Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

Overview

On 18 February 2024, the UK government announced the launch of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The UPE scheme will open to applications at 9:00am UK time on 4 February 2025. 

If you’re a Ukrainian national, or the family member of a Ukrainian national, and are living in the UK with existing permission on one of the Ukraine schemes, you may be eligible to apply for UPE to continue living in the UK for up to a further 18 months. 

It will be free to apply. You will need to make an application online. If your application is successful, you will be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.

Who can apply

To apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme you must already have been granted permission under one of the other Ukraine Schemes. This means that you must have been granted permission to stay in the UK under either the:

• Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine)
• Ukraine Family Scheme
• Ukraine Extension Scheme

You may also be eligible to apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme if you have been granted permission to stay in certain circumstances.

You must also:

• be in the UK when making an application
• have been living in the UK (and Islands, which includes Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man) since you were granted, or arrived in the UK, with permission under the Ukraine Schemes

If you are a non-Ukrainian national applying as a partner, you will generally need to continue to be in an eligible relationship with a Ukrainian national.

Children born in the UK

You can apply to the scheme for your child if they were born in the UK after 18 March 2022 to a Ukrainian national parent who holds permission to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Schemes.

When to apply

The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will be open for applications from 9:00am UK time on 4 February 2025. It is not an automatic extension of your current permission. 

You should only make an application to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme when your current permission has 28 days or less remaining until it expires.  

If you apply too early, your application may be rejected and not considered. If this happens, you will need to reapply when your current permission has 28 days or less remaining until it expires.  

You must make an application before your current permission expires.  

If you apply after your current permission expires, even if your application for UPE is successful later, you will lose your current entitlements to work, rent and receive benefits until a decision is made on your late application. You may be required to repay any public funds (for example, certain benefits) that are paid to you during this period.  

It is important that you know the date when your current permission will end so that you apply to UPE in time. If you are unsure when your current permission ends sign into your UKVI account to find out.

Find out how to view your current immigration status.

What you need to apply

When making your application, you will need to:

• prove your identity
• confirm you are in the UK when making your application
• confirm whether you have had permission to be in the UK on a Ukraine Scheme
• provide information about your accommodation in the UK
• provide information on the application form about any time you have spent living outside of the UK or Ukraine since you were granted permission under the Ukraine Schemes

If you are not a Ukrainian national, you will also need to provide information about your relationship to a Ukrainian national, see applying as the family member of a Ukrainian national.

If you’re applying as or on behalf of a child under the age of 18, you will need to provide additional information and evidence, see applying for a child.

You may need to provide other evidence of your eligibility depending on your individual circumstances. You will generally not be required to upload evidence as part of your application but in some cases a caseworker may contact you to ask for additional information or evidence.  

For example, if we need further evidence that you have been living in the UK, you may be asked to provide evidence such as rental agreements or other official documents that show your address in the UK. If we need further evidence of your relationship to a Ukrainian national, you may be asked to provide documents such as a marriage certificate. 

Further guidance on types of evidence that may be suitable will be available before the scheme opens.

Proof of identity

To prove your identity, you need a passport or a biometric residence permit card (BRP). You can use a BRP to prove your identity when applying for UPE, even when it has expired.

Most people will be able to provide their ID documentation evidence via the ‘UK Immigration: ID check’ app as part of their application to UPE. Those who have to provide their biometrics will be able to upload their evidence through the enrolment centre.

If we request any further evidence, you will be notified by email and provided with instructions on how to provide the additional evidence required.

If you do not have your BRP, or you did not provide biometrics under your current permission, you may need to book an appointment to have your facial image and fingerprints (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre (VAC) in the UK as part of your application.

Children under the age of 5 will not have their fingerprints taken but will still need to book and attend an appointment at a VAC to have their digital photograph taken. 

At your appointment, you’ll need to prove your identity with a valid international passport, unless you have a reasonable explanation for why you do not have one.

Where you do not have a valid international passport, you may either use a: 

• 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 license and birth certificate that contain matching details (name and date of birth) 
• an emergency certificate issued by a Ukrainian authority since March 2022 

For more information, including opening hours and appointment booking, please visit the TLS website.

Applying for a child under 18

Children will be required to be in the UK with a: 

• parent 
• legal guardian 
• close relative 
• an adult who has taken responsibility for their care 
• or in the care of the local authority 

When making an application as or on behalf of a child under the age of 18, you will need to provide the child’s full birth or adoption certificate which shows the details of their parents. 

You will also be asked to provide evidence of the child’s parent or legal guardian’s nationality or identity document.  

Additionally, you will be asked to provide evidence of the parent or legal guardian’s immigration status, for example their passport number or Unique Application Number (UAN). 

You may also be required to provide the following, depending on the child’s living arrangements.

Child living with legal guardian

An official document, which should be notarised by the issuing country or the Ukrainian Embassy, demonstrating legal guardianship of the child.

