UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals

If you have family in the UK

The Ukraine Family Scheme enables you to come to the UK or to stay longer if you’re a family member of:

• a British citizen
• someone with permission to settle in the UK, for example they have indefinite leave to remain or EU settled or pre-settled status
• someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

It is free to apply.

You’ll be able to live, work, study and claim benefits in the UK.

Read more information about the Ukraine Family Scheme.

If you do not have family in the UK

You can apply to come to the UK if you have a named sponsor or on any other existing visa you’re eligible to apply for.

Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine)

If you do not have family in the UK, you can apply for the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

The scheme enables people and organisations in the UK (sponsors) to bring Ukrainians and their family members to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

If you have a sponsor you can:

• come to the UK for up to 3 years
• work in the UK
• access public services and claim benefits

Read more information about applying to the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

Find out how people and organisations record their interest in becoming a sponsor.

Other visas you can apply for

You can make an application to visit, work, study or join family in the UK.  Check which visas are available.

Proving your identity and providing your documents

You’ll need to book an appointment to have your photo and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre as part of your application.

Children under 5 will not have their fingerprints taken. They 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 any identity documents you may have, such as:

• a valid passport
• a Ukrainian national identity card
• a combination of official documents – 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 TLS website.

If your appointment is at the visa application centre in Kyiv

If your application is successful, you’ll need to travel to the visa application centre in Warsaw with a valid international passport to collect your visa vignette.

If your appointment is at a different visa application centre

You’ll need to collect your visa vignette at the same visa application centre.

If you’re already in the UK on a visa

If you’re Ukrainian you’ll be able to stay longer. You can apply:

• to the Ukraine Extension Scheme
• to extend your current visa
• to switch to a different visa

Ukraine Extension Scheme

You can apply to the Ukraine Extension Scheme if you’re Ukrainian or you have a Ukrainian family member.

You can apply for this scheme if one of the following is true:

• you held permission to be in the UK on or between 18 March 2022 and 16 November 2023 – the permission does 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 can apply to the Ukraine Extension Scheme for your child born in the UK if one of the following is true:

• you have permission to be in the UK under one of the Ukraine schemes
• you are applying to the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme

Read more information about applying to the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

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.

If you have a Ukrainian family member, you can apply to extend your current visa or switch to another one if your visa allows that.

Check what Ukrainians in the UK on a visa can do.

If you’re travelling with pets

Read guidance on bringing pets to the UK from Ukraine.

Contact UK Visas and Immigration

You can phone the free Ukraine helpline if you need help:

Telephone: + 44 808 164 8810

Telephone: +44 (0)175 390 7510 (if you cannot contact UK 0808 numbers)

Operating hours:

• Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm
• Friday, 9am to 4:30pm

Christmas and New Year opening hours

Date	Opening hours
Saturday 23 December 2023	Closed
Sunday on24 bankDecember holidays. 2023	Closed
Monday 25 December 2023	Closed
Tuesday 26 December 2023	Closed
Wednesday 27 December 2023	9am to 4:45pm
Thursday 28 December 2023	9am to 4:45pm
Friday 29 December 2023	9am to 4:30pm
Saturday 30 December 2023	Closed
Sunday 31 December 2024	Closed
Monday 1 December 2024	Closed