tourist visa from ukraine to uk

• What is a visa?
• Electronic Visa (eVisa)
• Visa on Arrival
• Appointment Required Visa
• Invitation Letter
• Arrival Card
• Passport Renewal
• Project Kosmos: Meet the man with the world's most challenging travel schedule
• Australia Visa and ETA requirements for US citizens explained
• Brazil eVisa for US citizens
• India Tourist Visa for UK citizens
• Possible B1/B2 Visa questions during the interview

Select Your Language

• Nederlandse
• 中文 (Zhōngwén), 汉语, 漢語

Select Your Currency

• AED United Arab Emirates Dirham
• AFN Afghan Afghani
• ALL Albanian Lek
• AMD Armenian Dram
• ANG Netherlands Antillean Guilder
• AOA Angolan Kwanza
• ARS Argentine Peso
• AUD Australian Dollar
• AWG Aruban Florin
• AZN Azerbaijani Manat
• BAM Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark
• BBD Barbadian Dollar
• BDT Bangladeshi Taka
• BGN Bulgarian Lev
• BIF Burundian Franc
• BMD Bermudan Dollar
• BND Brunei Dollar
• BOB Bolivian Boliviano
• BRL Brazilian Real
• BSD Bahamian Dollar
• BWP Botswanan Pula
• BZD Belize Dollar
• CAD Canadian Dollar
• CDF Congolese Franc
• CHF Swiss Franc
• CLP Chilean Peso
• CNY Chinese Yuan
• COP Colombian Peso
• CRC Costa Rican Colón
• CVE Cape Verdean Escudo
• CZK Czech Republic Koruna
• DJF Djiboutian Franc
• DKK Danish Krone
• DOP Dominican Peso
• DZD Algerian Dinar
• EGP Egyptian Pound
• ETB Ethiopian Birr
• FJD Fijian Dollar
• FKP Falkland Islands Pound
• GBP British Pound Sterling
• GEL Georgian Lari
• GIP Gibraltar Pound
• GMD Gambian Dalasi
• GNF Guinean Franc
• GTQ Guatemalan Quetzal
• GYD Guyanaese Dollar
• HKD Hong Kong Dollar
• HNL Honduran Lempira
• HTG Haitian Gourde
• HUF Hungarian Forint
• IDR Indonesian Rupiah
• ILS Israeli New Sheqel
• INR Indian Rupee
• ISK Icelandic Króna
• JMD Jamaican Dollar
• JPY Japanese Yen
• KES Kenyan Shilling
• KGS Kyrgystani Som
• KHR Cambodian Riel
• KMF Comorian Franc
• KRW South Korean Won
• KYD Cayman Islands Dollar
• KZT Kazakhstani Tenge
• LAK Laotian Kip
• LBP Lebanese Pound
• LKR Sri Lankan Rupee
• LRD Liberian Dollar
• LSL Lesotho Loti
• MAD Moroccan Dirham
• MDL Moldovan Leu
• MGA Malagasy Ariary
• MKD Macedonian Denar
• MNT Mongolian Tugrik
• MOP Macanese Pataca
• MUR Mauritian Rupee
• MVR Maldivian Rufiyaa
• MWK Malawian Kwacha
• MXN Mexican Peso
• MYR Malaysian Ringgit
• MZN Mozambican Metical
• NAD Namibian Dollar
• NGN Nigerian Naira
• NIO Nicaraguan Córdoba
• NOK Norwegian Krone
• NPR Nepalese Rupee
• NZD New Zealand Dollar
• OMR Omani Rial
• PAB Panamanian Balboa
• PEN Peruvian Nuevo Sol
• PGK Papua New Guinean Kina
• PHP Philippine Peso
• PKR Pakistani Rupee
• PLN Polish Zloty
• PYG Paraguayan Guarani
• QAR Qatari Rial
• RON Romanian Leu
• RSD Serbian Dinar
• RUB Russian Ruble
• RWF Rwandan Franc
• SAR Saudi Riyal
• SBD Solomon Islands Dollar
• SCR Seychellois Rupee
• SEK Swedish Krona
• SGD Singapore Dollar
• SHP Saint Helena Pound
• SLL Sierra Leonean Leone
• SOS Somali Shilling
• SRD Surinamese Dollar
• SVC Salvadoran Colón
• SZL Swazi Lilangeni
• THB Thai Baht
• TJS Tajikistani Somoni
• TOP Tongan Pa anga
• TRY Turkish Lira
• TTD Trinidad and Tobago Dollar
• TWD New Taiwan Dollar
• TZS Tanzanian Shilling
• UAH Ukrainian Hryvnia
• UGX Ugandan Shilling
• USD United States Dollar
• UYU Uruguayan Peso
• UZS Uzbekistan Som
• VND Vietnamese Dong
• VUV Vanuatu Vatu
• WST Samoan Tala
• XAF CFA Franc BEAC
• XCD East Caribbean Dollar
• XOF CFA Franc BCEAO
• XPF CFP Franc
• YER Yemeni Rial
• ZAR South African Rand
• ZMW Zambian Kwacha

Apply for and track your visa with our new app!

Download Now

UK Standard Visitor Visa for the citizens of Ukraine

If you're a Ukrainian citizen planning to visit the United Kingdom for tourism, business, or to visit family and friends, the UK Standard Visitor Visa is what you need. This complete guide will walk you through all the essential details, requirements, and procedures to get your visa successfully.

Rely on our handy online platform or the user-friendly iVisa app to get assistance from our iVisa Experts throughout the process, boosting your chances of visa approval.

Let's dive into the options for Ukrainians visiting the United Kingdom!

What is the UK Standard Visitor Visa?

The UK Standard Visitor Visa is designed for tourists traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism, business, and visiting family and friends. You must apply online and attend an appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) or British Embassy in Kyiv, where you'll provide biometric information, submit your documents, and, if necessary, undergo an interview.

If all this seems overwhelming, don't worry! Count on our expert services to guide you through the application process and increase your chances of getting that visa approved.

Do Ukrainian citizens need a Standard Visitor Visa for the United Kingdom?

Yes, if you're a Ukrainian citizen, you'll need a Standard Visitor Visa to enter the United Kingdom for short stays. It allows travelers to embark on various activities in the United Kingdom: tourism, business, visiting loved ones, making stopovers, exchange programs, recreational courses, medical treatments, or volunteering .

The visa application center that processes visitor visa applications on behalf of the UK government reopened in January 2023. This means most Ukrainian passport holders can apply for this visa to visit the country.

Other UK Visas available for Ukrainian citizens

If you're a Ukrainian looking for other visas to the United Kingdom, for example, to join family members or live and work temporarily in the country, the following options are available:

• Ukraine Family Scheme: The Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the United Kingdom. You can live, work, study in the UK, and access public funds under this Ukraine Scheme. Apply for this visa on our simple online platform.

This scheme enables you to stay in the UK if you're a Ukrainian family member of a British citizen, a person with permission to settle or EU-settled or pre-settled status, or a refugee in the United Kingdom.

• Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine): If you don't have family in the UK and want to live and work for up to three years, you can apply for the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme via the UK government website .

If your visa application is approved, you must travel to the VAC in Warsaw with a valid international passport to pick up your visa vignette to enter the country. Once you enter the UK, you'll get a biometric residence permit.

Benefits of a UK Standard Visitor Visa for Ukrainian citizens

The UK Standard Visitor Visa opens up many exciting opportunities for Ukrainian nationals in the UK! Here are some travel purposes this visa covers:

Tourism and leisure: Experience the country's rich history, culture, and tourist attractions.

Business opportunities: Attend business meetings and conferences or explore potential business ventures in the UK.

Family and friends visits: Visit family members or friends residing in the UK, enjoying quality time together for a short period of time.

Enroll in short courses: Enjoy a school exchange program or enroll in a course of up to 30 days, for example, a dance course or to study the English language.

Seek healthcare: Use the extensive medical care facilities available in the UK.

Volunteer work: Do volunteer activities for up to 30 days with a registered charity.

Transit in the UK: Transit at UK airports without the need for additional transit visas.

Remember, you can't work or take long courses in the UK with a Standard Visitor Visa.

Benefits of applying for a UK Standard Visitor Visa with us

We offer some great perks if you choose to apply for the UK Standard Visitor Visa with us:

Best chances of visa approval – Our experts will help you submit a flawless application, boosting your chances of getting your visa approved.

Flexible form completion – No rush! Complete the visa application form at your own pace and take breaks whenever necessary.

Guaranteed appointment scheduling – We'll get that visa appointment sorted without hassle.

Expert agent support – If you have any questions or worries during the application process, our team of iVisa Experts is here to help you.

Real-time order tracking – Easily keep track of your visa application through your iVisa account and stay updated at all times.

UK Visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens

The UK government requires some documents to prove your travel purpose and eligibility. When applying through us, we'll send you a tailored document list with everything you must bring to the visa appointment.

In the next sections, you'll find more info on the documents you need to prove your eligibility.

UK Visitor Visa: Eligibility criteria for Ukrainian citizens

As a Ukrainian citizen, you're eligible for the UK Standard Visitor Visa, but there are some additional requirements you must meet:

Intention to leave the UK: You must show that you plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit.

Financial capability: Prove that you can support yourself and anyone else you're responsible for during your trip. If someone else is funding your journey, you must provide evidence of their financial support.

Return or onward journey: Show that you can pay for your return or onward trip from the UK.

Short-term stay: Your visit should be short-term, and you can't live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits.

UK Standard Visitor Visa: Required documents for citizens from Ukraine

Valid passport – Your valid Ukrainian international passport must have at least six months of validity left beyond your intended stay. Please note that applying with an expired Ukrainian international passport or refugee passport is impossible.

Completed visa application form , which you'll get during the online process.

Proof of finances – There's no specific amount, but you must indicate how much your trip will cost and provide bank statements and financial documents proving you can cover the expenses.

Proof of residence (if applicable) – It could be a green card, a residence permit, or a visa sticker in your passport of the country you're residing in if you aren't applying from Ukraine.

Travel itinerary – A detailed plan of your trip, including the purpose, travel dates, and planned activities in the United Kingdom.

Accommodation details – Show proof of your accommodation arrangements in the UK, such as hotel reservations or an invitation letter from a host.

Proof of employment (if applicable) – For employed applicants, a letter from their employer stating their position, salary, and approved leave for the travel period.

Details of any criminal, civil, or immigration offenses you may have committed.

