UK eVisa for Nepali Students 2026: What Replaced the BRP?

If you are planning to study in the UK from Nepal in 2026, you may have questions about the UK eVisa, the end of the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), and how you will prove your immigration status after your Student visa is approved.

The UK has moved towards a digital immigration system. BRPs have now expired and been replaced by eVisas, which provide a digital record of a person’s UK immigration status. There has also been another important change: from 1 July 2026, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) stopped issuing visa vignette stickers to successful new applicants. Instead, successful applicants receive an eVisa that can be accessed through a UKVI account.

This guide explains the UK eVisa for Nepali students in 2026 — how to access it, how your UKVI account works, and what you should check before leaving Nepal.

A UK eVisa is a digital record of your identity, immigration status and the conditions attached to your permission to stay in the UK. Depending on your immigration permission, your eVisa can show information such as:

• Your immigration status
• How long you are permitted to stay in the UK
• Whether you are permitted to study
• Whether you are allowed to work and any applicable conditions

Your eVisa is accessed online through your UKVI account. This means that instead of relying on a physical BRP card or visa sticker as the main evidence of your status, your status is now recorded digitally.

A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) was a physical card previously issued to many people who had permission to live, work or study in the UK. That system has now ended. According to the UK Government, all BRPs have expired and have been replaced by eVisas.

If you previously held a BRP, you may still be advised to keep the expired card, because it can be useful in certain circumstances. However, your eVisa is now the digital record of your immigration status. For students making a new UK Student visa application in 2026, you should expect your status to be provided digitally through an eVisa if your application is successful.

No. New successful UK Student visa applicants do not normally receive a BRP. If your application is successful, you will receive an eVisa — an online record of your immigration status.

You will need access to a UKVI account, and should ensure that the passport or travel document you intend to use for your journey is correctly linked to your account. Always follow the instructions provided by UKVI with your individual visa decision.

This is another important change for students travelling in 2026. Previously, successful applicants applying from outside the UK would commonly receive a visa vignette, or visa sticker, in their passport.

UKVI stopped issuing visa vignettes to successful new applicants from 1 July 2026. This means new successful applicants generally use their eVisa as digital evidence of their UK immigration permission rather than receiving a visa sticker in their passport. You still need your valid passport or appropriate travel document when travelling.

A UKVI account is the online account used to access and manage your digital immigration status. Through your UKVI account, you can:

• View your eVisa
• Check your immigration status and conditions
• Generate a share code when required
• Update passport or travel document details
• Update certain personal and contact details

Your UKVI account is therefore an important part of managing your immigration status while studying in the UK.

If your UK Student visa application is successful, UKVI will provide instructions about accessing your eVisa. The process generally involves:

• Step 1 — Receiving your visa decision.
• Step 2 — Creating or signing in to your UKVI account.
• Step 3 — Linking your passport or travel document to your UKVI account, if required.
• Step 4 — Accessing your eVisa online.
• Step 5 — Checking that your personal information and immigration conditions are correct.

Before travelling to the UK, sign in to your UKVI account and make sure you can access your eVisa. It is particularly important to confirm that the passport or travel document you intend to use for your journey is correctly linked to your account.

The digital system lets you access your immigration status online instead of relying on a physical residence card.

• View your immigration status online — use your UKVI account to view your eVisa and check the conditions attached to your permission.
• Prove your immigration status — when required, generate a share code that allows an authorised person or organisation to check relevant information about your status.
• Update your details — if you receive a new passport or travel document, update your UKVI account so your current document is correctly linked.
• Avoid relying on a physical BRP — because your status is recorded digitally, there is no BRP card to collect, carry, lose or damage.

A share code is a temporary code that allows another person or organisation to check relevant information about your immigration status online. Depending on the circumstances, you may need a share code when:

• An employer checks your right to work
• A landlord checks your right to rent in England
• Another authorised organisation needs to verify your immigration status

A share code is generally valid for 90 days and can be used more than once during that period. You can generate a new share code whenever you need one.

Yes. An eVisa does not replace your passport. You must still travel with a valid passport or appropriate travel document, and it should be correctly linked to your UKVI account. This matters because airlines and other carriers may use your passport details to confirm that you have permission to travel to the UK.

Incorrect or outdated information could result in delays while your status is being verified. If you receive a new passport, update your UKVI account with the new details before travelling.

Before leaving Nepal, it is sensible to complete the following checks:

• Sign in to your UKVI account.
• Make sure you can view your eVisa.
• Check that your name and personal details are correct.
• Check that your immigration permission and conditions are correct.
• Confirm that the passport you will use for travel is linked to your UKVI account.
• Make sure your passport is valid for your journey.
• Keep your university and course information accessible.
• Keep your CAS details and other important travel documents available.
• Make sure you can access the email address and phone number associated with your UKVI account.

Checking these details before travelling can help reduce the possibility of unnecessary delays during your journey.

Check the information shown on your eVisa carefully. If you notice incorrect information — such as an incorrect name, date of birth, immigration status or visa conditions — use the official UKVI process to report the error.

You should also seek assistance through the official UKVI service if you cannot access your eVisa or if your immigration information does not appear correctly. Do not ignore an error that could affect your immigration status or ability to travel.

The move to eVisas is straightforward once you know the steps, but small mistakes — an unlinked passport, an inaccessible account — can cause stress right before you travel. As Nepal’s first AIRC-certified and ICEF-screened education consultancy, Edwise Foundation has guided Nepali students to the UK since 2005. We help you set up your UKVI account, check your eVisa details, and confirm your passport is linked before you fly, as part of the wider UK student visa process. With a 96% acceptance rate and 7,000+ students placed, our team makes sure the final steps go smoothly. For the full picture of studying in the UK, requirements and intakes, see our complete guide to study in the UK from Nepal.