UK Ancestry

Eligibility

Commonwealth citizen aged 17+ with a grandparent born in the UK (incl. Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Ireland before 31 Mar 1922), able and planning to work in the UK. India is a Commonwealth country, so Indian citizens with a UK-born grandparent can qualify.

Key facts (checked 31 Oct 2026)

What you can and cannot do, how long you can stay (official)

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for 5 years on this visa.

Applying to stay longer in the UK

If you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years on this visa, you may be able to either:

• apply to extend your visa for a further 5 years
• apply to settle permanently in the UK (apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’)

Source: GOV.UK – Overview

What you can and cannot do

With a UK Ancestry visa you can:

• work
• study
• bring your partner or child

Your work can be:

• paid or voluntary
• full-time or part time
• in self-employment or in a job where you’re employed by someone else

You cannot:

• change (‘switch’) into this visa if you came to the UK on a different visa
• get public funds

Source: GOV.UK – Overview

Full eligibility criteria (official)

Eligibility

You must prove that you:

• are 17 or over
• have enough money without help from public funds to support and house yourself and any dependants
• can and plan to work in the UK

Your ancestry

You must show that you have a grandparent born in one of the following circumstances:

• in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• before 31 March 1922 in what is now Ireland
• on a ship or aircraft that was either registered in the UK or belonged to the UK government

You can claim ancestry if:

• you or your parent were adopted
• your parents or grandparents were not married

You cannot claim UK ancestry through step-parents.

Source: GOV.UK – Eligibility (checked 31 Oct 2026)

Documents checklist (official)

Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport or another valid travel document
• your full birth certificate
• the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
• evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK, for example job offers you’ve received or a business plan if you’re self-employed
• evidence, such as bank statements, that prove you can support yourself and any dependants in the UK - it must be dated within 31 days from when you submit your application

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide:

• evidence that your parents or grandparents have changed their name since birth, for example marriage or civil partnership certificates or a deed poll
• legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take a TB test
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you

Source: GOV.UK – Documents you must provide (checked 31 Oct 2026)

How to apply, step by step (official)

Apply from outside the UK

You must apply online for a UK Ancestry visa before you travel to the UK.

When to apply

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel to the UK.

Apply online

As part of your online application, you will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to prove your identity. You’ll have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at your appointment.

You’ll need to take your passport with you to the visa application centre (you’ll be able to collect it on the day).

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

Apply online

How long it takes to get a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

You’ll get an email containing the decision on your application. This will explain what you need to do next.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Source: GOV.UK – Apply from outside the UK (checked 31 Oct 2026)

Partner and children (official)

Your partner and children

Your partner and children can apply to join you in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

• your partner
• your child under 18
• your child aged 18 or over who was previously on your or your partner’s visa as a dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Your partner

You must be able to prove one of the following:

• you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
• you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other
• support each other financially
• care for any children you have together
• spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events

Your child

They must:

• live with you (unless they’re in full time education at boarding school, college or university)
• not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
• be supported by you without using public funds

Apply from outside the UK

Your partner or child must apply online for a UK Ancestry visa.

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at a visa application centre as part of their application.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Apply from inside the UK (extend or switch their visa)

If you extend or switch your visa, your partner or child’s current visa will still be valid until its original end date. Your partner or child need to apply to extend or switch their visa, either:

• at the same time as you
• at any time before their current visa expires

This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.

They cannot apply to switch if they’re currently in the UK:

• on a visitor visa
• on a Short-term study visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a Seasonal Worker visa
• on a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa
• on immigration bail
• because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds

If they’re in one of those categories, they must leave the UK and apply for a UK Ancestry visa from abroad.

If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:

• completed the course they were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

• do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
• do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying to extend your visa in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

Children born while you’re in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18 if they want to stay in the UK.

You can apply online for their dependant visa. You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with your child.

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

What your partner or child can and cannot do

Your partner or child can:

• work, except as a sportsperson or coach
• study
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if they’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.

If their application is successful, they’ll get a full list of what they can and cannot do.

Source: GOV.UK – Your partner and children (checked 31 Oct 2026)

Extending, switching and changing job (official)

Extend your visa

You can apply to extend your visa and stay in the UK for a further 5 years. You must apply before your current visa expires.

You can extend this visa as many times as you like, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

You can also apply to settle in the UK permanently if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years on this visa.

Your partner or child’s visa will not automatically extend if you extend yours. If they do not extend their visa, it will be valid until its original end date.

They can either apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.

Fees

For each person applying you’ll need to pay:

• the £1,407 application fee
• the healthcare surcharge

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

When you apply online, you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo) - there’s no fee for this.

You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

• upload them into the online service
• have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

Extend your visa online

You must apply online to extend your visa.

Apply online

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

• do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
• do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying to extend your visa in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

After you apply

Once you’ve applied you can stay in the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired.

You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.

You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:

• if your supporting documents need to be verified
• if you need to attend an interview
• because of your personal circumstances (for example if you have a criminal conviction)

How long it takes to get a decision

You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 8 weeks.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Source: GOV.UK – Extend your visa (checked 31 Oct 2026)

Processing times and faster decisions (official)

Standard: Usually 3 weeks (outside UK) (GOV.UK visa processing times).

• Priority service: +£500, usually a decision within 5 working days (settlement, citizenship and family-from-outside-UK: usually 30 working days).
• Super priority service: +£1,000, usually a decision by the end of the next working day after you prove your identity. Not available for citizenship.
• Availability depends on the route, the country and whether you use a UKVCAS centre or the ID Check app; there is a daily limit. You are told at the point of applying whether it is offered.

Source: GOV.UK – Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application (checked 31 Oct 2026)

How the application works (official)

1. Check eligibility and gather documents (sections above). Sponsored routes: get your CoS/CAS reference first; endorsed routes: get your endorsement first.
2. Apply online on GOV.UK and pay the fee and Immigration Health Surcharge (if it applies) – IHS.
3. Prove your identity: either the UK Immigration: ID Check app (if offered) or an appointment at a visa application centre (outside the UK) or UKVCAS service point (inside the UK) for fingerprints and photo.
4. Upload documents and wait for the decision. Do not travel or leave the UK before a decision if applying from inside the UK – it can withdraw your application.
5. Your permission is issued as an eVisa in your UKVI account; physical BRPs are no longer issued. Link your passport to it and use share codes to prove your rights – GOV.UK eVisas.

Path to settlement (ILR) and citizenship

After 5 years (ILR £3,226).

Citizenship normally needs ILR (or settled status) held for 12 months – or immediately if married to a British citizen – plus the residence, absences, good character, Life in the UK test (£50) and English B1 requirements. See GOV.UK – Settle in the UK and GOV.UK – Citizenship if you have ILR.