UK Ancestry Visa
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Ancestry visa requirements
To be eligible for a UK ancestry visa you have to be either:
- a citizen of a Commonwealth country; or
- a British overseas citizen, or
- a British overseas territories citizen, or
- British national (overseas), or
- a citizen of Zimbabwe, or
- a citizen of Malta.
You have to have a UK-born grandparent and wish to come to the UK to work.
UK-born means born on the British Islands, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or in Ireland before 31 March 1922.
You will have to demonstrate that you are able to work and intend to take or seek employment.
You should have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependants without recourse to public funds.
Applicants should be 17 years of age and over. There is no upper age limit. If you are under 18 years of age, you will need parental consent
UK ancestry visa is issued for five years and leads to settlement after five years of continuous residence.
It may be worth noting that in some limited circumstances there may be a parallel entitlement to registration as a British citizen if the applicant’s mother is born outside the Commonwealth to a British-born father or if there was historic discrimination that was a bar to becoming a British citizen. The applicant has to have been born before 1983.
Where & how to apply for UK Ancestry Visa
Ancestry visa application is made from your country of residence or country of nationality. If you are resident in the UK in another immigration category and decide to apply for permission to stay under the Ancestry route, you have to leave the UK and apply from abroad.
The application is made online.
You will be required to pay the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge for yourself and your dependants.
In order to qualify under this route, you have to have all birth certificates proving your connection with the UK born grandparent. In addition, you have to demonstrate that you are able and willing to work in the UK.
You dependants (spouse or unmarried partner and children under the age of 18 as of the date of application) can apply with you. Dependants of ancestry visa holders have the right to work in the UK.
How much money you need for the application
You should have sufficient funds to support yourself and your dependants without recourse to public funds.
There is no specific amount of money you should have, but each application is considered on its own merits. For example, if you are staying with friends or relatives, you will need less funds than if you intend to rent your own accommodation. If you have a job offer or if your profession is on the shortage occupation list you are more likely to rely on prospective earnings, and your earnings can be projected in line with your skills and experience.
It always helps if you have savings to cover accommodation and living expenses for the initial period until you can count on income from employment in the UK.
You most recent piece of financial evidence must be dated within 31 days before the date of application.
UK Ancestry Visa application fees
When applying for entry clearance from outside the UK:
- Visa fee – £682
- immigration Health Surcharge – £5175 (based on £1035 per year)
Applying in the UK:
- Visa fee – £1321
- immigration Health Surcharge – £5175 (based on £1035 per year)
Settlement after 5 years:
- Indefinite leave to remain – £3029
Eligibility for indefinite leave to remain
You can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years of continuous residence with UK ancestry visa.
Absences from the UK of more than 180 days in any 12-month period break the continuity of residence. Thus, excessive absences may be a barrier to indefinite leave to remain. Alternatively, the visa can be extended for another five-year period. The extension application can be made from the UK. There is no limit on these extensions.
Continuous employment throughout the five year period is not mandatory, and intention to work requirement is met if you are working at the time of application. If you are not, you will have to demonstrate that this is a temporary state of things and that you have always had and continue to have the intention to work.
Dependants of persons with UK ancestry
This remains the most privileged immigration category for dependants as there is no requirement for any length of continuous residence in the UK prior to applying for ILR.
Dependants of an ancestry visa holder can be the partner and children who were under 18 at the time of the initial application.
Dependants can apply for entry clearance together with the main applicant or can join the main visa holder in the UK at a later stage. It is also possible to switch to the depedant of a person with UK ancestry route in the UK.
The requirements for dependants include adequate maintenance and accommodation without recourse to public funds.
Dependants of an ancestry visa holder may apply for indefinite leave to remain at the same time as the main applicant even if they have not lived in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years and even if they don’t hold a UK ancestry dependant visa at the time of applying. However, application for ILR has to be made in the UK, so initial entry clearance is required although it doesn’t have to be as a dependent of the person with British ancestry.
If dependants are not applying for settlement at the same time as the main visa holder they have to have dependant visas before the main applicant is granted indefinite leave to remain. If not, they will not qualify for settlement in this immigration category at a later date.
If the main applicant does not meet the requirement for ILR due to excessive absences, dependent family members cannot apply in their own right. The usual way forward is to extend the ancestry visa for an additional stretch of five years or possibly switch into the skilled worker route to avoid paying the IHS for another 5 years. The dependent family members may qualify for indefinite leave to remain under the long residence rule independently of the main visa holder.
Ancestry Visa FAQs
Yes, you can work as an employee or as a freelance, and you can also set up your own business and employ other people.
Yes, you can study in the UK and you don’t need sponsorship from the university (CAS) as a foreign student. However, you will still have to pay foreign student tuition fees.
There is no restriction on the number of times you can be granted the ancestry visa. If you were in the UK on an ancestry visa before but had to leave the country before you could apply for indefinite leave to remain, you can apply again.
If the child came to the UK as your dependent, they will qualify for indefinite leave to remain at the same time as you as long as they don’t live independently and have not formed their own family.
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How immigration solicitors can help with your application for ancestry visa
Consultation to answer your questions and advise on the best immigration strategy
We may help to confirm that you meet the requirements of the immigration rules for the ancestry visa route and suggest the best strategy if you are planning to bring your family to the UK with you.
You may wish to travel together with your family members or, perhaps, the main applicant may wish to arrive first and make the necessary arrangements for the rest of the family.
Whatever your concerns, our ancestry visa solicitors are happy to discuss your case and answer any questions in a zoom consultation.
You can book an appointment that suits your needs and your budget. Just choose a convenient timeslot.
Full representation in ancestry visa applications
You may wish to appoint a legal representative in order to save time on the preparation of the application and make sure your application is approved with the least hassle.
If you do not have the required proof of relation we may help with the search of the national archives for the necessary birth certificates.
We have 100% success rate in this type of applications and happy to give you peace of mind and confidence in the outcome.
Document checking service
If you have prepared the application yourself but wish someone to go over it and makes sure you have not missed out anything, we are happy to offer this service for ancestry visa entry clearance applications, extension of stay and applications for ILR.
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Last updated on 3 November 2025
If you require a quote for representation or documents checking service, please let us know about your case
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Last updated on December 6, 2021