Remember, you might need additional documents depending on your situation.

How long can Ukrainian citizens stay in the UK with the Standard Visitor Visa?

As a Ukrainian citizen, the UK Visitor Visa lets you stay in the United Kingdom for up to 180 days in total per visit . This visa allows multiple entries and is valid for 180 days after issued .

However, the immigration officer will determine the actual duration of your stay based on your visit purpose and individual situation. For example, if you're seeking medical treatment, you may be allowed to stay in the country for up to 11 months.

Costs and processing times for the UK Standard Visitor Visa in Ukraine

When applying for the UK Standard Visitor Visa with our assistance, the total cost for citizens of Ukraine is USD $433.99 . This includes our service fee of USD $306.99 and the government fee of USD $127.00 .

However, please note that these costs may change over time. For the latest fees, start the application process .

The processing time involves two stages:

iVisa processing time: This stage takes approximately 30 days , during which you'll complete your form, have it reviewed by our iVisa Experts, and we'll schedule a visa appointment in Kyiv.

Government processing time: After the visa appointment, the government usually takes 1 to 3 weeks to process your visa application.

How to apply for the UK Standard Visitor Visa in Ukraine?

Applying for the United Kingdom Standard Visitor Visa with our assistance is a breeze and involves three simple steps:

Step 1: Provide your travel and basic contact details on our website or iVisa App . Double-check the details to avoid errors and pay the visa fees.

Step 2: Complete the UK visa application form and upload the required documents. Our iVisa Experts will review your application and schedule a visa appointment.

Step 3: Attend the visa appointment at the UK Visa Application Center (VAC) or UK Embassy to provide biometric data and undergo the interview. We'll help you find the nearest location, prepare for the interview, and provide tips for a successful appointment.

After your interview, the United Kingdom immigration authorities will need your passport to issue the approved UK Visitor Visa.

Tips for a successful UK Standard Visitor Visa application in Ukraine

Follow these tips to improve your chances of success:

Complete and accurate information: Be careful while completing the visa form to ensure you provide all required information accurately and truthfully.

Supporting documents: Submit all relevant documents to prove your trip's purpose and financial sufficiency.

Travel itinerary: Present a comprehensive travel itinerary outlining the planned activities during your stay in the United Kingdom. Review everything before the interview to explain it confidently to the visa officer.

Ties to Ukraine: Highlight ties to Ukraine, such as family, employment, or property, to demonstrate your intention to return after the visit.

Seek professional guidance: Rely on our iVisa Experts' assistance to ensure all aspects of the application are properly addressed and increase your chances of visa approval.

Common reasons for UK Standard Visitor Visa refusals in Ukraine

Insufficient financial proof: Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of sufficient funds to support your visit.

Lack of genuine intentions: Not convincingly demonstrating the genuine purpose of the visit.

Previous visa violations: A history of violating visa rules or overstaying in any country may negatively impact the UK Visitor Visa application.

Criminal record: If you have a criminal record or previous convictions, you may face visa refusal, especially if your past offenses are severe or raise security concerns.

Where can I find more information about the UK Visitor Visa?

Do you have more questions or concerns regarding the Standard Visitor Visa or other UK visas and immigration details? Contact us via online chat or [email protected] . We're always available to help. Apply now

Related Articles

My experience of London Gatwick Airport: What to expect on arrival

UK Work Visa: Eligibility, Types, and How to Apply

UK ETA for US citizens

Keep up to date with the Big Issue

The leading voice on life, politics, culture and social activism direct to your inbox.

'This war broke our life': Children left stranded in Ukraine without parents due to UK visa changes

Ulyana Trapova can no longer sponsor her children to come to the UK from Ukraine, so they remain in a warzone. She needs a British family to sponsor them or for the Home Office to reverse the changes made to the visa schemes by the Conservative government

Ulyana Travola alongside her husband and children, who are still in Ukraine. Image: Supplied

Ulyana Trapova is woken by her husband calling her in the middle of the night. Russia has invaded Ukraine . They are at war. All she feels is panic. Her husband is away in Poland and she is alone at home with their two children. How will they keep safe? They don’t have a bomb shelter. What will they do for food?

The 39-year-old mother from Drohobych, in the Lviv region of Ukraine, never imagined war would separate her from her children. She has found sanctuary in Scotland and thought she could find a way to bring her children to safety, but they remain in a war zone and she is terrified for their lives.

“This war broke our whole life,” she says. “It separated me from my family. I can’t do without them. They are everything to me. We are one. It is very difficult for me morally and psychologically. I never left them alone. We were always together. We breathed together. We travelled together. I want us to be together and never be apart again.”

• ‘Helpless’ UK residents call for Home Office to help get families out of Gaza: ‘We feel betrayed’
• Ukraine: One mother’s story of how she found herself facing homelessness in the UK

Ukrainian families like Trapova’s have been torn apart by war, but also by “abrupt regressive changes” made to the visa schemes in the UK by the Conservative government . 

A new report by the Work Rights Centre and Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA) has found that “desperate families separated by war have been left unable to reunite” because of the changes. 

It means children are left stranded in Ukraine without their parents and Ukrainian people in the UK are battling with their mental health. Researchers warn that urgent action must be taken to reverse the changes and “prevent further loss of life”.

The war between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate. Ukrainian troops launched a surprise attack across the border into the Russian region of Kursk earlier in August, while Russia continues to grind forward in the east of Ukraine. Death tolls are rising so fast that counters are unable to keep up.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 35,160 civilian casualties during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as of 31 July 2024. This included 23,640 injuries and 11,520 fatalities. But the real figures could be far higher.

Trapova is in tears as she remembers the start of the war. Speaking in Ukrainian with the help of a translator, she describes how she had asked her employer if she could stay home with her son, now 14, and her daughter, 10. 

But she was asked to come to work. When she got there, the facts of the invasion became clear and they were sent home with salary paid in advance. She tried to buy groceries but people were in panic, grabbing all the food they could.

After she and her husband lost their jobs following the invasion, they worried about how they would survive financially as well as having to navigate a war zone. Then a friend told her about the visa schemes in the UK. She applied for visas for herself and her children through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme with the Scottish government as their sponsor.

But only she was given approval as her children’s passports were expired. Due to financial pressures and the hope that she would have a better chance of bringing her children to safety if she was in the UK, she decided to take the visa opportunity and arrived in Scotland in September 2022.

“I have to live somehow,” Trapova says. “The children want to eat every day, and I dared to take this step, to come here. This step was the most difficult in my life – to leave the family that I never left, the children, without whom I cannot imagine my life.”

Trapova has lived in emergency shared accommodation for Ukrainians and has secured a job with income to provide for her family, but changes in sponsorship rules mean that she is unable to bring her son and daughter over to be with her.

These changes, announced by the last government in February without any public consultation and almost immediate effect, made Ukrainians ineligible to sponsor their family under the Homes For Ukraine Scheme.

The government also ended the Ukraine Family Scheme and announced the closure of the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

It means that Trapova can only bring her children over if a British person acts as their sponsor, but that is challenging when she speaks little English.

Around 80% of Ukrainians surveyed by the Work Rights Centre and ILPA are finding it difficult or very difficult to find a sponsor. 

“It’s getting harder,” Trapova says, “knowing that they’re in Ukraine, in danger. There are all these air sirens signalling there is danger. I am worried all the time, constantly. There are lots of issues in Ukraine. There is no electricity. No water. Recently, there have been three attacks on my city, which is very hard, knowing that my family is still there.”

Trapova is terrified that her husband will be called into the army and there will be no one to look after their children in Ukraine. In March 2025, her emergency accommodation is due to come to an end and she will be homeless.

The last government claimed that Ukraine is “no longer in an active migration crisis” but researchers argue that the need for sanctuary remains urgent and widespread. As many as 87% of survey respondents needed sanctuary for themselves or a family member.

Labour had pledged to review the Ukraine visa schemes once in power. Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, the chief executive of the Work Rights Centre , says “they must make good on that promise to prevent further loss of life, and undo the damage inflicted by the Conservative government”. 

“It is cruelly absurd that a parent cannot sponsor their own child,” Vicol adds. “I ask Keir Starmer whether his government is one that prioritises bringing down immigration numbers at any cost, or reuniting families in crisis?”

Among Ukrainians in the UK, 93% say that being separated from their family is impacting their mental health, and 42% say it is impacting their ability to integrate.

Nadiia Yashan, immigration advisor at the Work Rights Centre who also still has family in Ukraine, says: “Parents are being separated from children, being separated from partners, from elderly parents. It has a huge impact on their mental health.

“Being separated from a family is not easy, especially as it has a human cause. Most of these Ukrainian nationals are separated because of the war and, because of the changes to the Ukraine schemes, they are unable to reunite.”

Yashan was trying to get her mother over from Ukraine when the visa changes happened. She had to find accommodation with a spare room to meet the rules of the scheme – but by the time she found a place she could afford, she could no longer sponsor her mother. She has space for her to live and can take care of her, but her mother is not allowed to come.

“I’m worried all the time and I feel guilty,” Yashan says. “Maybe I should have done it sooner. But it’s not easy. Finding accommodation takes time. I just feel these changes to the Ukraine schemes with no notice made it impossible for Ukrainians to manage the situation properly.”

The Work Rights Centre and ILPA are calling on the government to reverse the visa scheme changes, so that Ukrainians living in the UK can act as sponsors for other Ukrainians, and for the Ukraine Family Scheme to be reinstated to reunite families.

The Home Office denied to comment but is expected to review the Ukraine visa schemes in “due course”.

Zoe Bantleman, legal director at the IPLA, says: “The abrupt regressive changes to the Ukraine Schemes, which decimated available safe routes, show none of the generosity of humanitarian spirit of which we are told the UK should be proud.

“Instead, desperate families separated by war have been left unable to reunite. Ukrainians in the UK without settled status have been left unable to share in the hosting of their compatriots to reduce homelessness. Individuals here on the Ukraine Schemes have been left in a precarious state.”

Yashan adds: “I don’t say that there are no options allowed for Ukrainians, but they’re very limited, and making it almost impossible for people to get safety while there is war ongoing.”

Find out more about how to act as a sponsor for a Ukrainian family here.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this?  Get in touch and tell us more .  Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.  To support our work buy a copy of the magazine  or get the app from the  App Store  or  Google Play .

