Woman stranded in Brazil after airline 'refuses eVisa'

A woman says she was left stranded in Brazil when airline staff refused to let her board her flight home to the UK after refusing to accept her eVisa.

- HOLLY BANCROFT

Maria Juliana Marquez Monsalve, 29, claims staff at Belem International airport told her she needed in-date physical proof of her immigration status to travel rather than an electronic visa.

Millions of people have had their physical immigration documents expire on 31 December 2024 as the Home Office transfers to a digital system. Foreign nationals are now dependent on eVisas, which are linked to their passports, to prove their right to live and work in the UK. However, some travellers have been facing difficulties with foreign airport staff who are unaware of the changes.

The Home Office has introduced a grace period of three months to allow travellers to fly on their expired British Residence Permits (BRP), but Ms Marquez Monsalve says she was not allowed to board her flight on 28 December.

She told The Independent the experience was “horrible”, adding: “I couldn’t breathe, I nearly collapsed.” She says she was forced to spend over £750 on alternative flights back to the UK with a different airline, and that she has so far been denied compensation from the original airline TAP Air.