Can’t Find Your Visa? You Can Still Rent in England—Here’s How!

If you are not a British or Irish citizen, you must prove your right to rent in England using specific documents. These include passports, travel documents, immigration status documents, and share codes. Your proof must confirm that you have permission to stay in the UK for the time you’ll be renting.

Accepted Documents to Prove Your Right to Rent

You can prove your right to rent with:

A valid passport
A Home Office-issued travel document
An immigration status document (issued when you were granted permission to stay in the UK)

Home Office Endorsement Requirement

Your passport, travel document, or immigration status document must contain a Home Office endorsement, such as:

• A stamp
• A vignette (sticker)

The endorsement must confirm one of the following:

Indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
No time limit on your stay in the UK
A certificate of entitlement to the right of abode
Exemption from immigration control
Limited leave to enter or remain in the UK (must cover your rental period)
A certificate of entitlement to readmission to the UK

Expired Documents

• Your document must usually be current, but an expired passport is acceptable if it confirms:
  • Indefinite leave to remain
  • No time limit on your stay
  • A certificate of entitlement to the right of abode
  • Exemption from immigration control

Share Code for Right to Rent

You can no longer use a physical biometric residence permit (BRP) or biometric residence card (BRC) to prove your right to rent. Instead, you must get a share code.

Who Needs a Share Code?

You need a share code if you have:
A biometric residence permit (BRP)
A biometric residence card (BRC)
A UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account

How to Get a Share Code:

1. Go to the UK Government’s Right to Rent website.
2. Log in with your UKVI account.
3. Generate a 9-character share code.
4. Give the code to your landlord, who will check your status online.

Special Cases for Right to Rent

For Ukrainian Citizens

If you are a Ukrainian citizen, you can prove your right to rent by providing:
A biometric residence permit (BRP)
A UKVI account share code

If you do not have a BRP or UKVI account yet, you can use:
A passport with a Home Office ‘endorsement’ (stamp or vignette sticker)
An entry clearance vignette sticker attached to a ‘Form for Affixing the Visa’ (FAV)

For Settled or Pre-Settled Status Applicants (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man)

If you applied for settled or pre-settled status in these locations:
Show your landlord the confirmation letter or email
Landlords can verify your status with the Home Office

If you applied in Jersey, use the online immigration status checker to get a confirmation letter.

If You Are Waiting for an EU Settlement Scheme Decision

Get a share code to prove your right to rent
If you have a physical certificate of application from the Home Office, show it to your landlord
Your landlord will request a Home Office right to rent check

What If You Don’t Have Your Immigration Documents?

If you don’t have your original immigration documents, you may still be able to:
Get a share code
Use a combination of two other documents
Ask your landlord to request a Home Office right to rent check

If you are a non-British or non-Irish citizen, proving your right to rent in England requires specific documents or a share code. Passports, immigration status documents, and Home Office vignettes can confirm your status. If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) or UKVI account, you must get a share code. Ukrainian citizens, EU Settlement Scheme applicants, and those without original documents have alternative options to prove their right to rent.

FAQ