Introduction

As part of the UK immigration process, it is a legal requirement for certain visa holders to register with the UK police. This process is known as the UK visa police registration or UK visa police registration new rules. In this article, we’ll explore what this requirement entails and what has changed with the new rules.

Who Needs to Register with the UK Police?

If you are a non-EEA (European Economic Area) national and you are in the UK on a visa or immigration permission that requires you to register with the police, you must do so within seven days of arriving in the UK. You will usually be told if you need to register when you receive your visa or BRP.

Some of the reasons you may need to register with the UK police include:

You are studying at a UK institution for more than six months

You are a family member of an EEA national who holds an EEA Family Permit

You are in the UK on a Tier 2 or Tier 5 visa for more than six months

You are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK for more than six months

What Do You Need to Do to Register?

If you need to register with the UK police, you must do so within seven days of arriving in the UK. You will need to attend a police station in person and provide the following documents:

Your passport or travel document

Your visa or immigration permission, usually in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

A passport-sized photograph

You will also need to pay a fee, which varies depending on the police force area you are registering with. The fee is currently between ￡34 and ￡64.

What Has Changed with the New Rules?

As of 1st December 2020, there have been some changes to the UK visa police registration process. These changes are as follows:

If you are in the UK on a Tier 2 or Tier 5 visa and your visa was granted on or after 1st December 2020, you will no longer need to register with the police

If you are in the UK on a Tier 4 visa and your visa was granted on or after 1st December 2020, you may be required to register with the police even if your visa says otherwise. You should check your visa vignette to see if it says “police registration not required”

If you need to register with the police, you will no longer receive a paper police registration certificate. Instead, your registration details will be added to your BRP if you have one

If you do not have a BRP, you will be given a letter confirming your police registration instead of a certificate

Conclusion

If you are in the UK on a visa or immigration permission that requires you to register with the police, it is important to do so within seven days of arriving. Although the process may seem daunting, it is a relatively straightforward procedure. With the new rules in place as of 1st December 2020, it is important to check whether you still need to register and what documentation you will receive as proof of registration.