• Asylum seekers
• environment and community
• Ukraine war

Subscribe to your local Big Issue vendor

Recommended for you

Elderly people's lives in danger without winter fuel payment, Labour warned: 'This is a mistake'

Single mum with disabled children told to pay DWP back £17,000 in benefit overpayments

How a replica Chinese restaurant is changing the narrative on migration after UK riots

No update on future of household support fund until autumn budget, DWP minister says

Most popular.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

European visa waiver: when must I apply for an Etias and how will travel from the UK work

Extra red tape due to brexit will likely to be mandatory for travel from the uk to the schengen area from november 2025, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK

Sign up to our brexit email for the latest insight, thanks for signing up to the brexit and beyond email.

British travellers to the European Union and wider Schengen Area will need to apply in advance for an online permit to visit from November 2025, according to current plans in Brussels.

EU officials have confirmed that the much delayed “ entry-exit system ” will take effect on 10 November 2024. From that date, every UK traveller entering the Schengen Area must, in theory at least, be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric. (The requirement will not apply to British visitors to Ireland and Cyprus, which are in the European Union but outside Schengen.)

Six months later after EES takes effect – ie in May 2025 according the latest plan – the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System ( Etias ) will launch. But for at least another six months the Etias will be optional.

What is Etias?

British travellers and those from all other “third-country visa-free nationals” (as the UK chose to become after Brexit ) will need provide information in advance so that frontier officials know more about them on arrival – and to identify people who the EU wants to keep out.

Etias, the next step in tightening frontier controls, is a online permit system that is similar to the US Esta scheme (but cheaper at €7/£6 and valid for longer: three years, or until the passport reaches three months to expiry, whichever comes first).

“UK nationals are required to have a valid Etias travel authorisation if they travel to any of the European countries requiring Etias for a short-term stay (90 days in any 180-day period),” says the EU.

“Its key function is to verify if a third-country national meets entry requirements before travelling to the Schengen Area.” The zone covers almost all of the EU (apart from Ireland and Cyprus) plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

When will I need one?

The European Union says: “Starting in the first half of 2025, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorisation to enter most European countries.”

That sounds ominous for British travellers to Europe in summer 2025. But fortunately “required” is not accurate in that statement.

The EU also says: “The launch of Etias in mid-2025 will be followed by a transitional period of at least six months. This means that, for travel during this time, travellers should already apply for their Etias travel authorisation, but those without one will not be refused entry as long as they fulfil all remaining entry conditions.”

Those conditions are basically the existing requirements for passport validity:

• Issued no more than 10 years earlier on the day of entry to the European Union.
• Valid for at least three months on the intended day of departure from the EU.

So it will not be mandatory for prospective UK visitors to apply online for permission to enter the Schengen Area until November 2025 at the earliest.

Even then, once the “transitional period” is over, a further “grace period” of at least six months will apply on a one-time only basis to British travellers who turn up without an Etias.

The European Union says: “There is an exception: only those coming to Europe for the first time since the end of the transitional period will be allowed to enter without an Etias provided they fulfil all remaining entry conditions.

“All other travellers will be refused entry if they do not hold an Etias travel authorisation.”

The grace period will last at least six months.

This detail is exhausting. Can you provide a quick timeline?

10 November 2024 (confirmed): EU entry-exit system comes into effect, requiring British passport holders to be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric on entry to the European Union and wider Schengen Area (but not Ireland or Cyprus).

May 2025 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Etias online permit becomes available, with a transitional period of at least six months during which Etias is optional.

November 2025 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Etias transitional period ends. Grace period begins, giving travellers without an Etias a one-time only pass.

May 2026 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Grace period ends; all British passport holders must have an Etias.

How will I apply?

At the heart of the system is an Etias website . An app will follow (any apps that currently purport to be official EU Etias apps are imposters).

Travellers will be required to submit personal information including name, address, contact details in Europe and passport data. They must also state an occupation (with job title and employer). Students must give the name of their educational establishment.

The applicant must give details of any serious convictions in the past 20 years.

Travellers must also provide the reason for their journey (holiday, business, visiting family, etc), specify the Schengen Area country they will first arrive in, and provide the address of their first night’s stay – which will pose a problem for tourists who like to make plans as they go along.

It is likely that for subsequent journeys the traveller will not be expected to update the information.

The fee is €7 (£6) for all applicants aged 18 to 70. While those under 18 or over 70 will still need to apply for and hold an Etias, they need not pay.

What happens to the information?

Every application will be checked against EU and relevant Interpol databases, as well as “a dedicated Etias watch-list”.

The system will be tuned to pick out individuals suspected of being involved in terrorism, armed robbery, child pornography, fraud, money laundering, cybercrime, people smuggling, trafficking in endangered animal species, counterfeiting and industrial espionage.

In a case of mistaken identity, will I be able to appeal?

Yes. If you are suspected of one or more of the above offences, but in fact have led a blameless life, you will be allowed to argue your case. Details of how to appeal will be included with the notice of rejection.

How far in advance must I apply?

The aim is for an Etias to be granted in most circumstances within minutes, though even a straightforward application could take up to four days.

If an application is flagged (ie there is a “hit” with one of the databases) the prospective visitor may be asked to provide additional information. Alternatively, says the EU, the applicant may be asked “to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days”.

The European Union says: “We strongly advise you to obtain the Etias travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels.”

If I get an Etias, must I print anything out?

No. The frontier guard will get all the information they need from the passport you used to apply for your Etias.

Will my Etias be checked before departure to the EU?

Yes. Most British travellers to Europe will have their Etias status checked by the airline, as currently happens with travel to the US (Esta), Canada (eTA) and many other countries.

Airlines are obliged to ensure passenger comply with the immigration rules of the destination. A couple of them made a complete mess of it when the post-Brexit passport regime took effect, and invented their own rules .

To try to avoid a repeat, I have written to the airlines’ representative body to try to ensure that they are fully aware of the “optional” nature of Etias during the transitional and grace periods before it becomes mandatory.

For subsequent trips, must I amend the online information about the purpose where I am staying?

My understanding is that information on where you are going and staying, and the reason for your trip. is needed only at the application stage. The form should be completed with reference to your first journey.

As with the US Esta, after you have been admitted once and returned home you should be able to enter again without updating such information online.

Is Etias a visa?

This answer to this common question depends on your interpretation of semantics. Officially, it is exactly the opposite of a visa. Europe says that Etias is “a pre-travel authorisation system for visa-exempt travellers”. It is a similar concept to the US Esta and Canadian eTA, which are not technically visas.

But Etias requires visitors to:

• Apply in advance
• Provide substantial personal information
• Be issued with a permit to cross a border.

So I contend it amounts to a normal person’s understanding of a visa.

Once I have an Etias, am I guaranteed admission to the Schengen Area?

No. “Mere possession of a travel authorisation does not confer an automatic right of entry,” says the EU. As with the US, travellers can be turned away for any reason, with the Etias permission rescinded.

Must I apply for an Etias every time I travel to Europe?

No. The permit will be valid for three years, or until your passport reaches three months before expiry, whichever is the earlier. (Note also that British passports must not be over 10 years old on the day of entry to the European Union .)

Will I need an Etias to travel to Ireland?

No. Ireland is not in the Schengen Area, and the Common Travel Area – incorporating the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands – transcends European Union rules.

If I have a long-stay permit from one of the EU nations, must I obtain an Etias?

How are people without internet access supposed to apply.

They will be expected to get a friend, a family member or a travel agent to make the application for them, in the same way as the US Esta and similar schemes.

Just remind us about the 90/180 day rule?

This rule, to which the UK asked to be subject after leaving the European Union, means that British travellers cannot stay more than 90 days in any stretch of 180 days.

As an example of what it means: if you were to spend the first 90 days of 2025 (January, February and almost all of March) in the Schengen area, you would not be able to return until late June.

Is the UK being punished because of Brexit?

No. Work on strengthening the European Union’s external border was already under way before the UK referendum on membership in June 2016. Initially British officials participated in plans for the entry-exit system.

Neither the EES nor Etias would be relevant if the UK was still in the EU. But the nation voted to leave the European Union and the UK government negotiated for British travellers to be classified as third-country nationals – triggering extra red tape.

Will Etias be the next online scam?

Yes. As with other online travel permits, commercial intermediaries are allowed.

But according to Frontex – the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which is implementing Etias – there are many scam sites out there that are likely to apply fees way above the basic €7 (£6).

Any site other than europa.eu/etias is unofficial and should not be trusted. One “imposter” site claims to have processed 671 applications already; this is impossible since no applications have been processed anywhere.

Another site offers a 40 per cent discount for early applications. Some use the EU logo, which is illegal.

Frontex also warns about the risk of identity theft if personal information is provided to imposter sites.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

Sat 31 Aug 2024

2024 newspaper of the year

@ Contact us

Your newsletters

Brits to get six months notice of new €7 EU visa or be turned away at check-in

European commission confirms 'transitional period' of six months will apply to etias - where travellers will be notified of the visa but not charged.

The European Union has confirmed that British travellers will be given a transition and grace period for a new €7 visa waiver requirement that could mean charges are delayed until 2026.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) visa waiver is on course to launch in spring 2025, Brussels has confirmed, and from then, British passport-holders will not be able to travel to 30 countries in the bloc without it.

Once the Etias scheme is up and running, travellers risk being turned away at airports and ports if they do not hold a valid visa waiver.

Etias will launch six months after the delayed EES – the Entry/Exit System for travel to Europe – which the EU has confirmed will launch on 10 November.

While the EU says that “most applications will be processed within minutes”, it advises that the turnaround time is likely to take up to 96 hours, meaning that travellers who have failed to apply in time risk being turned away at check-in.

Those who need to travel urgently – for example, to visit sick friends or relatives – may also find that they need to wait for their Etias to be approved.

Following concerns from industry insiders about the realistic workings of the Etias next spring, a spokesperson for the European Commission told i that once it starts operating, a “transitional period” of six months will apply, where travellers will be notified of the visa – but not charged.

“During this transitional period, member states will have to inform passengers of the requirement for them to have a valid travel authorisation as from the end of the transitional period,” the spokesperson said.

Public information required now to soften Etias blow

At the end of the transitional period, there will be a further six-month “grace period” where Britons will need to pay for the visa waiver – but an exception may be made if it is their first time of entering the EU after the transitional period ends.

“Travellers will be exceptionally allowed to enter without the Etias only the first time after the end of the transitional period, if the person holds a travel document and fulfils the entry conditions,” the spokesperson said.

