UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-28)

Guidance on support available to Ukrainian nationals and their family members.

You must not travel to the UK before you have submitted an entry clearance application and received permission from the Home Office.

Apply to come to the UK

Ukraine Family Scheme

The Ukraine Family Scheme closed at 3pm on 19 February 2024. You can no longer apply under this scheme. You will still receive a decision if you had applied before it closed.

If you were previously eligible for the Ukraine Family Scheme, you may be eligible to apply to the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme

The scheme enables people to sponsor Ukrainians and their family members to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

If your application is successful, you will be able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.

Read more information about applying to the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme).

Find out how people can record their interest in becoming a sponsor (https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine).

Other visas you may apply for

You may be eligible to make an application under other immigration routes.

Check which visas are available (https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa).

Proving your identity and providing your documents

You’ll need to book an appointment to have your photo and fingerprints (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre (https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre) as part of your application.

Children under 5 will not have their fingerprints taken but will still need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to have their photo taken.

At your appointment, you’ll need to prove your identity with a valid international passport.

Where you do not have a valid international passport, you may use either:
- a recently expired international passport
- a valid or recently expired Ukrainian national identity card
- a combination of official documents which states your identity and nationality – for example, a photo driving licence and birth certificate
- an emergency certificate issued by a Ukrainian authority since March 2022
For more information, including opening hours and appointment booking, visit the VFS website (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ukr/en/gbr).

Travelling with a permission to travel letter

If you did not use the ‘UK Immigration: ID check’ app or attend a visa application centre, you may have been issued with a permission to travel letter to allow you to travel to the UK.

Permission to travel letters are no longer valid and cannot be used for travel or entry to the UK.

You must not travel to the UK before you have submitted an application and received permission to travel from the Home Office.

If you attempt to travel or enter the UK with a permission to travel letter, you may be refused entry to the UK and removed.

If you have been issued a permission to travel letter and still wish to come to the UK under the Ukraine schemes, you will need to make a new application to the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

If you are in the UK and have not applied to stay

If you did not use the ‘UK immigration: ID check’ app or if you did not attend a visa application centre but were granted a permission to travel letter, you had to apply to provide your biometric information within 6 months of arriving in the UK. You would then have been able to stay in the UK for up to 3 years.

If you travelled to the UK using a permission to travel letter and did not apply to stay in the UK before 9:00am UK time on 13 August 2025, you cannot apply to stay in the UK under the Ukraine schemes. You can find out how to get immigration advice (https://www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser) on GOV.UK.

If you are in the UK and have applied to stay

If you applied to stay in the UK before 9:00am UK time on 13 August 2025 under the Ukraine schemes, your application will be processed. You will be invited to provide your fingerprints and a photograph (known as biometric information) at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) point.

If you’re already in the UK on a visa

If you’re Ukrainian you may be able to stay longer. You can apply:
- to extend your current visa
- to switch to a different visa
Biometric residence permit

If you have previously been issued a Ukraine Scheme visa you may have been issued a biometric residence permit (BRP).

If you have a BRP, please ensure you keep hold of this as it will be requested as part of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-to-the-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme) application process.

Ukraine Extension Scheme

The scheme closed to all applications on 4 February 2025.

Extend your visa or switch to a different visa

If you’re Ukrainian, you can also stay in the UK by extending your current visa or switching to another one if you meet the eligibility requirements. You can extend or switch even if your current visa does not usually let you do this.

Check what Ukrainians in the UK on a visa can do (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukrainian-nationals-in-the-uk-visa-support).

Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

If you have been given permission to be in the UK under one of the Ukraine Schemes, you may be able to apply for a further 18 months permission to stay in the UK under the new Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-to-the-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme). The scheme opened to applications on 4 February 2025.

If you’re travelling with pets

Read guidance on bringing pets to the UK from Ukraine (https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain).

Contact UK Visas and Immigration

If you need help, contact UK Visas and Immigration (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk).