Applying for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or residence card/document in your new name
If you hold a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), you’ll need to update it (to be in your new name) within 3 months of changing your name, or else you may be fined up to £ 1,000 or have your stay shortened.
If you hold another kind of residence documentation under EEA regulations (e.g. Residence Card, Permanent Residence Card, Derivative Residence Card, Registration Certificate, or Document Certifying Permanent Residence) because you’re an EEA / Swiss national, or their (former) family member or primary carer, you can also apply for a new card in your new name (although you’re not legally obliged to).
Generally speaking — if you’re not an Irish / EEA / Swiss national (who won’t need a BRP), and you don’t qualify for another kind of residence documentation under EEA regulations, and you haven’t got a BRP already, you’ll get one when you apply —
- for a U.K. visa to come to the U.K. for longer than 6 months
- to replace a U.K. visa or extend it to longer than 6 months
- to transfer a U.K. visa to your new passport
- for “limited leave to remain” in the U.K. which adds up to more than 6 months’ leave in total
- for “indefinite leave to remain” in the U.K. (leave to “settle” in the U.K.)
- to be recognised as a refugee / someone in need of humanitarian protection / a stateless person
- for a Convention Travel Document
- for a Stateless Person’s Travel Document
- for a Certificate of Travel
- as a dependant of someone who’s applying for a BRP
Update your passport / EEA identity card first
The Home Office will normally issue your BRP / Residence Card in the same name as on your passport or EEA identity card.
If you want to change your name and you hold a Home Office Travel document, you’ll need to update your BRP first, then apply for a new Travel Document.
Otherwise, to update your BRP / Residence Card to be in your new name, the Home Office will expect you to update your passport / EEA identity card to be in your new name first (before you make your application).
However, you can use a different name on your BRP / Residence Card — from what’s on your passport / EEA identity card — if (and only if) —
- you’re a recognised refugee or stateless person
- you’ve been granted humanitarian protection
- you’d be at risk of harm unless your name is changed, e.g. owing to you being a victim of crime (such as domestic violence) or a vulnerable witness
- you’re a transgender person whose country of origin doesn’t recognise changes to your name and/or gender
- there are other exceptional circumstances that would seriously and adversely affect your life in the U.K. unless your name is changed
If one of these conditions applies to you, you can change your name (by deed poll) and update your BRP / Residence Card to be in your new name.
If you hold a BRP, you’ll need to update it within 3 months of changing your name, or else you may be fined up to £ 1,000 or have your stay shortened. Otherwise, you cannot apply for a deed poll to change your name, because you won’t be able to update your BRP — and you’ll risk being fined up to £ 1,000 or having your stay shortened.
How to apply for your new residence documentation
If you hold a Home Office travel document, you’ll need to update your BRP first, and then your travel document (see below).
In all other cases, you’ll need to update your passport / EEA identity card before your BRP or Residence Card — unless an exception applies (see above).
If you’ve got “limited leave to remain” (permission to stay in the U.K. temporarily)
You’ll need to apply for a new Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) using form TOC 
(for a “Transfer of Conditions”).
This costs £ 161.
Fill in the form using your new name (in sections 1.4–1.5), and write your old name in section 1.6.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You can include your partner (even if you aren’t married) and any children under 18 on the same application form, but you’ll need to pay the same fee for each person. You (and any dependents included on the form) need to be in the U.K. to apply.
If you’ve got “indefinite leave to remain” (permission to “settle” in the U.K.)
You’ll need to apply for a new Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) using form NTL (for a “No Time Limit” stamp).
This costs £ 229.
Fill in the form using your new name (in sections 1.4–1.5), and write your old name in section 1.6.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You can include your partner (even if you aren’t married) and any children under 18 on the same application form, but you’ll need to pay the same fee for each person. You (and any dependents included on the form) need to be in the U.K. to apply.
If you’ve got the “permanent right of residence” in the U.K. under EEA regulations (also called “permanent residence”)
You’ll need to apply for a new —
— using form EEA(PR) .
This costs £ 65.
If you’re not an EEA / Swiss national, you’ll get a Permanent Residence Card in the “biometric format”, which will contain your biometric information.
Fill in the form using your new name (in part 1 (“your personal details”) of the “biometric information” section; and in sections 1.3–1.4), and write your old name in section 1.5.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You can include family members and extended family members on the same application form if they also qualify for permanent residence (although you must pay the same fee for each person). Any other family members need to fill in a separate form (and pay the right fee).
If you’re an EEA / Swiss national in the U.K. as a “qualified person” (and you haven’t got the “permanent right of residence”)
A “qualified person” is an EEA / Swiss national who is “exercising Treaty rights” in the U.K. — which means they’re in the U.K. as a —
- worker (including someone who has retained their status as a worker owing to temporary incapacity, involuntary unemployment or vocational training)
- self-employed person (including someone who has retained their status as a self-employed person owing to temporary incapacity)
- self-sufficient person
- student
- job-seeker
You’ll need to apply for a new Registration Certificate using form EEA(QP) .
This costs £ 65.
Fill in the form using your new name (in sections 1.2–1.3), and write your old name in section 1.4.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You cannot include anyone else on the same application form. Each family member of the “qualified person” needs to fill in a separate form (and pay the right fee).
If you’ve been a “qualified person” for a continuous period of 5 years then you’ll have got the “permanent right of residence” and you should apply for a Document Certifying Permanent Residence / Permanent Residence Card instead.
If you’ve got the “right of residence” in the U.K. as a family member (or extended family member) of a “relevant EEA / Swiss national” (and you haven’t got the “permanent right of residence”)
A “relevant EEA / Swiss national” includes —
- a “qualified person” (that is — an EEA / Swiss national who is exercising Treaty rights in the U.K.)
