Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme travel permit to return to the UK
An EU Settlement Scheme travel permit is a way to enter the UK if:
- your biometric residence card (BRC) is lost, stolen or expired
- you cannot access your UKVI account or update it so your current passport or travel document is linked to your eVisa
You can use the travel permit, along with a valid passport, to travel to and from the UK until the permit expires.
Who can get an EU Settlement Scheme travel permit
You can only apply for the travel permit if all of the following are true:
- you鈥檙e not from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- 测辞耻鈥檝别 reported your BRC to the Home Office as lost or stolen, or it鈥檚 expired
- you鈥檙e outside the UK when you apply
- you鈥檙e planning to travel to the UK within 6 months of applying for the travel permit
What you can do
The permit lets you enter the UK as many times as you want until it expires.
It lasts for 6 months from the decision date on your travel permit application.
How much it costs
The travel permit is free.
What you need to apply
You鈥檒l need:
- a valid passport
- the unique application number (UAN) confirming your settled or pre-settled status
The UAN is a 16-digit number, in the format 鈥�1234-1234-1234-1234鈥�. It鈥檚 in the email confirming your settled or pre-settled status.
Apply for the permit
How long it takes to get a decision
When you apply, you鈥檒l be asked to make an appointment at a visa application centre. You鈥檒l usually get a decision within 3 weeks of the appointment.
When you鈥檙e back in the UK
You can no longer get a replacement BRC.
You can use your eVisa instead to prove your settled or pre-settled status when entering the UK after your travel permit expires. An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status.
Before you travel, you鈥檒l need to sign in to your UKVI account to check that your eVisa is linked to your current passport or travel document. You鈥檒l still need to carry your current passport with you.
To prove your status once in the UK, for example to show an employer, you can use the online service to get a 鈥榮hare code鈥�.