Passengers unable to apply online for the Etias will be able to submit applications through a third party. That means a relative or a travel agency could apply on someone’s behalf.

For more information about the incoming travel requirements, the Commission suggests visiting the official Etias website .

Which countries won’t require the Etias when it comes into force?

While the majority of nations in Europe will require the Etias for entry after the grace period has ended, there are some exceptions.

All 27 EU members and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland will require the visa waiver but nations outside of the bloc won’t – for now, anyway.

Albania , Andorra, Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina are among those where British people will still be able to visit in a post-Etias world.

Ireland is part of the Common Travel Area with the UK, which means it’s likely not to adopt any visa waiver scheme for Brits any time soon.

North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Ukraine are all outside of the Etias requirement zone, too, so travel there will be simpler.

For a number of these countries, though, it’s wise to keep an eye on their EU membership status.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia , and Ukraine are all currently states recognised as candidates for membership of the bloc, meaning requirements for entry may change with little notice as and when they are accepted by the EU.

If you’re travelling to the Vatican in the centre of Rome, you won’t technically require a visa but be careful on this destination. To get to Vatican City, you’ll need to pass through Italy, where the Etias will be required.

Most Read By Subscribers

Yes, you will need a 'visa' to visit Europe in 2025: What to know about ETIAS

Editor's Note

Come 2025, Americans and Brits will be required to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System and pay a small fee to visit Europe's Schengen Area.

Although sometimes referred to as a "visa," this is actually just an online application and preauthorization. It will be much easier and much less expensive to obtain than a traditional travel visa.

ETIAS is set to launch sometime around May 2025, though the launch date has been pushed back many times (most recently from 2024); it could be bumped again. In fact, the region has discussed instituting the program since 2016.

The new program will require travelers from countries outside Europe's Schengen Area to fill out an application before arrival and pay a fee of 7 euros (about $8) to enter any European Union or Schengen Area country.

Prior to ETIAS' launch, the EU will roll out its long-delayed "Entry/Exit System" on Nov. 10, 2024. The new program will apply to travelers to the Schengen Area and require them to provide fingerprint and facial biometric data.

The EES will not be in operation for visitors to Ireland and Cyprus; although those destinations are in the EU, they fall outside the Schengen Area.

What does this mean for future trips to Europe? Here's everything you need to know about the new ETIAS program.

What is ETIAS?

ETIAS is a visa-waiver program similar to the current Electronic System for Travel Authorization used for European visitors in the U.S.

The form will act as a preauthorization system to allow travelers from 60 countries outside the Schengen Area , including the U.K. and the U.S., to enter the region for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a full visa.

ETIAS will cross-check visitor information with government databases and watchlists before issuing authorization to enter. The information collected will also be used in data tracking for business and tourism purposes.

"We need to know who is crossing our borders," Jean-Claude Juncker, former European Commission president, said last year. "This way, we will know who is traveling to Europe before they even get here."

Is ETIAS a visa?

ETIAS is not a traditional European visa and will only require a seemingly quick online application.

Travelers will fill out an online form with basic personal information, travel plans and history, then answer a few security questions. The authorities promise that most applicants will be approved within an hour. However, if your application is flagged, it could take up to four days.

Which countries will require ETIAS?

Quite a few nations will require ETIAS approval. They include full Schengen members that previously didn't require any authorization for Americans, such as Spain, France and Italy.

Also included are European Free Trade Association nations like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

Several future Schengen member nations, including Bulgaria and Cyprus, and smaller territories like Andorra and Monaco will also require ETIAS.

Here is the full list of countries that will require ETIAS:

• Czech Republic
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Vatican City

Do US and UK citizens need to apply for ETIAS?

American citizens (as well as those from the U.K. and the 62 other non-EU countries not currently required to apply for visas) will need ETIAS authorization to enter the EU for visits of up to 90 days. This includes transit passengers.

If you have applied separately for a visa to enter Europe, you will not need to complete the ETIAS application.

When will I need to apply for the ETIAS visa?

The ETIAS is widely expected to launch around May 2025. "Starting in the first half of 2025, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorisation to enter most European countries," the EU said.

However, the launch may not happen along this exact timeline and could even be staggered. The EU has said that the ETIAS launch will be followed by a transitional period of around six months. Within this period, travelers should apply for the visa; it's unlikely you will be refused entry to a country during your travels as long as you also fulfill other entry conditions.

These conditions include having a passport issued no more than 10 years before the date you enter the EU and with a validity of at least three months on the day you depart from the EU.

How much will ETIAS cost?

ETIAS will cost 7 euros (about $8) for a three-year permit that allows "third-country nationals" to enter the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Only visitors between 18 and 70 years old will need to pay the application fee, but travelers of all ages will need ETIAS authorization to enter.

How do you apply for ETIAS?

Before traveling, you must access the ETIAS online application to input passport information, name, date and place of birth, email address, phone number, and a credit or debit card to submit the payment fee.

You'll also need to provide your destination and answer a few background and profile questions. The ETIAS website indicates the form should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Travelers will be asked to provide details of health, education and criminal convictions.

Here is what you'll be required to fill out, according to the visa information website :

• Identifying information (including your first name, last name, last name at birth, date of birth and place of birth).
• Information regarding your citizenship.
• Email and phone number.
• Education and work experience.
• First EU country you intend to visit.
• Background and eligibility questions about your medical condition, travel to war countries or places where you were deported or rejected, as well as criminal records.
• For minors, the legal guardian must apply for ETIAS.
• For family members of EU citizens from other countries, you must submit proof of relationship, residence card and other background information.

How long will the approval process take?

Approval for most applicants should take a matter of minutes. However, if an item is flagged in the application, a manual review will occur. The applicant can correct the improper information or appeal a denial decision. It's recommended to apply for the ETIAS well before your travel date — especially during its initial rollout when processes are getting ironed out.

How long does ETIAS last, and will you need to apply for each Europe trip?

Once approved, your ETIAS will be valid for up to three years and can be used on multiple trips. You won't be required to apply for a new ETIAS each time you travel to Europe unless it's been more than three years since your last visit.

After three years have passed, you will be required to apply for a new ETIAS.

Is there a renewal process?

When your ETIAS is coming up to its expiration date, you should receive an email to the address you registered during your application.

You can apply for a new ETIAS authorization up to 120 days before the expiration of your current ETIAS.

How will your personal data be stored?

The European Commission has attempted to soften privacy fears by insisting that ETIAS is not a visa and includes a far less intrusive application process.

"There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure," the European Commission said .

Bottom line

Fortunately, Americans and Brits planning to visit Europe don't need to take any immediate action. Still, they should be aware that ETIAS is due to launch next year.

Be prepared to go through one more step and pay one more fee in the travel process as part of the ETIAS implementation sometime in 2025. Stay tuned to TPG for further developments related to this program.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status

UK visa Schemes for Ukrainian Refugees

Nothing in this page should be taken as immigration advice, we are merely summarising and signposting links to official documentation. You must seek your own guidance from professional advisors where necessary .

As a Ukrainian fleeing the war in Ukraine, you need a visa to come to the UK. There are basically 3 Ukraine specific visa schemes that were created at the start of the war:

• Homes for Ukraine Visa scheme which allows individuals in the UK (known as ‘sponsors’ or ‘hosts’) to provide a home to Ukrainians (as of 19th February 2024, this scheme is for 18 months only)
• Ukraine Family Visa scheme for Ukrainians whose relatives already have the right to remain in the UK on a permanent basis (as of 19th February 2024, this scheme is now CLOSED )
• Ukraine Extension Visa scheme , whereby Ukrainians who already had valid visas on certain dates, or were already in the UK, could apply to have their visas effectively extended (this scheme closed on 16th May 2024 except for children born in the UK )

On this page, we provide an overview of the schemes, as well as other visa options. There is more detailed information on each scheme on the Government website pages, which we advise you to read carefully.

When you are ready to apply for the visa, have a look at Applying For A Visa for a description of the process and what documents to have ready before you start.

On this page

• Ukraine immigration rule changes from 19th February 2024

Common aspects of the Ukraine Family, Extension and Homes for Ukraine schemes

Your official immigration status under the schemes, uk visas and immigration ukraine helpline.

• Ukraine Family Visa scheme – CLOSED
• Ukraine Extension Visa scheme – CLOSED
• Homes for Ukraine (Sponsorship) Visa scheme – OPEN

Host requirements and ‘thank you’ payments

Difference between a ‘sponsor’ and a ‘host’.

• Council checks on sponsors
• How to find a sponsor, or a refugee to sponsor

Unaccompanied Ukrainian children

Differences between family / extension and homes for ukraine (sponsorship) visas, what if you don’t need a sponsor for accommodation, only a visa.

• Applying for an 18 month visa extension under Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

Other available visa options

Where to get help with visa and immigration questions.

Ukraine immigration rule changes announced on 19th February 2024

Some significant changes were announced on this date:

• From late 2024 / early 2025, those who had arrived in the UK under Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family or Ukraine Extension schemes and had 3 years leave to remain in the UK can start to apply to extend this by another 18 months under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme . This scheme will be open for you to apply to 3 months before your original visa end date.
• The Ukraine Family visa scheme was CLOSED to new applications
• The Ukraine Extension scheme closed on 16th May 2024 (except for children born in the UK to Ukraine visa holders )
• The criteria to be a sponsor under Homes for Ukraine were tightened
• The length of time granted to remain in the UK under Homes for Ukraine for new applicants is reduced from 3 years to 18 months. However, this can be extended by another 18 months as well by applying to the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
• Prior visa refusals and criminal convictions will likely now result in visa application rejections

These rules came into effect immediately at 3 pm on 19th February, 2024 for new applications.

A common question is what happens if you applied before these changes came into effect – will your application be assessed against the old or new rules? In this published Government document , it would be the old rules as in effect on 18th February 2024.