Child living with close relative

Close relative means a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, or aunt (whether full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership) or step-parent as per the Children Act 1989.

You must provide:

• evidence demonstrating the relationship between the applicant and their family member 
• written consent from the applicant’s parent or legal guardian which must include details of the parent or legal guardian, consent for the application and for the applicant’s living and care arrangements

Child living with another adult (who is not a parent, legal guardian or close relative) who has day-to-day caring responsibility for them

You must provide written consent from the applicant’s parent or legal guardian which must include details of the parent or legal guardian, consent for the application and for the applicant’s living and care arrangements.

For evidence not in English, you must upload an English translation.  

The adult with day-to-day caring responsibility for a child will need to provide information on the application form to demonstrate that adequate care and accommodation arrangements are in place for the child. This includes, but is not limited to, information about the type of accommodation and details of others living at the property.

We will consider whether the care arrangements are satisfactory for the welfare of the child or whether they require any further consideration during the application process.

If you were originally granted permission as a child under the Ukraine Schemes but are 18 or over on the date you make an application to UPE, you will not be considered to be a child for the purposes of the UPE application.

Length of permission for children under 18

A child under the age of 18 may be granted a period of permission that matches that of a parent, if the parent: 

• has permission to stay in the UK under the Ukraine schemes, including Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) in some circumstances
• is living in the UK
• is living with the child and jointly or solely responsible for their day-to-day care

The length of the child’s permission will be granted in line with the parent who holds the longest remaining length of permission if both parents meet all the criteria.

Applying as the family member of a Ukrainian national 

If you are not a Ukrainian national, you can apply if you have been granted permission under one of the other Ukraine Schemes as the: 

• partner of a Ukrainian national 
• child of a Ukrainian national 
• parent of a Ukrainian national who was granted Ukraine Scheme permission before turning 18 years old 
• fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of a Ukrainian national 
• a family member granted permission in accordance with the now closed Ukraine Family Scheme 

If you were previously granted permission as the partner, spouse, or civil partner of a Ukrainian national, you will be required to submit evidence to demonstrate that you continue to be in an eligible relationship.  

In other circumstances, you may be contacted and asked for evidence of your family relationship to a Ukrainian national.   

If you are no longer in a relationship, you may still be eligible for permission to stay in the UK under UPE if you are the parent of a child who is in the UK with permission under the Ukraine Schemes, or a child who would, if they made an application, be eligible for permission under the Ukraine Schemes.

Travelling outside of the UK before you apply 

You must be inside the UK when making an application to UPE. Your application will not be valid and may be rejected if you apply from outside the UK. 

After you have applied 

After you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents and biometrics (if required), the Home Office will consider your application. 

You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks. 

If your current permission expires before a decision is made on your UPE application you do not need to take any action, as your current permission will continue under section 3C leave. 

The purpose of section 3C leave is to prevent a person who makes an in-time application to extend their leave from becoming an overstayer while they are awaiting a decision on that application.

If you need to travel close to the expiry date of your existing permission, you should ensure that you plan to return to the UK within the validity of your existing visa to be able to make an UPE application in the UK.

You should not travel outside of the UK or any other part of the Common Travel Area (the Common Travel Area includes the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man) whilst waiting for a decision on your application. If you do travel, then your application will be withdrawn and will not be considered.  

If your existing permission expires whilst you are outside of the UK, you will need to apply for further entry clearance in another route, for which you qualify if you wish to return to the UK. You cannot apply for UPE outside of the UK. 

You’ll get a decision letter by email confirming the outcome of your application and what it means for you.

What you will get 

If your application is successful, your eVisa (an online record of your immigration status) will be updated to show your new UPE permission.

You will not need to do anything to get your updated eVisa if your application is successful.

Your decision notice will tell you how to get access to your eVisa. You can see it in your UKVI account. 

You will be allowed to continue to work, study, rent property (in England) and receive public funds benefits for a further 18 months from the date of decision. 

You’ll be able to prove your immigration status and conditions to others, for example employers and landlords, using the view and prove service. 

After you have received a decision on your UPE application, before you travel in future, you’ll need to sign in to your UKVI account to check that your eVisa is linked to your current passport or travel document. You’ll still need to carry your current passport or travel document with you.

Updating your details 

You must keep your details up to date, for example if you get a new passport.

Apply

When the UPE scheme opens this page will be updated to allow you to apply online.

You should only make an application when your current permission has 28 days or less remaining until it expires.

In the meantime, you should:

• check when your current permission expires by signing in to your UKVI account and plan when to make your application
• ensure you are inside the UK when it’s time for you to apply
• not plan to travel outside the UK while your application is considered
• ensure that you have:
  • your passport
  • your expired BRP (if you have one)
  • documents you will need if you are applying for a child under the age of 18

We will update this guide with the types of evidence that may be required for making an application before the scheme opens.