Can I use an eVisa share code for a Schengen visa application?

Yes. Proof of lawful UK residence is a standard item in every Schengen file from the UK, and the accepted forms are a BRP, an eVisa share code or the visa in your passport. Generate the code from your UKVI account on gov.uk, print the status page, and bring both with your passport to the centre. The US Embassy in London lists a share code or eVisa as evidence of UK status in the same way.

My BRP has expired. Can I still apply for a Schengen visa?

Yes, if your underlying leave is still valid. The UK has moved from physical BRP cards to a digital eVisa, so an expired card does not mean lost status: your leave lives in your UKVI account and a share code is how you prove it. Check the account shows the status and any expiry you expect, then print the page for your file. If the account shows nothing, sort that out with UKVI before you book.

How long is an eVisa share code valid?

Share codes expire, and our sources do not record the exact period, so read the date shown when you generate the code rather than assuming one. Generate the code close to your appointment, and if the appointment is later than the code's validity, generate a fresh one the day before and reprint the status page.

Do VFS, TLScontact, BLS and GVC accept share codes?

The document lists we rely on name a BRP, an eVisa share code or the visa in your passport as proof of UK residence, without any operator saying it wants one form over another, and our sources record no operator-specific rule. The safe file for every centre is the printed status page, the share code and your passport, plus any physical card you still hold. If your centre's own checklist says more, follow it.

What if the form asks for a residence permit number and expiry date?

An eVisa has no card number and, for indefinite leave, no expiry. On Romania's eViza portal our desk enters the status in words, the share code as the number and the passport expiry as the date, which has been accepted on a live application. Other forms are not covered in our sources, so follow the form's own guidance, describe the status in words where there is none, and never invent an expiry date.

Schengen Visa with a UK eVisa Share Code (2026): BRP Expired?

TL;DR

For a Schengen visa from the UK you must prove you live here lawfully, and since the switch from BRP cards to the eVisa, that proof is a share code. Sign in to your UKVI account on gov.uk, view and prove your status, generate a code, print the status page and bring it with your passport. Codes expire, so generate it close to your appointment. An expired BRP card does not mean lost status.

Why the visa centre needs proof of UK status

Schengen rules let you apply in the country where you lawfully reside, not only your country of nationality. That is why a non-EU national living in the UK applies at a London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Cardiff centre rather than flying home. The centre needs evidence of that residence, and the consulate needs to see that your leave runs beyond the trip; many look for at least three months' validity after your return, because it supports the central point that you will come back.

The accepted forms in the standard document set are a BRP, an eVisa share code, or the visa in your passport. As physical cards are phased out, the share code is what most applicants now bring. The wider guide is Schengen visa with a UK BRP or eVisa.

Schengen short-stay visa key facts, 2026
Schengen short-stay visa (Type C)	2026
Visa fee (adult)	€90
Visa fee (child 6 to 11)	€45
Visa fee (child under 6)	Free
Maximum stay	90 days in any rolling 180-day period
Standard processing	15 calendar days (up to 45 in some cases)
Travel insurance, minimum cover	€30,000
Passport	Issued within 10 years; valid 3+ months beyond your trip
Member states	29 countries

The fee and these rules are set EU-wide and are identical across all 29 member states. Source: European Commission. Verified 2026-06-24.

Go to gov.uk and sign in to your UKVI account.
Select view and prove your immigration status. Check the status, conditions and any expiry shown are what you expect.
Choose to share your status and generate a share code.
Give the code and your date of birth to the visa centre if asked, and print the status page for your file.

Put the printout in the UK-residence section of your bundle, next to the passport pages. The Bundler merges it into one ordered PDF with the rest of the file.

What VFS, TLScontact, BLS and GVC accept

Here we can only tell you what our sources say. The document lists we rely on name a BRP, an eVisa share code or the visa in the passport as proof of UK residence. No operator page in our sources says it wants one form over another, and none records a rule specific to VFS Global, TLScontact, BLS International or GVC World. The three destinations that take applications directly are the same, with one detail: Romania's consulate wants proof of UK residence for non-UK passport holders and wants every supporting document in original and in copy.

So the safe file for every centre is the same:

the printed status page from your UKVI account, generated close to the appointment;
the share code itself, written on the page or ready to read out, with your date of birth;
your passport, which is the document the status is linked to;
any physical BRP or vignette you still hold, even if the card has expired.

If your centre's own checklist asks for more, follow it. Staff check the file at the counter, and an incomplete submission can mean rebooking a slot you fought for.

My BRP has expired: what now?

The UK has moved from physical BRP cards to a digital eVisa. If your card has expired as part of that switch but your underlying leave is still valid, you have not lost anything: your status lives in your online UKVI account, and a share code is how you prove it. Do not treat an expired-looking card as the end of your leave, and do not present it as your only proof either.

Check three things in the account before you book:

The status shown matches your grant (for example indefinite leave to remain, or leave on a Skilled Worker, Student or Spouse route).
Any expiry shown runs well beyond your trip. If your leave ends soon after you return, the consulate may doubt that you will come back, which is the single biggest factor in the decision.
The passport linked to the account is the one you will travel on. If you have renewed your passport, the status page should reflect it.

If the account shows nothing, or the wrong thing, resolve that with UKVI before you look for an appointment. A Schengen file with unclear UK status is refused for weak ties, not returned for correction.

Share codes expire. Our sources do not record the exact validity period, so read the date shown when you generate the code rather than relying on a figure from elsewhere. The practical rule is simple: generate the code close to your appointment, and if the appointment date is later than the code's validity, generate a fresh code the day before and reprint the status page. If the desk is preparing your file, we regenerate the printout when the appointment is fixed so the date on the page matches the visit.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Fix
The form asks for a permit number and expiry and your eVisa has neither	Describe the status in words and use the share code as the reference. On Romania's eViza portal our desk enters "eVisa ILR settled status", the share code and the passport expiry, which has been accepted. Never invent an expiry date.
Your code has expired by the appointment	Generate a new one the day before and reprint the page. The centre needs the page and your date of birth, not a code from last month.
Your leave ends soon after the trip	Strengthen the rest of the ties evidence: employer letter with return date, tenancy, family. If an extension is pending, include the evidence of that too.
The status page shows an old passport	Update the account with UKVI before you apply; the centre will match the passport in front of it.
You only have the expired BRP card	The card alone is not enough. Bring the printed status page and share code as the primary proof, and the card as supporting evidence.
You hold indefinite leave	Read Schengen visa for ILR holders in the UK; ILR changes how you prove status, not whether you need the visa.

Build the file

Your UK status is one line in a document set that also needs a passport valid at least 3 months beyond the trip, insurance with at least 30,000 euros of medical cover, bookings, bank statements and evidence you will return. The full list is in Schengen visa documents from the UK, and the checklist generator tailors it to your trip.

If you would rather hand it over, our desk prepares the whole application for a flat £99 service fee, any country, with the share code printout in the right place and the appointment booked on the operator's official system. The file is ready within 24 hours of your complete documents and details, and the appointment booked within 3 working days of a complete file, or the fee back. Full refund before work starts; you attend biometrics, pay the official fees at the centre, and the consulate decides. Start at the plan step.