- an EEA / Swiss national who has the “permanent right of residence” in the U.K.
- a British citizen who was a “qualified person” or who got the “permanent right of residence” in another EEA state / Switzerland, and who you’ve come back with to live in the U.K. (known as the “Surinder Singh judgment”
)
- someone who meets one of the above conditions, and who died, left the U.K., or with whom your marriage / civil partnership came to an end — and you “retained” your right of residence
It does not include British citizens, unless you have lived with them in another EEA state or Switzerland (under the “Surinder Singh judgment”)
You’ll need to apply for a new Residence Card using —
- form EEA(FM) if you’re a “family member”, which includes —
- the spouse or civil partner of the relevant EEA / Swiss national
- a dependent child of the relevant EEA / Swiss national (or of their spouse / civil partner)
- a child or grandchild of the relevant EEA / Swiss national (or of their spouse / civil partner) who is either dependent or aged under 21 (but not if the relevant EEA / Swiss national only has a right to reside in the U.K. as a student)
- a dependent parent or grandparent of the relevant EEA / Swiss national (or of their spouse / civil partner) (but not if the relevant EEA / Swiss national only has a right to reside in the U.K. as a student)
- form EEA(EFM) if you’re an “extended family member”, which includes —
- the unmarried partner of the relevant EEA / Swiss national
- someone related to the relevant EEA / Swiss national in another way (e.g. if you’re their brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, or niece)
This costs £ 65.
If you’re not an EEA / Swiss national, your Residence Card will be in the “biometric format” and will contain your biometric information.
Fill in the form using your new name (in part 1 (“your personal details”) of the “biometric information” section; and in sections 1.3–1.4), and write your old name in section 1.5.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You cannot include anyone else on the same application form. Each family member of the relevant EEA / Swiss national needs to fill in a separate form (and pay the same fee).
If you’ve lived in the U.K. as a —
— for a continuous period of 5 years, then you’ll have got the “permanent right of residence” and you should apply for a Document Certifying Permanent Residence / Permanent Residence Card instead.
If you’ve got a “derivative right of residence” in the U.K. owing to a relationship with an EEA / Swiss national (and you haven’t got the “permanent right of residence”)
You’ll need to apply for a new Derivative Residence Card using form DRF1 if you’re —
- the primary carer of a British citizen child or dependent adult (a “Zambrano” case ),
- the primary carer of a self-sufficient EEA / Swiss national child (a “Chen” case )
- the child of an EEA / Swiss national former worker where the child is in education in the U.K. (an “Ibrahim/Teixeira” case )
- the primary carer of a child of an EEA / Swiss national former worker where the child is in education in the U.K. (an “Ibrahim/Teixeira” case)
- the dependent child aged under 18 of a primary carer in one of the categories above
This costs £ 65.
If you’re not an EEA / Swiss national, your Residence Card will be in the “biometric format” and will contain your biometric information.
Fill in the form using your new name (in part 1 (“your personal details”) of the “biometric information” section; and in sections 1.3–1.4), and write your old name in section 1.5.
You’ll need to send in your original deed poll with the completed application form.
You cannot include anyone else on the same application form. If there are other extended family members of the relevant EEA / Swiss national, you’ll need to fill in a separate form for each person (and pay the same fee).
Applying for your BRP in person (the premium service)
The premium service is only available if you have limited or indefinite leave to remain and you want to apply for a new BRP.
Instead of applying by post, you can apply in person for your new BRP at a premium service centre . This costs an extra £ 610 for each person included on the application form.
You’ll need to find the centre nearest to you and book an appointment before you go.
Your new BRP won’t be issued on the day itself — it’ll be posted to you within 7 working days.
Some people cannot apply through the premium service .
What it costs
| Your immigration status | Form | Apply by post |
Apply in person |
|---|---|---|---|
| limited leave to remain | TOC (Transfer of Conditions) | £ 161 | £ 771 |
| indefinite leave to remain (“settle”) | NTL (No Time Limit stamp) | £ 229 | £ 839 |
| qualified person (exercising Treaty rights) | EEA(QP) | £ 65 | not possible |
| permanent right of residence | EEA(PR) | £ 65 | not possible |
|
right of residence as an (extended) family member (or “retained” right of residence) |
EEA(FM) — family members EEA(EFM) — extended family members |
£ 65 | not possible |
| derivative right of residence | DRF1 | £ 65 | not possible |
Each person applying has to pay the full price. There’s no discount for children, nor for family members when applying on the same form.
Biometric enrolment fees (for non-EEA / Swiss nationals)
If you make an application for a BRP or residence card — and you are not an EEA / Swiss national — then you will be asked to submit your biometric details to a Post Office branch offering “Biometric Resident Permit services”. You’ll need to pay an additional handling fee for this.
This biometric enrolment fee is currently £ 19.20 and should be paid directly to the Post Office, when they take your biometric details (your photo, your fingerprints and your signature). You can pay by cash or debit card (but not credit card).
☞ See the Post Office website for more details.
If you’ve got a travel document
If you hold a Home Office travel document, you’ll need to update your BRP to be in your new name first. You’ll need to include your current travel document as part of your application.
Once you’ve got a new BRP, you’ll need to apply for a new travel document (in your new name).
This applies to anyone who holds a —
- Convention Travel Document
- Stateless Person’s Travel Document
- Certificate of Travel
It does not apply to a “one-way travel document” (also known as an IS137), that is, if you want to leave the U.K. and not come back.
Contact U.K. Visas & Immigration
You can call U.K. Visas & Immigration on —
- 0300 123 2253 (EEA / Swiss nationals and their family members)
- 0300 123 2241 (otherwise)
Lines are open —
- Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.
- Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.