There are some common aspects to the schemes:

• Visa applicants under all 3 schemes would have been subject to background security checks during the application process.
• You did not have to be in Ukraine at the time of application; you could apply from a country of safety that you have reached. You needed to be in the UK already to apply for the Extension scheme.
• All 3 schemes allow the possibility to stay in the UK for a fixed time period. Having a Biometric Residence Permit (or BRP) gives you permission to stay for the full time period.
• All 3 schemes were completely FREE to apply for at all stages, including applying for the BRP
• All 3 schemes allow you to live, work, rent and study from day 1 in the UK; you also have ‘recourse to public funds’ such as the UK Benefits System from day 1.
• Once you have been issued a visa, it’s not possible to switch from Family / Extension scheme to Homes for Ukraine scheme, and vice versa.
• You can apply for an 18 month extension to your existing 3 year leave to remain from late 2024 / early 2025 under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (not open yet)
• None of the schemes are currently routes to settlement in the UK

It’s really important to note that if you arrive under these schemes, you are NOT officially:

• An asylum seeker
• Under humanitarian protection

Although we (sorry to say) refer to ‘refugees’ throughout this website to describe the fact that you are fleeing a war and seeking refuge, and you’ll be referred to like this almost everywhere, you are here under some kind of temporary protection only. Bear this in mind when trying to fill in forms that were designed for other kinds of refugees, and haven’t been properly updated for the Ukrainian situation.

To speak to someone about the different schemes, you can call the following number: +44 808 164 8810 , Monday to Friday 9 am to 4.45 pm. Calls are free to this number.

Note that they cannot tell you about the status of an individual visa application and how long it will take.

Ukraine Family Visa Scheme – CLOSED 19th February 2024

The Ukraine Family visa scheme is now CLOSED to new applications as of 19th February 2024. We will keep our description of the previous process for a little while, for your reference.

To have applied to the Ukraine Family Scheme before 19th February, 2024, you needed to have been:

• applying to join or accompany your UK-based family member
• Ukrainian, or the family member of a Ukrainian national who was applying to the scheme to join a UK-based immediate family member
• living in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022 (even if you had since left Ukraine)

Your family member in the UK needed to have been:

• a British national
• someone settled in the UK – for example, they had indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• someone from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who had  pre-settled status  under the EU Settlement Scheme and started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
• someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

Ukraine Extension Visa Scheme

The Ukraine Extension visa scheme is basically designed to allow people who were granted permission to be in the UK via other routes to switch to this visa scheme instead, if it is more beneficial for them.

You could apply for the Ukraine Extension Scheme if you were Ukrainian or the close family member of a Ukrainian, and if one of the following was true:

• You held permission to be in the UK on or between 18 March 2022 and 16 November 2023 – the permission did not need to cover the whole period
• You previously held permission to be in the UK and that permission expired on or after 1 January 2022

You needed to be in the UK to apply. Your permission to stay in the UK must have been valid on the 16th November 2023 in order to be eligible to apply and you had until 16th May 2024 to apply.

Note that the Ukraine Extension visa scheme is now only open for children born in the UK to Ukrainian visa holders, and is the CORRECT way to regularise their immigration status. See Births and Marriages .

Homes for Ukraine (Sponsorship) Visa Scheme – OPEN

The Homes for Ukraine (or Ukraine Sponsorship) Visa scheme is described here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme . It is basically designed to allow people to come to the UK and have the ‘safety net’ of a minimum of 6 months rent-free accommodation with a UK-based sponsor, so that they can establish themselves to get jobs and rent their own place.

To be eligible for the Homes for Ukraine scheme, you must be Ukrainian, or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who has been granted permission under, or is applying to and qualifies for, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

You must also:

• have been residing in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022 (including those who have now left Ukraine)
• be outside of the UK
• have an eligible UK-based sponsor

The criteria to be eligible to be a sponsor are given here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-sponsor-guidance . The criteria to be a sponsor were tightened considerably on 19th February, 2024. Now, to be a sponsor, you must either:

• be a British or Irish citizen, or
• be ‘settled in the UK’ (which means having the right to live in the UK permanently)

In addition, you must:

• be able to provide suitable accommodation for a minimum of 6 months
• pass relevant security and background checks, which will include all adults in the households

This means that it is no longer possible to act as a sponsor yourself to bring over family members and relatives if you are here in the UK on one of the Ukraine visa schemes, as these only give you limited leave to remain in the UK.

Also note that from 19th February 2024, the maximum initial time you will receive to remain in the UK under this visa scheme will be 18 months. However, this can be extended by another 18 months eventually by applying for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme , giving you a total time of 3 years in the UK.

There is no end date for this visa scheme at the moment – it is OPEN for new applications.

As a guest, you will receive £200 from the local council on arrival, to help you with immediate purchases you need to make.

Further guidance and FAQs can be found here (as well as throughout this website!):

• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-sponsor-guidance

As a host, you can request to receive a ‘thank you’ payment for hosting Ukrainians under this scheme.

• The ‘thank you’ payment is £350 a month for the first 12 months of the guest’s time in the UK
• It goes up to £500 a month for the next 2 years of the guest’s time in the UK (up to a total of 3 years).
• However, for new applicants from 19th February 2024, the host ‘thank you’ payments will last for 18 months in total, in line with the guest’s initial visa duration.
• It is conditional on passing the council checks – DBS background check and suitable accommodation
• It is optional – you have to tell your local council you want to receive the payments
• It is per host household, so it’s the same whether you host 1 or several guests
• The ‘thank you’ payment follows the guest, so if they move to another host in their second year, the new host gets £500 a month ‘thank you’ payment, not £350. See Moving To Another Sponsor .

Note that in Wales, hosts can receive £500 a month ‘thank you’ payment for the first 12 months as well, and that some local councils are themselves offering increased ‘thank you’ payments compared to the Government guidance as an incentive to hosts.

If hosts want to claim the ‘thank you’ payment, they must not charge rent under this scheme, nor ask for work to be done in exchange for accommodation. Hosts may ask for a reasonable contribution to utility bills; this is entirely their decision, some hosts feel that their ‘thank you’ payment can cover any increased bills, and other hosts would prefer a separate contribution. Hosts are not required to pay for their guest’s food or other expenses, although some hosts choose to help out.

The accommodation requirements are the same as the law would require to avoid overcrowding. Individuals who didn’t previously know each other should not be given the same room. Rooms should be heated, safe, and private. There should be access to a kitchen and bathroom, and the accommodation needs to have a working fire alarm, safe gas supply, carbon monoxide detectors if applicable etc.

Guests should also note that the £350 ‘thank you’ payment is typically much lower than the true rental cost a host could charge if they wanted to rent out their spare accommodation instead.

The sponsor is the person who is named on the Homes for Ukraine visa application, whereas the host is the person who provides the accommodation.

Usually, these are the same person to begin with, but it’s possible to move to a new host after arriving in the UK. The new host does not need to meet the same eligibility criteria as the sponsor – they can be a Ukraine visa holder for example. This means that after you arrive in the UK, you can then move to live with relatives already here, and they can be your official host / receive the ‘thank you’ payments.

Council checks on hosts and sponsors

Whilst the Home Office is responsible for carrying out security checks on the guest, before making a decision about their visa, the local council where the sponsor lives is responsible for carrying out the following checks:

• Making sure the accommodation is suitable and safe for guests (this will be done by a physical visit)
• Performing background checks on all adults in the sponsor’s or host’s household (this will include extra checks known as Enhanced DBS checks if children are being hosted)

These checks are not synchronised with the visa application, so it is possible that the visa is granted to the guest, but the sponsor checks have not been completed . As a guest, from a practical perspective, it would be better to get out of a danger zone as soon as you can. If you personally know the sponsor and their accommodation, or have some mutual contacts, the risk of them failing any assessment should be very low. We know many people who started living with their sponsors before the council had managed to carry out their checks, and the data indicates that the overall sponsor failure is low in comparison.

The ‘thank you’ payments are only authorised to be paid to a sponsor or host once the local council have conducted their checks.

See Housing Issues And Homelessness for what to do in case of issues.

How to find a sponsor or host, or a refugee to sponsor or host

We have given some options on how to find a sponsor or host, on this page: Finding a UK Sponsor . Equally, if you would like to find a Ukrainian refugee to sponsor or host, that page will help you understand where you can register or advertise to be found. We also include some thoughts on checking whether you are a good match for each other.

Stay away from scams where you are charged money to get a fake visa with fake ‘sponsors’. See visa scams .

For Ukrainians who would like to get their children to safety but who cannot leave Ukraine themselves, they have the option to ask someone they know who is based in the UK to be a sponsor.

There are more extensive checks and paperwork required to minimise the risk of trafficking, for example:

• The parent or legal guardian has to provide two different proofs of consent to the sponsorship arrangement
• The proposed sponsor must have known the parent or legal guardian before the conflict started on 24 February 2022
• The proposed sponsor must be able to live in the UK and sponsor for 3 years, or until the child turns 18 (but for a minimum of 6 months regardless)
• The local council must agree to the arrangement
• Enhanced DBS checks will be carried out on the adults in the sponsor household, before the visa is approved and the child can arrive in the UK

See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme under the section called ‘Children who are not applying to travel with or join their parent or legal guardian’.

See also https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-parents-or-legal-guardians-children-and-minors-applying-without-parents and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-sponsors-children-and-minors-applying-without-parents-or-legal-guardians for more information on what’s involved in this type of sponsorship.

Compared to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Family visa and Extension schemes had the following disadvantages:

• The Government does not give the local council any funding for a Family visa or Extension visa member, whereas for a Homes for Ukraine guest, councils receive several thousand pounds funding per individual
• The guest does not get a minimum of 6 months’ rent-free living with a host
• The guest does not get a £200 welcome payment on arrival
• The host does not get £350 a month ‘thank you’ payment to help with costs
• If the host is on benefits or receive concessions, these may be negatively impacted. For example, if you are a single occupant in your house, and are eligible for the single occupancy council tax 25% discount, you will lose this advantage should Family visa or Extension visa members move in with you, whereas it is not affected by Homes for Ukraine visa holders moving in.

Generally, there is better support in the system for Homes for Ukraine visa holders and their hosts. We have seen for example, cases where relatives who received Family visas did not feel able to use them to come to the UK because there was nowhere for them to actually stay on arrival.

We are aware that people may be advertising that, for a significant sum of money, they can get you a Homes for Ukraine visa. In fact, scammers and fraudsters are coming up with new ways to convince you to give them money for ‘sponsors’.

See Ukraine Visa Scams for more information, and stay safe; don’t be a victim.

This is becoming a common question, as there is a lack of genuine new sponsors. We would ask you to consider the following:

• Are you really sure you don’t need accommodation on arrival and can rent straight away? See Renting Privately .
• Is there another visa type that could be more appropriate?

Applying for an 18 month extension under Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

For those Ukraine visa holders already in the UK under Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family or Ukraine Extension visa schemes, the Government announced in February 2024 that they would be eligible to apply for a further 18 month extension under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme .

