United Kingdom: Police Registration Scheme Abolished

• Police Registration Scheme. The scheme previously required certain foreign nationals to appear in person at a police station and notify police if they changed their address. 
• Redundancy. Foreign nationals applying for UK visas are already required to obtain a biometric residence permit and notify authorities of a change of address online, so the police registration scheme is now redundant.

• No longer required to register. Foreign nationals whose visas state that they are required to register with the police are no longer required to do so. Those who have already registered with the police do not need to take any action.
• Streamlined process. The change will relieve certain foreign nationals of the unnecessary burden of registering in person with the police as they now only have to notify authorities online of their change of address.

The police registration scheme has been a feature of the UK’s immigration system since its inception, requiring all foreign nationals to register their address with the police. Since 2015, almost all non-European foreign nationals moving to the United Kingdom have been required to obtain a biometric residence permit and report changes of address online.

Immigration authorities continue to make changes to the UK immigration system as part of a digitization strategy, including moving applications online, capturing biometric data via smartphones, and beginning in 2023 requiring all visitors to the UK to hold an electronic travel authorization (ETA) before arrival.