Wondering which documents to bring when you register at the Overseas Visitors Records Office (OVRO)? Whether you’re visiting for the first time or registering a change in your circumstances, use the checklist below to make sure you bring all the relevant documents.

OVRO document checklist

Ready for your visit to the OVRO? Before you leave home, double-check you’re carrying:

  • your completed registration form
  • one UK passport-sized photo (45mm x 35mm), glued to the form
  • your passport (containing your visa vignette)
  • your biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • £34 registration fee (payable by card or sterling cash. We can now accept payments made by American Express, Diners Club International and through most mobile payment applications such as Apple Pay and Google pay).
  • If you applied for and had your visa granted in the UK to further your leave to remain, you'll need to bring your Home Office grant letter or email as well as your BRP.

If you haven’t collected your biometric residence permit (BRP) from the Post Office by the time you visit the OVRO, that’s OK. We can accept your Home Office letter approving your application for leave.

To learn more about the BRP visit the UK government’s advice pages.

How to complete your form

Please complete the registration form (below) on your computer or mobile device, then print and sign it. Unfortunately, we can't accept one that has been completed or amended by hand.

Step 1. Complete on your computer or mobile device

Fill in the information on the form electronically, not by hand (until you write your signature in Step 3).

The numbers below correspond with the numbered boxes on the form.

1. Surname: This must match the surname in your passport.

2. First name: This must match the first name in your passport.

3. National of: Please enter the country name, not your nationality, for example, 'China', not 'Chinese'.

4. Date of birth: Please use the format Date/Month/Year.

5. Current nationality by: Select one option to describe how you obtained your current nationality.

6. Occupation in the UK: This is your full-time occupation and in line with your visa conditions in the UK.   

7. Place of birth: This should be entered as the country where you were born.

8. Marital status: This has to match your marital status in your country. At the moment ‘Civil Partnership’ only applies to same-sex civil partnerships or marriages. If you’re in the process of being divorced please select ‘Married’ until your divorce has been finalised.

9. Previous non-UK address: This should be your most recent address abroad, even if it’s not in the same country as your birth. If you don’t have an address abroad, please enter the address of a relative or friend.    

10. Passport number: Some passport numbers have letters before the numbers. If yours does, please include them. Place of issue: This is the country in which your passport was issued.

11. Date of arrival in the UK: This should match the stamp in your passport showing the date and port of your most recent arrival following the issue of your visa abroad. It is rectangular and normally displayed next to your Entry Clearance visa. Place of arrival: This should be your port of arrival, for example, Heathrow.

12. Full name and address of university/college/work: Please enter the full name and address of the campus where you are studying, or the office or site where you are working. This is not necessarily the business or university’s main address.

13. UK residential address: Please enter your full home address in the UK, including the postcode. If you’re staying in a hotel temporarily, please give the full name and address.

14. Email address: This can be either a UK or non-UK email address.

15. UK home or mobile number: Enter your UK phone number, if you have one.

Step 2. Print the form

All the fields in the document should now be filled in. When you’re happy that all the details you’ve entered are correct, please print it and complete the remaining steps by hand.

Step 3. Sign your form by hand

Sign: You must sign inside the box. If any part of your signature crosses into or over the grey line we can't accept the form.

Add your photo: Glue (don't use staples or sticky tape) a passport-sized colour photograph to the form.

Please note

To save time and prevent damage to our scanners, please don't bind any of your documents using staples or sticky tape.