BRP Renewal - ILR vs. Citizenship

Hiya, apologies if this has been queried before, but I couldnt find any posts that had this information...

I will be needing to renew my BRP next year as it expires in December 2024, and I have had a look a the gov website to look into what is needed in order to get it done and it is asking for the original document showing grant of settlement. I cannot seem to locate any kind of letter that confirms my grant of ILR, but I obviously still have my BRP that was issued to me, which is one of the other documents it requests.  Is this sufficient enough?

Also with regards to Bills to show proof of continuous residency, approximately how many pieces of correspondence will I need over the 5 years that I have held ILR?

Alternatively, would it be easier if I wanted to apply for citizenship instead of renewing my BRP? If so, can anyone advise what exactly I would need for this? (I still have my Life in the UK pass letter, which is one thing I know I will need lol)

Hiya, apologies if this has been queried before, but I couldnt find any posts that had this information...

I will be needing to renew my BRP next year as it expires in December 2024, and I have had a look a the gov website to look into what is needed in order to get it done and it is asking for the original document showing grant of settlement. I cannot seem to locate any kind of letter that confirms my grant of ILR, but I obviously still have my BRP that was issued to me, which is one of the other documents it requests.  Is this sufficient enough?

You won't need to renew your BRP at all. All BRPs are now issued to expire on 31st December 2024, because they are getting rid of BRPs completely on 1st January 2025 and moving to an online-only system.

So, instead of renewing your BRP next year, you will simply be able to check your immigration status online.

Details of how this will work have not been announced yet - UKVI should be sending out further information in early 2024.

See here for details:
https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem

From that page:

If your BRP expires on 31 December 2024
You do not need to tell UKVI if your BRP expires on 31 December 2024 but your immigration status (for example, your visa) allows you to stay longer.

You will not need a BRP from 1 January 2025. You’ll be able to prove your immigration status online, without a BRP.

UKVI will update their information on how to prove your immigration status in early 2024. You do not need to do anything and your immigration status will not be affected.

Also with regards to Bills to show proof of continuous residency, approximately how many pieces of correspondence will I need over the 5 years that I have held ILR?

You won't need any of that, as you don't need to renew the BRP .

Even if you did need to renew the BRP though,  you would still not need to provide evidence of UK residency, because it's just a replacement of the card itself, to update your photo and biometrics (like how you have to renew a UK driving licence card every 10 years)... it's not a new application for a visa.

Alternatively, would it be easier if I wanted to apply for citizenship instead of renewing my BRP? If so, can anyone advise what exactly I would need for this? (I still have my Life in the UK pass letter, which is one thing I know I will need lol)

Personally, I would advise applying for citizenship regardless, as it secures your right come and go from the UK whenever you like for the rest of your life, whereas ILR expires if you leave the UK for more than 2 years (which means starting all over from scratch with all the visas again).

Having citizenship means being completely free of the UK immigration system, and it gives you the right to vote in the UK (and to travel to countries that require visas for US citizens, but don't require visas for UK citizens).

You won't need to renew your BRP at all. All BRPs are now issued to expire on 31st December 2024, because they are getting rid of BRPs completely on 1st January 2025 and moving to an online-only system.

So, instead of renewing your BRP next year, you will simply be able to check your immigration status online.

Details of how this will work have not been announced yet - UKVI should be sending out further information in early 2024.

See here for details:
https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem [nofollow]

From that page:

You won't need any of that, as you don't need to renew the BRP .

Even if you did need to renew the BRP though,  you would still not need to provide evidence of UK residency, because it's just a replacement of the card itself, to update your photo and biometrics (like how you have to renew a UK driving licence card every 10 years)... it's not a new application for a visa.

Personally, I would advise applying for citizenship regardless, as it secures your right come and go from the UK whenever you like for the rest of your life, whereas ILR expires if you leave the UK for more than 2 years (which means starting all over from scratch with all the visas again).

Having citizenship means being completely free of the UK immigration system, and it gives you the right to vote in the UK (and to travel to countries that require visas for US citizens, but don't require visas for UK citizens).

Thank you! You're always a genius and a massive help with all this stuff!

One thing though, is that my current BRP expires before the 31st of December - I think it's the 19th of December 2024 - so in this case would that still apply to me? Or will I have to renew it?


With regards to citizenship,  I fully agree about everything you've just said, which is why I do eventually want to apply for it.

What exactly would I need (documentation-wise) to apply for it?

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One thing though, is that my current BRP expires before the 31st of December - I think it's the 19th of December 2024 - so in this case would that still apply to me? Or will I have to renew it?

