UK Ancestry Visa — 5-year route with full work rights
We’ll confirm your eligibility through your UK-born grandparent, map your documents, and prepare a clean, decision-ready application — with a plan for extension or ILR after 5 years.
At-a-glance
Stay: 5 years Full work rights Apply from outside the UK Path to ILR Dependants allowed
You’ll normally qualify if you’re a Commonwealth citizen, aged 17+, with a UK-born grandparent (incl. Channel Islands/Isle of Man, and Ireland if born before 31 March 1922), and you can work and support yourself without public funds.
Who qualifies
- Commonwealth citizen, aged 17+.
- You have a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man; or in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922.
- You intend to work in the UK and can maintain/accommodate yourself (no public funds).
- Apply from outside the UK (entry clearance).
- Adoption: an adoptive grandparent or you being legally adopted can qualify where the adoption is recognised in law.
Evidence you’ll provide
- Lineage proof: long-form birth certificates for you, your parent, and the qualifying grandparent (showing names/places of birth).
- Marriage/Name change docs: any certificates or legal change documents linking the names across generations.
- Adoption papers (if relevant), showing the legal adoption and parental details.
- Work plans: CV, skills/qualifications, emails/interviews, job offers or self-employment plan to show genuine intention to work.
- Finances & accommodation: bank statements and where you’ll stay on arrival (booking, host letter or tenancy).
- TB test (where required by country of residence) and passport/travel history.
We’ll map any gaps (e.g., missing certificates), arrange certified copies/translations, and structure a clean lineage bundle for the caseworker.
Fees, IHS & decision times
We’ll confirm your final total before submission based on current Home Office rates and IHS calculators.
| Type | Fee (guide) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UK Ancestry Visa | £637 | Applies to all applications made from outside the UK. |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | £1,035 per year | Pay up front for the 5-year grant (total ≈ £5,175). |
| Priority Service (if available) | + £500 | Target: 5 working days from biometrics. |
| Super Priority Service (if available) | + £1,000 | Target: next working day after biometrics. |
Decision times
Outside the UK (standard): usually around 3 weeks from biometrics to decision for straightforward cases.
Dependants
Your partner and children can apply with you if they meet relationship and maintenance rules. Each pays the same fee and IHS rate.
Documents you’ll need
We’ll tailor this to your family history, but most applicants prepare the following:
| Document | Why it’s needed |
|---|---|
| Passport (and previous passports if available) | Identity and travel history |
| Long-form birth certificates — yours, your parent’s, and your UK-born grandparent’s | Proves the family line to the qualifying grandparent |
| Marriage / name-change certificates (if names differ across the chain) | Links names between generations |
| Adoption orders/papers (if relevant) | Shows legal adoption recognised in law |
| Evidence you can work and intend to work (CV, qualifications, emails/interviews, job offer or self-employment plan) | Demonstrates genuine intention and ability to work |
| Funds & accommodation (bank statements; hotel/booking or host permission + proof of address) | Shows you can maintain and accommodate yourself without public funds |
| TB test certificate (if required for your country of residence) | Health requirement (country-specific) |
| Certified translations (where any document isn’t in English/Welsh) | Meets Home Office format rules |
Make your Ancestry application decision-ready
We’ll map your lineage, fix any document gaps, and prepare a clean, persuasive application with your plan to work.