What is the Difference Between a Biometric Residence Permit and a Biometric Residence Card?

Learn about Biometric Residence Permits & Cards issued by UK government for foreign citizens staying in UK for more than 6 months.

What is the Difference Between a Biometric Residence Permit and a Biometric Residence Card?

A UK green card or BRC is different from a “biometric residence permit” (BRP). You can have a BRP if you have a visa of more than 6 months, an indefinite residence permit or certain travel documents from the Ministry of the Interior. BRPs say “residence permit” on them. Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards are immigration documents.

They are similar in size to a driver's license with a photograph or an identity document and contain your personal details (name, date of birth, gender, etc). A biometric residence permit is a card issued to foreign citizens in the United Kingdom as proof of their identity, immigration status and any right to work, study or access public funds while in the United Kingdom. This is a physical card, similar in size to a standard credit card. There is a difference between a biometric residence permit (BRP) and a biometric residence card (BRC). Once you have received your biometric residence permit, you should carefully check your BRP to ensure that all the details are correct.

If your request is accepted, you will be told where to go to collect your biometric data. Anyone who needs to confirm their immigration status must have a biometric residence permit. Once you have obtained your biometric residence permit, it is important that you check it thoroughly to ensure that all the information it contains is correct. The UK biometric residence permit (BRP) card is similar in appearance to a driving permit and is issued to immigrants in the United Kingdom to confirm their immigration status. The biometric residence permit can be used to confirm your right to stay, study or work in the UK, as well as your right to any public service or benefit to which you may be entitled.

Foreign applicants will be asked if they can go to a visa application center in their home country or a neighboring country when applying for a visa or residence in the United Kingdom. If you are unable to obtain your biometric information, your request will not be accepted. As part of the application process, you will receive a letter from the Ministry of the Interior inviting you to provide your biometric information within 15 business days from the date of the letter. In addition to the visa application fee, providing your biometric data or reusing this information if you have previously provided it, costs £19.20. When traveling to and from the UK, you'll need to show your biometric residence permit along with your passport at the border. A biometric residence permit is issued to all foreign citizens staying in the UK for more than 6 months, including those who have successfully applied to settle in the UK, people who have entered the UK on long-term work visas and foreign students coming to study in the UK.

If your biometric residence permit is lost or stolen and it was valid for 3 months or more, you again have a legal obligation to report it and request a replacement from the UK. You may still be able to apply for pre-established or established status in the EU Settlement System, which will allow you to remain in the UK and purchase a biometric residence card from the EU Settlement System. A biometric residence permit is granted to people who have met the requirements to enter or stay in the United Kingdom. It is no longer possible to apply for a biometric green card in the United Kingdom, as it is no longer valid proof of your right to reside in the United Kingdom.