This scheme is not yet open. The application process is expected to be available in late 2024 / early 2025, around 3 months before the first issued visas are due to expire. More details will be available nearer the time. You will be able to apply to this scheme 3 months before your original visa expires. Note that you need to explicitly apply for this additional time; your visa will not be automatically extended beyond the initial visa duration.

Such an extension would enable university students for example, to complete a university course started some months after they first arrived.

Do not confuse this with the Ukraine Extension visa scheme , which is closing on 16th May 2024.

For a full list of visa options available to Ukrainians, please see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-family-members-of-british-nationals-in-ukraine-and-ukrainian-nationals-in-ukraine-and-the-uk .

We assume that other visa options that existed before the invasion such as work, study and seasonal worker visas, continue to operate and can be applied for. You can check your eligiblity for these here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa .

Note that if you apply under a student visa, you will be charged overseas student fees and not be eligible for a student loan (see Education ), so this is more difficult from a financial perspective.

If you are already in the UK as a Ukrainian national, refer to this page for your options; you may be able to extend your existing visa in some cases, or switch it: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukrainian-nationals-in-the-uk-visa-support .

• The charity Settled may be able to help: https://settled.org.uk/ukraine/

Stay Informed & Support Us

Sign up to stay informed about important updates and see how you can help us to support more people

Privacy Overview

trending now in World News

Israeli forces wipe out Hamas commander in full-blown military...

Billionaire's wife didn't want to leave site of sunken Sicily...

Cruise passengers stranded in Ireland for three months after...

South African farmer, employees accused of feeding women to pigs...

Mom mauled by dogs while pushing baby in stroller: 'Blood...

Houthi terrorists film themselves blowing up hijacked Greek oil...

Toronto’s 1st black female police superintendent demoted after...

Disturbing details emerge after man pours scalding hot coffee on...

Uk and ukraine urging america for approval of storm shadow missile strikes in russia: reports.

Leaders in the United Kingdom and Ukraine are urging American officials to allow Kyiv to carry out direct attacks on Russian soil with the powerful British Storm Shadow missiles, according to multiple reports.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is allegedly taking a “consultative approach” in pushing the US to team up with Britain to allow precise strikes in Russia with Storm Shadows, according to the Telegraph.

For the attacks to be successful, the missiles need the aid of American intelligence and reconnaissance, as well as other “classified” systems to circumvent Russian jamming, one source familiar with the talks told the Financial Times .

The Biden administration has maintained that Ukraine must only use long-range weapons to defend itself against Moscow, forbidding strikes deep inside Russia’s territory.

Ukraine is calling on the US to lift such restrictions and allow the Storm Shadow to be used more offensively, touting the missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles, as one of its most successful tools in the war.

The weapons made headlines last year when they reportedly “liquidated” Russian Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov when he was stationed in an occupied Ukrainian city.

They were also used to take out Russian ships and naval facilities in Crimea that same year, one of the first major deep strikes against the Kremlin.

Russia had previously tried to downplay the effectiveness of the Storm Shadow, claiming the missile hasn’t caused any “critical” damage to the Kremlin’s forces.

While Starmer and UK officials are vouching for the use of the Storm Shadows, sources told the Telegram that the politicians are aiming for a more diplomatic approach after US and British officials butted heads under the previous Tory government’s approach to arming Kyiv.

Start and end your day informed with our newsletters

Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories

Thanks for signing up!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Never miss a story.

The US has urged its NATO ally to take a more conservative approach to approving long-range attacks into Russia over fears that the war will escalate and drag the allies directly into the combat.

Amid the tension, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call to lift the restrictions on Tuesday following a massive missile and drone barrage fired by Moscow that killed at least four people and caused major damage to the nation’s energy grid.

“There cannot be long-range restrictions in Ukraine, when terrorists do not have such restrictions,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “America, Britain, France, other partners have the power to help us stop terror.”

Advertisement

Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy sacks air force chief; girl among six killed in Russian bomb attack that hit Kharkiv playground

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed the country's air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk after claims an F-16 pilot was killed by friendly fire. Six people have died, including a 14-year-old girl on a playground, in a Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv, officials say.

Friday 30 August 2024 21:50, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Zelenskyy sacks Ukraine's air force commander
• Decision comes after MP claimed F-16 pilot was killed by friendly fire
• Girl among six killed with dozens injured in strike on Kharkiv
• Russia accused of war crimes over guided bomb attack that hit playground
• Women killed in strike on Sumy region that hit baby food packaging factory
• Putin to visit International Criminal Court member Mongolia
• Analysis: Why Putin's arrest in Mongolia is unlikely
• Battlefield situation: Latest frontlines in maps
• Watch: Who are Ukraine's secret resistance?
• Your questions answered: Strategic consequences for Ukraine if Pokrovsk falls
• Reporting by Bhvishya Patel , and earlier by  Mark Wyatt

We'll be back with more updates and analysis soon, but before we go, here's a recap of the key developments that took place today:

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sacked Ukraine's air force commander, days after a pilot died when an F-16 jet crashed
• Six people have died and at least 55 others hurt following a Russian guided bomb attack on the city of Kharkiv;
• Two women died and 11 people were injured by an attack which struck a factory in Sumy that manufactures packaging for baby food, juices and household products;
• The Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin plans to visit Mongolia - a member of the International Criminal Court which has an issued an arrest warrant for him;
• The Ukrainian pilot killed when his F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday was shot down by Ukraine's own anti-aircraft missile system, an MP has claimed;
• Mr Zelenskyy said today's attack on Kharkiv could have been avoided if Ukraine had permission to strike Russian military targets with Western weapons;
• The EU rebuffed a request from Kyiv for the bloc to train Ukrainian soldiers inside the war-torn country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk.

The sacking was announced on Friday in a presidential decree. 

There was no immediate explanation from Mr Zelenskyy for his decision but it comes days after a Ukrainian pilot was killed when his F-16 jet crashed on Monday.

Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Mes was killed while defending Ukraine's skies in a Western-donated warplane.

Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezuhla has claimed the jet was shot down by the country's own anti-aircraft missile system.

In response to Ms Bezuhla before his sacking, Lieutenant General Oleshchuk said her comments were a "tool to discredit the top military leadership".

"Mariana, the time will come when you will apologise to the entire army for what you have done, I hope in court!", he added.

Six people are now known to have died following the Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv, local authorities have said.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said one child was killed in a playground and three people were killed in a 12-storey apartment block that caught fire as a result of the strike.

The Ukrainian authorities did not give the circumstances in which the two other people died in the strikes, which hit four areas of the city. 

As well as those people who died, at least 55 others were injured, officials said. 

About 20 of the injured were in severe condition, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Top Ukrainian officials have begun a visit to Washington, the Ukrainian presidential office has said. 

The delegation includes economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko and defence minister Rustem Umerov.

"We are working in Washington... We are grateful to our partners for their support," the president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Telegram .

The visit comes amid Volodymyr Zelenskyy's renewed a call on Western allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to attack Russian military air bases.

Kyiv says that the most effective way to counter Russian strikes is to target Russian planes, not the bombs themselves.

The US ambassador to Ukraine has called on Russia to be "held accountable for these war crimes" in Kharkiv. 

In a statement on X, Bridget A Brink said "Russia struck an apartment building in Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb, killing several and injuring many, including children".

Kharkiv has been the focus of heavy Russian bombing throughout the war, although there had been a drop in intensity in recent weeks, possibly related to a surprise invasion launched by Ukrainian forces into Russia's Kursk region.

Ukrainian authorities said today's attack involved five aerial guided bombs launched from planes in Russia's Belgorod region, also known as "glide bombs" which are fitted with a navigation system taking them to their targets.

The footage below shows the aftermath of the attack in Kharkiv.

The EU has rebuffed a request from Kyiv for the bloc to train Ukrainian soldiers inside the war-torn country, but will train them as close as possible to Ukrainian territory, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said. 

The EU has trained some 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers inside the economic union's borders since Russia's invasion of the country and will aim to train 15,000 more by the end of the year, Mr Borrell said.

Kyiv has asked the EU to consider some training inside Ukraine, arguing this would be faster, more cost-effective, and logistically easier than inside the EU.

But multiple EU countries are reluctant to deploy troops inside Ukraine, expressing concerns about their safety and questioning whether such a move would divert Ukrainian forces from their core mission, in order to protect trainers.

Mr Borrell told reporters: "Some member states were ready, others reluctant.

"Finally, we decided that the training will be as close as possible to Ukraine, but not in Ukrainian territory."

Ukraine has urged Mongolia to arrest Vladimir Putin on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant when he visits next week.

The court issued an arrest warrant in March of last year against Mr Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. 

The Kremlin has dismissed the accusation, saying it is politically motivated.

The warrant obliges the court's 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest Mr Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. 

Now, the Ukrainian foreign ministry has called on the ICC to arrest the Russian leader when he visits Mongolia on 3 September. 

"We call on the Mongolian authorities to comply with the mandatory international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in the Hague," the ministry said on Telegram.

Asked earlier today whether Moscow was concerned that Mongolia was a member of the ICC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "No, no worries about this. We have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia."

Asked whether there had been discussions with Mongolian authorities about the ICC warrant, Mr Peskov added: "Obviously the visit, all of the aspects of the visit have been thoroughly discussed."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he held a meeting with the top military commanders of Ukraine this afternoon.

The president said that three key issues were discussed, starting with the situation on the frontlines.

Kursk invasion

Ukraine's top commander says Kyiv's forces have advanced up to 2km in their invasion of Russia's Kursk region.

Oleksandr Syrskyi briefed Mr Zelenskyy via video link and said Ukrainian forces took control of 5sq km of Russian territory. 

Discussions were also had over the next set of reinforcements in the area, which Mr Zelenskyy said was "extremely important for strengthening our positions".

General Syrskyi also briefed the president on the ongoing fighting near Pokrovsk, which Ukraine is trying desperately to hold in the face of advancing Russian troops.

Preparing for new academic year

The meeting also covered how Ukraine will deal with the new academic year for schoolchildren, which starts next week.

Mr Zelenskyy heard reports from Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, internal affairs minister Ihor Klymenko and education and science minister Oksen Lisovyi.

The president said discussions covered security issues, as well as the construction of bomb shelters.

Energy problems

The third key issue addressed was the current state of Ukraine's energy grid following a week of heavy Russian strikes.