Hmm, I'm not sure - if you did renew it, it would only be valid for 12 days, as all BRPs must expire on 31st December 2024 now. Chances are, it wouldn't be processed before the new system comes in.

I would wait until early 2024 to see what they announce for how things will work - it may be that they give some leeway, where people whose visas expire towards the end of 2024 will not need to apply for a new BRP.

With regards to citizenship,  I fully agree about everything you've just said, which is why I do eventually want to apply for it.

I always think it''s a good idea to apply for citizenship as soon as you can, so that you get it out of the way. Not to mention that it's only getting more and more expensive to apply for citizenship (when I joined the forum in 2007, the citizenship fee was £400... now it's £1,330! It's only gone up about £100 in the last 5 years though).

What exactly would I need (documentation-wise) to apply for it?

Almost no documents are required for citizenship - it's not a visa application, so it's much more straightforward, and is the easiest application you will do.

The standard documents required are:
If you're married to a UK citizen at the time of application (3 years of UK residence required):
- your passport
- your ILR BRP
- your marriage certificate
- your spouse's UK passport
- Life in the UK test pass certificate/reference number
- 2 signed referee forms
- If you're self-employed, you also need your latest statement of account to show you've paid your taxes
- If you're employed, you may need evidence of National Insurance contributions (P60s, payslips etc.)

If you're NOT married to a UK citizen (5 years of UK residence required):
- your passport
- your ILR BRP
- Life in the UK test pass certificate/reference number
- 2 signed referee forms
- If you're self-employed, you also need your latest statement of account to show you've paid your taxes
- If you're employed, you may need evidence of National Insurance contributions (P60s, payslips etc.)

Hmm, I'm not sure - if you did renew it, it would only be valid for 12 days, as all BRPs must expire on 31st December 2024 now. Chances are, it wouldn't be processed before the new system comes in.

I would wait until early 2024 to see what they announce for how things will work - it may be that they give some leeway, where people whose visas expire towards the end of 2024 will not need to apply for a new BRP.

I always think it''s a good idea to apply for citizenship as soon as you can, so that you get it out of the way. Not to mention that it's only getting more and more expensive to apply for citizenship (when I joined the forum in 2007, the citizenship fee was £400... now it's £1,330! It's only gone up about £100 in the last 5 years though).

Almost no documents are required for citizenship - it's not a visa application, so it's much more straightforward, and is the easiest application you will do.

The standard documents required are:
If you're married to a UK citizen at the time of application (3 years of UK residence required):
- your passport
- your ILR BRP
- your marriage certificate
- your spouse's UK passport
- Life in the UK test pass certificate/reference number
- 2 signed referee forms
- If you're self-employed, you also need your latest statement of account to show you've paid your taxes
- If you're employed, you may need evidence of National Insurance contributions (P60s, payslips etc.)

If you're NOT married to a UK citizen (5 years of UK residence required):
- your passport
- your ILR BRP
- Life in the UK test pass certificate/reference number
- 2 signed referee forms
- If you're self-employed, you also need your latest statement of account to show you've paid your taxes
- If you're employed, you may need evidence of National Insurance contributions (P60s, payslips etc.)

Oh that's alot easier than I thought it would be for citizenship!

Okay, here I am to make it more awkward, I am going through a divorce from my partner that I moved here to be with, if I apply after the divorce is finalised will I need any documentation relating to that? As in the divorce decree or anything?

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Oh that's alot easier than I thought it would be for citizenship!

Okay, here I am to make it more awkward, I am going through a divorce from my partner that I moved here to be with, if I apply after the divorce is finalised will I need any documentation relating to that? As in the divorce decree or anything?

Nope, you don't need anything. You simply apply in the same way as anyone who is not/has never been married to a UK citizen would.

The only difference between being married to a UK citizen or not being married to a UK citizen is in the qualification requirements for citizenship:

Married to a UK citizen
- can apply as soon as ILR is granted
- only need to show 3 years of UK residency

Not married to a UK citizen:
- must have held ILR for at least 12 months
- need to show 5 years of UK residency

And that's it.

- If you are NOT married to a UK citizen, you just provide the standard documents.

- If you ARE married to a UK citizen, you provide the standard documents, plus their UK passport and your marriage certificate.

The document requirements are all listed at the bottom of the paper version of the citizenship application:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-british-citizen-by-naturalisation-form-an

I'm just gonna jump in here and thank Ksand24 for her amazing help once again. I read OP's question and nearly had a heart attack at first thinking these were the rules for the new system because I hadn't checked in awhile, and I too never got a Settlement letter. Only an email saying I got it and that the letter and BRP card would come soon. BRP came, but never the letter. I forgot about this as the pandemic hit right after.
Is the letter necessary for citizenship?