Leading Immigration Lawyers With Over 25,000 Applications Approved. | See our client success stories
+44 (0)333 414 9244 Mon - Sun, 8.30am - 6pm
Contact Us

UK Ancestry Visa

Based on your family’s circumstances, you may be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa. Talk to our experts to learn more about our services.

Call us on 0330 828 4126 for immediate help & assistance with your situation. We’re here to help you in person, via the phone or online.

Read our 1001 reviews

Request a call back from our immigration experts

    Benefits of Choosing IAS for Your Family Visa Application

    We can help you in obtaining a UK Family Visa. A skilled immigration lawyer from our team will examine the specifics of your case and guide you in identifying the most effective pathway for securing a Family Visa.

    With IAS’ track record of successfully helping clients achieve their Family visas, we ensure that your application is of the utmost quality.

    Our dedicated immigration lawyers provide our services through a comprehensive and personalised approach. With us, you get immigration lawyers who are dedicated to ensuring you reunite with your family member(s). Work with IAS for:

    Compassionate support from an experienced immigration lawyer dedicated to your success

    Support in gathering supporting documents and completing a high-quality application.

    A one-stop shop that extends beyond the application to include guidance on citizenship matters.

    Personalised Letter of Representation for a compelling family visa case.

    Regardless of what your personal immigration query might be, IAS is here to help and support you. Call us or enquire online to learn more about how we can help you.

    Services we Provide

    What is a UK Ancestry Visa?

    If you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you may be eligible for a five-year UK Ancestry Visa. This will allow you to live, work and study in the UK. After five years, you can either apply for a renewal or apply for settled status.

    The Ancestry Visa does not require you to have already been offered a job in the UK before you apply. This makes it a much simpler route for those who are eligible. You will not be able to claim public funds on this visa type, so evidence of maintenance will be vital to receiving a good result.

    Because you are applying as the relative of a British citizen, you will need to provide detailed evidence which proves their British heritage. These can sometimes be difficult to source for grandparents who left the UK a long time ago.

    What can you do with a Ancestry Visa?

    With a British Ancestry Visa, you can live in the UK and take on any kind of employment, including paid, unpaid, voluntary or self-employment. You can also bring your partner and dependent children with you to the UK.

    You can also study.

    You can stay in the UK for up to five years on a British Ancestry Visa. After this five year period has elapsed, you can apply to extend your visa or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

    You cannot apply to change or switch to this visa if you are already in the UK.

    You also cannot access public funds on this visa.

    What are the UK Ancestry Visa requirements?

    In order to qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following requirements:

    • Be 17 or over;
    • Have enough money to support yourself and any dependents without accessing public funds;
    • Plan to work in the UK; and
    • Be a Commonwealth citizen or one of the following:
      • a British overseas citizen
      • a British overseas territories citizen
      • a British national (overseas)
      • a citizen of Zimbabwe

    You must also meet one of the following ancestry requirements:

    • Have a grandparent born in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man;
    • Have a grandparent born in what is now the Republic of Ireland on or before 31st March 1922; or
    • Have a grandparent born on a British-registered ship or aircraft.

    You can also claim an Ancestry Visa if you or your parent was adopted or was born within or outside marriage in the UK.

    You cannot claim UK ancestry through your step-parents.

    How do I apply for a UK Ancestry Visa?

    You must make your UK ancestry visa application from outside the UK.

    Applications must be made online through the gov.uk website.

    As part of your application, you will need to schedule and attend an appointment at a local visa application centre. There, you will have your biometrics taken in the form of your fingerprints and photograph.

    You should submit your application no more than 3 months before you plan to travel to the UK.

    What documents do I need to apply for ancestry visa uk?

    In order to apply, you will need the following documents:

    • A current passport or another valid travel document.
    • Your full birth certificate.
    • The full birth certificate of the grandparent through whom your ancestry claim is based.
    • Evidence of your plans to work in the UK, either in the form of a job offer or a business plan if you are planning to be self-employed.
    • Bank statements showing that you have enough money to support yourself.

