Visa drop-in and contact details
You can talk to one of our visa advisors by coming to a visa drop-in session, or you can contact us directly.
Your Visa and passport are very important documents. We strongly advise that you keep them safe and avoid carrying them with you on a daily basis.
If you have lost your documents, or they have been stolen, you must apply for a replacement as soon as possible. The process varies depending on your visa type and your location (outside or inside the UK).
It is important that you carefully read the questions on this page before contacting the University's Visa and Immigration Student Advice Service.
After you have received your new visa/passport , you must register your new documents with the VISAS Team. To register your new visa or passport or if you have any further questions please contact us .
I have lost my Biometric Residence Permit in the UK. What should I do?
You must follow these steps if you lose your BRP card inside the UK:
1. Contact the local police station and report the documents that have been lost or stolen. They will usually give you a copy of their police report or a crime reference number, which you should keep safe.
2. If your passport has also been lost, you will need to contact your country's embassy to report that your documents have been stolen and request a replacement passport or temporary travel document.
3. Report your BRP lost or stolen to the Home Office and order a replacement online on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged
4. If your new BRP card is delivered to your home address you must contact the VISAS team so that we can update your student record.
I have lost my Biometric Residence Permit when I was abroad. What should I do?
If you lose your BRP outside the UK please contact the University VISAS team to tell us when and where your BRP was lost or stolen. We may also be able to help answer questions about the replacement BRP visa application.
You must follow these steps:
1. Please report the loss of your documents to the Police; they will usually give you a copy of their police report which you should keep safe. If the report is not in English you will need to obtain a translation.
2. If your passport has also been lost, you will need to contact your country's embassy to report that your documents have been stolen and request a replacement passport or temporary travel document.
3. Report your BRP lost or stolen to the Home Office on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged
4. Apply for a replacement BRP visa - this lets you re-enter the UK once only. Applications made outside the UK can take 15 working days and you may have to return to your home country to apply. You must Apply for authorised absence if you will be outside the UK during term-time.
5. When you return to the UK, you must apply for a BRP replacement card (BRP RC) within 30 days of the date you arrive back in the UK.
I have lost my passport with the entry clearance sticker when I was abroad. What should I do?
If you lose your passport abroad, you must follow these steps:
1. Contact the local police station and report those documents as lost or stolen. You should gain a police report.
2. Contact your embassy and apply for a replacement passport or travel document.
3. If your passport contained an entry clearance sticker for the full duration of your course, then once you have received your new passport/travel document, you will need to apply for a replacement visa to come back to UK. It may take some time to have a new visa issued. You may consider returning to your home country to apply for a replacement UK visa. Please see the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) for further information on the application process.
I have lost my passport with the entry clearance sticker in the UK. What should I do?
If you lose your passport inside the UK, you must follow these steps:
1. Contact the local police station and report those documents as lost or stolen.
2. Contact your embassy and apply for a replacement passport or travel document.
3. Once you have your new passport/travel document then we will help you to apply for A Transfer of Conditions. For further information, visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website .
I have lost my passport in the UK. What should I do?
If you have lost your passport then you must report this to the police immediately. You should also contact your embassy or consulate. Once you have received your new passport you must contact the VISAS team so that we can update your student record.
It is recommended that you keep copies of your visa and passport and have access to these. You do not need to carry your passport or your BRP card around with you whilst you are in the UK, although it is advisable to carry copies of your passport and BRP card with you.
Is there another way that I can prove my age in the United Kingdom without my passport or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card?
Yes. There are situations where you are required to prove your age in the United Kingdom. For example, to enter a night club or to buy alcohol. Passports or BRP cards are a valid form of proof of age, although we strongly advise that you do NOT carry these around with you in the UK in case they are lost or stolen.
Instead, you can apply for a national proof of age card. These identification cards are significantly cheaper and easier to replace than a new passport or BRP card. When you apply for a national proof of age card, we recommend you check that it is accredited by the PASS scheme. Information about cards which are accredited by PASS is available on the PASS scheme website .
Please note that national proof of age cards are only a document to prove your age. They are NOT a visa or passport and have NO authority to allow you to enter the UK.
Useful External Links
Please note: The University of Southampton cannot accept responsibility for the content of external websites.
The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publishing. We strive to regularly update this page but we advise that you visit the UK Visas and Immigration ( UKVI) website as well; this is the UK government's official website and the information provided will be regularly updated in accordance with UK immigration rules.