Mr Zelenskyy heard analysis of energy issues, including the potential construction of protective structures around key energy infrastructure.

Images are emerging of the aftermath of today's attack on Kharkiv.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and wounded in its strikes during its invasion.

The scenes come as Volodymyr Zelenskyy renews a call on Western allies to allow long-range attacks on Russian military air bases after the attack.

The number of people killed in a Russian strike on Kharkiv has risen to five.

Meanwhile, 40 people have been injured after the Russian missile hit a residential building and playground, according to the regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Earlier, we reported that a 14-year-old girl was among the dead.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Home Office

Why do people come to the UK? To work

Published 22 August 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2024/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-work

Back to ‘Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2024’ contents page .

Data relates to the year ending June 2024 and all comparisons are with the year ending June 2023 (unless indicated otherwise). All data includes dependants, unless indicated otherwise.

1. Work-related visas

Between 2009 and 2019 the number of work visas granted were relatively stable. The COVID-19 pandemic restricted global travel throughout 2020 and parts of 2021, leading to a temporary fall in visa grants. On 31 January 2020 the UK left the European Union ( EU ) and following a ‘transition period’, which came to an end on 31 December 2020, made a number of changes to the UK Immigration system and at the same time ended freedom of movement between the UK and EU countries. These various changes led to a change in immigration for work.

There were 286,382 visas granted to main applicants in all work categories in the year ending June 2024, 11% fewer than the previous year, but more than double (+109%) 2019 levels.

Since the beginning of 2021, there has been an increase in the number of work visas granted, with ‘Health and Care Worker’ visa numbers in particular growing sharply between year ending September 2022 and year ending September 2023, following the expansion of the route in February 2022 to boost the social care workforce. The growth in this route was accompanied by a large increase in the number of work-related dependant visas granted, with the majority of all work dependants (62%) over the latest 3 years being on the ‘Health and Care Worker’ visa.

In December 2023, the Home Office announced a set of policy changes , impacting who can apply for work visas, which came into effect at various points in 2024. The number of ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas issued to main applicants has fallen in the most recent quarter – down 81% between April and June 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. Dependant visas have also fallen by 66% over the same period.

Other skilled work routes and ‘Temporary Worker’ visas also increased from 2021, but their numbers have levelled off in the last 2 years.

Figure 1: Work visas granted to main applicants between the year ending June 2014 and the year ending June 2024

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

• The ‘Worker’ visa line divides after 2021 (denoted by the dashed lines), when the ‘Health and Care’ visa was introduced alongside other skilled work. Prior to this, the ‘Worker’ category is comprised of visas under the previous ‘Tier 2’ points-based system.

1.1 Health and Care Workers, other skilled work routes, and their family members

There were 89,095 ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas granted to main applicants in the year ending June 2024, a 26% decrease compared to the previous year.

The increase in ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas in the 2 years between 2021 and 2023 (as shown in Figure 1 ), was due to more care workers and home carers coming to the UK, which peaked at 88,814 in the year ending December 2023. However, the number of care workers and home carers issued visas have fallen since the latter part of 2023. The fall in applications and grants towards the end of 2023 is likely due to more scrutiny applied by the Home Office to employers in the health and social care sector, and compliance activity taken against employers of migrant workers, as well as the recent policy measures affecting care workers introduced in March and April of this year. The number of grants for ‘Health and Care Worker’ main applicants fell by 81% to 6,564 grants between April and June 2024, compared with the same period in 2023 when there were 35,470 grants.

The number of grants to main applicants on other routes in the ‘Worker’ category (which includes ‘Skilled Worker’ visas) has increased by 79% since 2021, but in the latest year has fallen by 3%.

Figure 2: Visas granted to dependants of work visa holders by visa route, between the year ending June 2019 and the year ending June 2024

• The ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas were introduced in 2020 and together replaced the ‘Tier 2 – General’ visa.

Figure 2 shows that the introduction of the ‘Health and Care’ and ‘Skilled Worker’ routes contributed to a large overall increase in visas issued to work dependants, from 53,260 in year ending June 2019 to 260,392 in year ending June 2024, with Health and Care’ dependants alone accounting for 69% of all work dependants in the latest year.

In the year ending June 2024, visas issued to dependants on the ‘Health and Care’ route were higher than visas issued to main applicants, with approximately 2 dependants per main applicant. By contrast, those on ‘Skilled Worker’ visas brought less than one dependant per main applicant. However, the number of ‘Health and Care’ dependants in the second quarter of 2024 was 15,198, 68% lower than the first quarter of 2024. This decrease in grants is likely influenced by falls in grants to main applicants since the third quarter of 2023, and the recent policy change for care worker dependants .

1.2 Temporary workers

The number of ‘Temporary Worker’ visas granted to main applicants in the year ending June 2024 was 77,419. This is slightly higher (+3%) than the previous year but almost double (+90%) the number in the year ending June 2019 (40,702), due to the growth in the ‘Seasonal Worker’ visa route.

In the year ending June 2024, 44% of ‘Temporary Worker’ visas granted to main applicants were for seasonal work, 31% were under the ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’ and the remaining 25% were for other temporary work.

Figure 3: ‘Temporary Worker’ visas granted to main applicants between the year ending June 2019 and the year ending June 2024

Figure 3 shows grants of ‘Seasonal Worker’ visas in the year ending June 2024 increased by 5% to 34,332 compared with the previous year. The ‘Seasonal Worker’ route was launched in March 2019 with the number of visas that could be granted limited to 2,500 per year. The annual quota has since increased to 47,000 for 2024, which partly explains the overall growth in ‘Temporary Worker’ visas issued over the last few years.

Whilst ‘Seasonal Worker’ visas have grown slightly in the latest year, the nationalities of applicants have changed. Central Asian nationalities (such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) have together grown by 23% to 26,230 and represent three-quarters (76%) of grants in the latest year. Ukrainian nationals, in contrast have fallen by 62% to 1,208, following the start of the war in Ukraine and the launch of the Ukraine visa schemes in 2022.

The number of ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’ visas issued increased by 6% to 24,091 in the year ending June 2024 compared with the previous year. The rise in Youth Mobility since the year ending June 2021 could reflect a bounce-back for the scheme which was heavily impacted by travel restrictions during the pandemic, but recent numbers also include the addition of the India Young Professionals Scheme , which held its first ballot in February 2023. The route has a quota of 3,000 places each year, and in the year ending June 2024, there were 2,234 grants to Indian nationals under this scheme.

2. Work-related extensions

In the year ending June 2024, grants of an extension into work routes for main applicants increased by 38% compared to the previous year, to 378,732, primarily driven by extensions in the ‘Health and Care Worker’, ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Graduate’ work routes.

Analysis from the Migrant journey: 2023 report shows that of those arriving on work routes in 2018, 38% still held valid or indefinite leave 5 years later. This suggests most workers do not remain in the UK indefinitely, although this percentage has increased, from 23% for workers arriving in 2012.

The proportion who remain and are granted indefinite leave varies by route, and is considerably higher in the ‘Investor, business development and talent’ visa category where 77% of main applicants held valid leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain after 5 years. ‘Temporary Workers’ by the nature of their visa are less likely to stay long term, needing to obtain a new type of visa to do so, and only 14% who arrived on a temporary worker visa still held leave 5 years later.

2.1 Graduate route

The Graduate route was introduced on 1 July 2021 and allows students who have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course to stay in the UK for a period after their studies to work or look for work.

A total of 147,051 Graduate route extensions were granted to main applicants in the year ending June 2024, 49% higher than in the year ending June 2023 (98,396). The Graduate route accounted for 39% of extensions to main applicants into the Work category.

There were also 49,721 grants to dependants on the Graduate route in the year ending June 2024, which was more than twice the number compared to the previous year (21,411).

In the year ending June 2024, Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the Graduate route (67,529), representing almost half (46%) of grants of Graduate route extensions to main applicants.

Around a third (32%) of students who came to the end of their studies in 2023 switched to the Graduate route (source: Analysis of migrants use of the Graduate route ).

3. Other related data

The Home Office publishes the number of ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Health and Care Worker’ visa applications by month in the Monthly monitoring of entry clearance visa applications publication.

The Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) publish long-term international migration estimates . These are statistics under development that estimate the number of people immigrating to and emigrating from the UK for 12 months or more.

According to the Labour Force Survey statistics from April to June 2024, published in the ONS Labour market overview, UK: August 2024 release , the number of non-UK nationals working in the UK has increased by 179,000 (+4%) in the past year to 4.47 million. There were an estimated 2.35 million non- EU nationals working in the UK, 214,000 higher (+10%) than a year earlier and an estimated 2.12 million EU nationals working in the UK, 35,000 lower (-2%) than a year earlier.

3.1 Sponsorship licensing for work and study

At the end of June 2024, there were 102,167 organisations and institutions registered as licensed sponsors for work and study.

Home Office management information indicates that there were 11,620 decisions on applications for sponsor licences between April to June 2024, 27% more than in April to June 2023 (9,153). Of these, 8,098 licenses were granted, and 3,522 applications were not granted (including both applications withdrawn and those rejected).

This data also shows that there were 50,488 decisions made in the year ending June 2024, compared to 32,791 in the year ending June 2023. Of these decisions, 38,235 licences were granted (51% higher than the year before), and 12,253 were not granted (including both applications withdrawn and those rejected).

4. About these statistics

The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK for work reasons. Further information and definitions can be found in the user guide .

Entry clearance visas allow an individual to enter and stay in the UK within the period for which the visa is valid. Data in this section refers to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for work reasons within the period. If an individual was granted a visa more than once in a given period, this has been counted as multiple grants in the statistics.

Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. These fluctuations can be examined in the quarterly data in the published tables. Year ending comparisons will also include impacts resulting from the travel restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Extensions of temporary stay in the UK relate to individuals inside the UK extending or changing the status of their right to stay in the UK. An individual is required to apply for an extension or change in status before their existing permission to enter or stay in the UK expires.

The statistics in this chapter show the number of grants and refusals on applications for extension of temporary stay in the UK. One individual may have made multiple applications for an extension, so may account for multiple decisions. Data in this section includes dependants and takes account of the outcomes of reconsiderations and appeals.

