Section 9: Lost or Stolen Passport, Visa (BRP)
or Police Registration Certificate
Your passport and UK visa (BRP) are
very important documents – they are
a form of identification, proof of your
immigration permission to be in the UK
and they allow you to travel in and out
of the country.
We therefore recommend that you do
not carry your passport/visa (BRP)
with you unless absolutely necessary
(for example, when crossing borders or
where required to do so by the police in
the country you are visiting). It is much
safer to leave it in a secure place in your
home, or perhaps in a safe in the hotel
where you are staying.
Remember that if you do lose your
visa when overseas, in most cases you
will need to apply for a replacement
before you can re-enter the UK, and this
can take a number of weeks meaning
you might have large expenses for
Visa and Immigration Student Journey
accommodation and you might lose
important study time.
If your passport containing your current
visa is lost or stolen the procedures
differ depending on where the loss
occurred and what type of visa you
have. You must obtain a police report
and contact your embassy, who should
be able to advise you on the procedure
for getting a new one.
You should also contact VISA Team
immediately, who can provide you with
photocopies of your old passport.
Please note that whenever you get a
new passport/or visa (BRP) you are
required to provide GCU with a copy.
For any students required to register
with the Police, you will also have to
show your new documents to the Police
to update your certificate.
If you have lost your Passport or Visa
(BRP) overseas you must:
• Report this to the Police.
• Report the loss to visa@gcu.ac.uk.
• Report the loss to the Home Office
(if you have lost your BRP): www.
gov.uk/biometric-residencepermits/
lost-stolen-damaged
Please note once you have reported
your lost BRP, this will be cancelled.
If you later find this, the BRP will be
invalid and you will need to replace
this.
• Contact your embassy in the
country where you are (if you have
lost your passport).
• Contact the Home Office visa
application centre in the country
where you are to apply for a
replacement visa.
• Contact your travel insurance
company.
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