if applicable) a private citizenship ceremony fee of around \£80 to \£150 if the applicant prefers a ceremony outside their local authority area. The British passport application (separate, post-naturalisation) costs a further \£91.50 for a standard 34-page adult passport (online application, 2024 rate).

The citizenship ceremony

Once a naturalisation application is approved, the applicant receives an invitation letter from the Home Office inviting them to attend a citizenship ceremony within three months of the letter's date. The ceremony is the legal act by which the applicant becomes a British citizen — until the ceremony is completed, the applicant is not a British citizen, even though the application has been approved.

Ceremonies are organised by local authorities (councils) and are normally held in the local town hall, the mayor's parlour, or another civic building. The ceremony includes a verbal oath of allegiance to the King (or, for applicants who object to the oath on religious or conscientious grounds, an affirmation of allegiance), and a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom. The applicant then receives their Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation — a single sheet of parchment-style paper bearing their name, the date of naturalisation, and the Home Office seal. The certificate is the formal evidence of British citizenship.

Standard ceremonies are group events and are usually free (the \£80 ceremony fee covers the cost). Private ceremonies — where the applicant attends alone with guests — are available for an additional fee set by the local authority, typically \£80 to \£200. The certificate is issued at the end of the ceremony. Lost certificates can be replaced via an application to the Home Office, but the process is slow (six months or more) and the fee is substantial (\£250).

The British passport application

The British passport is a separate document, applied for after naturalisation. It is not issued automatically with the certificate of naturalisation — the new citizen must apply separately, normally online via gov.uk. The standard 34-page adult passport costs \£91.50 (online, 2024 rate); the 50-page "jumbo" version costs \£103.50. Processing typically takes three weeks for a standard online application, though this can stretch to six weeks during peak summer periods.

The applicant must send their Certificate of Naturalisation (or Registration) to the Passport Office as part of the application — the passport is not issued without sight of the original certificate. The certificate is returned after the passport is processed. Applicants who need to travel urgently can use the one-week Premium service (\£187.50) or the Online Premium service (\£192.50) for next-day collection, but these require the applicant to attend a Passport Office in person.

The first adult British passport application also requires a countersignatory — a British or Irish passport holder who has known the applicant for at least two years, who is not a relative, and who works in (or is retired from) a recognised profession. The countersignatory signs one of the photographs and a section of the application form. Subsequent passport renewals do not require a countersignatory.

British by descent vs. otherwise than by descent

This distinction is one of the most consequential and most commonly misunderstood features of British nationality law. It determines whether a person born outside the UK to a British parent is themselves British, and whether they can transmit British citizenship to their own children born outside the UK.

A person is British otherwise than by descent if they became British by birth in the UK, by naturalisation in the UK, by registration in the UK, or by descent from a parent who was a Crown servant at the time of their birth. Such a person can pass British citizenship automatically to their children born outside the UK — the child is British by descent from birth.

A person is British by descent if they were born outside the UK to a British parent who was British otherwise than by descent. Such a person is British from birth, holds a British passport, and has all the rights of a British citizen — but they cannot automatically transmit British citizenship to their own children born outside the UK. Those children are not British at birth, though they may be eligible to register as British under Section 3(2) of the 1981 Act if the British-by-descent parent lived in the UK for at least three years before the child's birth, with the registration application made before the child turns 18.

The practical implication is significant. A child born in the United States to a British father who was himself born in the UK is British by descent — they hold a British passport, can live and work in the UK without immigration control. But if that child grows up in the US and has their own children in the US, those grandchildren are not British at birth. The British-by-descent parent must have lived in the UK for at least three continuous years (with the child) before the child is 18, and then register the child under Section 3(2), to transmit the citizenship. British-by-descent status is, in effect, a single-generation transmission for those who remain outside the UK.

Takeaways

The BRP-to-eVisa transition is largely administrative and easily handled — most migrants need only create a UKVI account and link their existing status before 31 December 2024. The bigger picture is that naturalisation is a serious, expensive, and consequential step: \£1,500 in application fees alone, plus the Life in the UK test, the English SELT, and a passport application on top. The good character requirement is the single most common reason for refusal, and applicants with any criminal record, tax arrear, or prior immigration deception should seek professional advice before applying. The British-by-descent distinction is critical for parents planning where their children are born — a British-by-descent citizen cannot automatically pass citizenship to children born abroad, even if they themselves hold a British passport. Once naturalised, track your time in the UK before the ceremony with our UK Indefinite Leave to Remain — Continuous Residence Calculator to make sure the absence limits are met up to the date of application.