We have temporarily paused publication of the ‘Sponsored work visas by occupation and industry’ datasets, with the latest available data currently up to the end of March 2024. For applications in sponsored work visa routes, the Home Office has to use the latest Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) framework, which is a common classification of jobs in the UK (for example, care workers or cyber security professionals) overseen by the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ). The pause is to allow us to investigate the differences between the old and new ONS frameworks and apply the new structure to Home Office sponsorship data. The intention is for this to enable us to produce comparable figures pre and post-change, and allow for future reporting that preserves the integrity and consistency of the analysis.

5. Data tables

Data on immigration for work can be found in the following tables:

Sponsorship summary tables

Detailed sponsorship datasets

Detailed occupation datasets

Entry clearance visas summary tables

Detailed entry clearance visas datasets

Admissions summary tables

Extensions summary tables

Detailed extensions datasets

Migrant journey: 2023 report

We welcome your feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions for the development of this report, please provide feedback by emailing [email protected] . Please include the words ‘PUBLICATION FEEDBACK’ in the subject of your email.

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems or have any feedback relating to accessibility, please email us.

See section 6 of the ‘ About this release ’ section for more details.

Is this page useful?

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

UK Visitor Visa from India: Everything You Need to Know

Last Update: 27-08-2024

Aditya Jain

United Kingdom

Excited about going to the UK, but overwhelmed with the visa process? We feel you. This comprehensive blog tells you everything you need to know to obtain your UK visitor visa from India.

From essential documentation to in-depth application procedure, visa fees, validity, practical tips and more, we’ll cover all the details. Our objective is to make your journey to the UK stress-free.

⚡Quick Summary

Do I Need a UK Visitor Visa from India?

Yes, as an Indian citizen, you typically need a UK visitor visa to enter the UK for tourism or short stays. UK standard visitor visa allows you to visit the UK for up to 6 months. Ensure you apply at least 3 months in advance and meet all the requirements for a successful application.

Table of Contents

Uk visitor visa overview, eligibility requirements for uk standard visitor visa, documents required for uk visitor visa.

• How to Apply for a UK Tourist Visa?

UK Visitor Visa Validity

UK Visitor Visa Fees from India

Uk visitor visa processing time, uk visitor visa extension process for indians, reasons for uk visitor visa rejections.

As a Standard Visitor, you can visit the UK for various purposes, including tourism, business, short-term study (up to 6 months), and other permitted activities. Generally, you can stay in the UK for up to 6 months. In specific situations, such as seeking medical treatment, you may apply to extend your stay.

Permitted Activities

As a Standard Visitor, you can:

• Tourism : Visit the UK for holidays or vacations.
• Family and Friends : See family or friends.
• Volunteering : Volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
• Transit : Pass through the UK on your way to another country.
• Business : Engage in certain business activities like meetings or interviews.
• Permitted Paid Engagements : Participate in paid activities as an expert, such as giving lectures or performing.
• Recreational Courses : Take part in a recreational course lasting up to 30 days, like a dance course.
• Study : Study, do a placement, or take an exam.
• Medical : Visit the UK for medical reasons.

Prohibited Activities

You cannot:

• Work : Perform paid or unpaid work unless it’s a permitted paid engagement or event.
• Claim Public Funds : Access public benefits or support.
• Long-Term Stay : Live in the UK for extended periods through frequent visits.
• Marriage or Civil Partnership : Marry or register a civil partnership; apply for a Marriage Visitor visa instead.

To qualify for a Standard Visitor visa, you must:

• Valid Passport : Have a passport or travel document valid for your entire stay.
• Evidence of Departure : Show you will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
• Financial Support : Demonstrate that you can support yourself and any dependants during your stay or have financial backing from someone else.
• Return Journey : Prove you can pay for your return or onward journey, or have someone else funding it.
• No Long-Term Residence : Ensure you are not using the UK for long-term residence through frequent visits.

Additional requirements may apply if you are visiting for study, academic purposes, permitted paid engagements, or medical reasons.

Following are the documents required for UK visitor visa from India:

UK visitor visa document checklist

How to apply for uk visitor visa from india, apply for a uk visitor visa through vfs global.

Step 1: Research on Your Visa Type: Begin by finding the right visa for your trip and ensuring you meet all UK visitor visa requirements. Learn about the documents required, processing time, and fees. If your documents aren't in English, consider translating them first.

Step 2: Get Your Documents Ready: Make sure you have all the documents needed for a Netherlands visa. Keep reading ahead for a complete checklist.

Step 3: Apply for Your UK Tourist Visa: Head to the UK Visas and Immigration website to apply for your visa.

Step 4: Pay Your Fees: You'll be required to pay a visa fee upon application submission. Once you have paid your UK visa fees, you will be given a reference number that starts with GWF.  This number will be helpful if you need to make changes to your visa application or appointment.

Step 5: Book an Appointment at a VFS Visa Application Centre: Upon completion of your visa application form and payment of the visa fee, you will be directed to the VFS Global website to book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre, so your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) can be recorded.

Step 6: Upload Your Documents: Digitally submit all the documents required for your UK visit visa application. You can scan your documents at the Visa Application Centre with their Document Scanning Assistance option. An additional fee applies for this service.

Step 7: Visit the Visa Application Centre: Attend your appointment at the Visa Application Centre to submit your biometrics and get your photograph clicked. Take your valid passport with at least one page that is blank on both sides. Children under 16 years old need to be accompanied by an adult.

Step 8: Get Your Visa: Once a decision is made on your application, you can collect your documents from the Visa Application Centre or have them delivered to you for an extra fee. Please do not attend the Visa Application Centre until you have been contacted to do so. To collect your documents in person; bring the receipt issued by the Visa Application Centre and a valid Government identification card.

Locations for UK Visitor Visa Application in India

Apply UK Visitor Visa from India through Teleport

Teleport makes applying for a UK visa straightforward and stress-free. Follow these steps for a smooth application process:

• Start Your UK Visa Application: Go to Teleport's UK visa application page and select 'Start Application.'
• Enter Basic Information and Make Payment: Provide your basic information like passport details. Teleport allows you to either automatically populate your data or enter it by hand. Opt to pay the visa fee either in full or partially upfront.
• Collect Your Documents: A Teleport Relationship Manager will guide you through collecting all necessary UK visit visa documents. 
• Appointment Booking: Your Relationship Manager will schedule a UK visa appointment at the visa application centre on your behalf.. He/she will also upload all the documents on the UK embassy website.
• Visit the Visa Application Centre: Visit the visa centre with your passport, appointment confirmation letter and a checklist of all documents required for UK visa application. Submit your biometrics. Your Relationship Manager will be available to guide you throughout the process.

This UK visitor visa fee is non-refundable and subject to change. Additional fees may apply depending on factors such as foreign exchange fluctuations, courier delivery charges (if availed), etc. Following are the UK visitor visa cost based on different visa types:

The UK visitor visa processing time can be around 3 to 5 weeks after an appointment with the embassy. To avoid last-minute hassles, start your UK visit visa application process up to 3 months before your intended travel date.

You may be able to extend your stay if you have permission to be in the UK for less than 6 months. You can extend your stay up to a total of 6 months. For instance, if you've already spent 4 months in the UK, you're eligible to apply for a 2-month extension.

You can apply to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months if you're a patient receiving medical treatment. You need to apply while you’re still in the UK and before your current visa expires.

When applying for a UK visa, knowing what could potentially lead to denial is crucial for strengthening your application and boosting the likelihood of getting approved. Here are some important considerations:

• Lack of Proper Documentation: All UK visit visa or tourist visa documents you submit must be authentic, complete, and satisfactory. Submitting incorrect or misleading information can cause your application to be rejected immediately and may lead to potential bans on future applications.
• Lack of Funds: Inadequate proof of financial stability and inability to cover the cost of your stay can lead to rejection. Maintain a minimum bank balance for UK tourist visa of around INR 3,00,000 per applicant.
• Weak Ties to India: UK authorities may question your intentions to return to India, if you cannot demonstrate strong ties, such as family, property, or employment in India, and, hence, may reject your visa application.
• Questionable Travel Record: A history of overstaying visas in other countries could be seen as a red flag, suggesting a risk of not adhering to UK’s visa regulations.
• Intentions Under Scrutiny: Not being able to convincingly explain the reason for your visit and its consistency with your planned activities might arouse suspicion. For example, expressing plans to work on a visa that doesn't allow employment could result in denial.

Learn more about UK visas

Teleport UK Visa Application page

UK Standard Visa Application Form

About UK Standard Visitor Visa

UK Visa Application Centre List

VFS Global for UK Visa

UK Transit Visa

UK Visa Processing Time

Securing UK visas can pose challenges. Through this blog, we aim to simplify the process of obtaining a UK tourist visa for Indians. Should you have any questions, \reach out to us on 073148 52914 or drop us a message on WhatsApp . 

Opt to apply with Teleport for a no-fuss UK tourist visa from India. Our user-friendly platform simplifies the entire process so you have one less worry thing to worry about - your visa!

Safe travels!

To get a UK Standard Visitor visa for tourism, you must fill out an application form online, submit the required fee and supporting documents and attend an appointment at a VFS visa application centre.

For a UK tourist visa, it is recommended to have a minimum bank balance of at least INR 3,00,000 when applying from India. This amount helps demonstrate your financial ability to cover the costs of your trip, including accommodation, travel, and daily expenses. It's important to show consistent financial stability over several months rather than a sudden large deposit.

The UK visit visa cost are as follows:

• Visa with 6 months validity: Embassy Fees: ₹ 12,527
• Visa with 2 years validity: Embassy Fees: ₹ 47,057
• Visa with 5 years validity: Embassy Fees: ₹ 83,983
• Visa with 10 years validity: Embassy Fees: ₹ 1,04,897

No, the UK Standard visitor visa does not allow for dependents to accompany the primary visa holder.

No, travel insurance is not mandatory for obtaining a UK tourist or UK business visa . However, we strongly recommend it. Having travel insurance provides financial protection in case of unforeseen circumstances such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost luggage, or other travel-related issues.

No, you cannot visit other countries in the Schengen Area with a UK Standard Visitor Visa. The UK Standard Visitor Visa only allows you to visit the United Kingdom for tourism or leisure. It does not grant you access to other. countries in the Schengen Area

Yes, a 3-month bank statement showing a balance of at least INR 3,00,000 is generally considered sufficient for a UK tourist visa. It is important to ensure that the bank statement is clear of any inappropriate transactions and demonstrates consistent financial stability to support your trip.

The processing time for a UK visitor visa from India is typically around 3 weeks. However, it is advisable to apply well in advance of your intended travel date to account for any potential delays.

Read more about visas