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Lost passports & Biometric Residence Permits

Please look after your passport and biometric residence permit and keep them in a safe place. They are important documents and can be inconvenient and expensive to replace.

Passports lost in the UK

If your passport is lost or stolen in the UK you will need to complete the following steps:

  • Report the loss or theft of your passport to the police as soon as possible and ask them for a reference number.
  • Apply to your embassy in the UK for a replacement passport. You can find full details of all foreign embassies in the UK here. If your country doesn’t have an embassy in the UK, you will need to contact the nearest embassy to the UK.
  • If your passport contains your visa, you will need to apply to the UK Border Agency to have a visa placed in your new passport. The form you need to complete is called TOC. From 6th April 2013 the application fee is £147 for postal applications and £522 for applications made in person.

Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) lost in the UK

If your BRP is lost, stolen or damaged while you are in the UK, you will need to complete the following steps:

  • Report the loss or theft of your BRP to the police as soon as possible and ask them for a reference number.
  • Notify the UK Border Agency as soon as possible by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Your email must contain certain details which you can read on this page of the UKBA website.
  • Complete form BRP(RC) available on the above link. The fee for replacing a lost or stolen BRP is £38. If your BRP is lost or stolen and you do not apply for a replacement, you could face a fine of £1000 and your stay in the UK could be shortened.

Passports lost outside of the UK

If your passport is lost or stolen while you are outside of the UK you will need to complete the following steps:

  • Report the loss or theft of your passport to the police as soon as possible and ask them for a reference number.
  • Apply for a replacement passport at the nearest embassy for your country
  • Once you have your replacement passport, take it to the nearest UK embassy and apply for a Tier 4 visa. The fee for this application will be £298 from 6th April 2013.
  • Do not attempt to travel until you have your new passport and new visa.

Biometric Residence Permits lost outside of the UK

If your BRP is lost or stolen while you are outside of the UK, you will need to complete the following steps:

  • Report the loss or theft of your BRP to the police as soon as possible and ask them for a reference number
  • Notify the UK Border Agency by calling (+44) 208 527 3623
  • Apply for a Single Entry Visa at the nearest UK embassy stating that your BRP has been lost or stolen. You do not need to do the self assessment section of VAF9. The cost of this application from 6th April 2013 is £72 and the visa will be valid for 1 month from the date of issue.
  • Do not book flights or attempt to travel until you have received a decision on your application.
  • When you are back in the UK, apply for a replacement BRP using the process above. If you do not apply for a replacement BRP you could face a fine of £1000 and your stay in the UK could be shortened
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