    You may also have to provide the following documents, depending on your circumstances:

    • Your tuberculosis test results if you are applying from a country where a TB test is required.
    • Proof of relationship with your spouse/partner and children, if they’re coming with you.
    • Marriage certificates for your parents and grandparents, if they were married.
    • Adoption papers, if you or your parents are adopted.
    • Evidence of any legal name changes of your parents or grandparents.

    Other documents may be required depending on your circumstances. If you are applying through Immigration Advice Service, we will be able to advise you on which documents are required.

    UK Ancestry Visa Fees and Processing times

    The UK Ancestry visa costs £682 to apply for.

    You and your dependents will also need to pay the NHS healthcare surcharge while in the UK, which is £1035 for adults and £776 for under-18s.

    There may also be additional costs involved in the application process, such as if you have to have official documents translated into English.

    It normally takes up to 3 weeks for Ancestry visa applications to be processed. You may be able to pay for a priority processing service to have your application processed faster than this, though this will incur additional charges.

    Obtaining indefinite leave to remain with the Ancestry visa

    After spending 5 years in the UK with an Ancestry visa, you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (the UK’s term for permanent settlement).

    To be eligible, all of the following must apply to you:

    • In the 5 years you’ve been in the UK on this visa, you have not been outside of the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 month period
    • You have enough money to continue to support yourself and your dependents
    • You can, and plan to, work in the UK
    • You are still a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth (or other) country
    • You meet the minimum English language requirements (if you’re aged between 18 and 64)
    • You have passed the Life in the UK test (if you’re aged between 18 and 64)

    Applying for indefinite leave to remain will mean that you can stay in the UK indefinitely without having to renew your status. You will also be able to claim benefits and access public funds. After spending one year in the UK with indefinite leave to remain, you may then be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

    It costs £3,029 to apply for indefinite leave to remain. You should apply no more than 28 days before your 5 year period is completed.

    Applications should be made online through the gov.uk website.

    UK Ancestry Visa refusal: What to do next?

    Having an application for the UK Ancestry Visa refused can be a frustrating experience. Some of the most common reasons for refusal include the following:

    • You are not a citizen of an eligible country
    • You fail to show that you are actively seeking work in the UK
    • You cannot provide proof that one of your grandparents’ births is eligible
    • You are unable to demonstrate that you have adequate finances to support yourself in the UK
    • Incomplete or inaccurate application
    • Failure to submit relevant supporting documents
    • Failure to respond to Home Office requests for further information

    Unfortunately, if your Ancestry Visa application is refused, there is no automatic right of appeal, unless there is a clear error in the decision process.

    This means you could request an administrative review of the decision if you are sure that your application ought to have been accepted.

    How IAS can help with an Ancestry Visa application?

    Our experienced immigration lawyers can work with you to help you secure UK Ancestry visas for you and your family. We will work with you to assess whether your heritage makes you eligible which can include sourcing and locating family history documents for you, to use as evidence for the Home Office.

    We will also perform a document check and fill your application out using expert knowledge. Our services also involve one of our lawyers producing a Letter of Representation. This letter references your supporting documents, relevant UK immigration laws and cases in support of your application. This will maximise your chances of a successful UK Ancestry Visa application.

    Get in touch online today or call 0333 363 8577 to speak to an expert immigration lawyer, or see our FAQs below for more information.

    ancestry visa

    We offer immigration advice sessions as face to face appointments at all of our UK offices, or via the phone.

    Table of Contents

    Table of Contents will appear here.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    If you have been living in the UK for five years with a UK Ancestry Visa you can apply for a UK Ancestry Visa extension.

    This will allow you to remain in the UK for a further five years.

    An Ancestry Visa extension is also useful if you do not intend to stay in the country indefinitely, or have not decided yet but would like more time in the UK.

    Applying for a UK Ancestry Visa can be very complex, as it involves providing many documents and proof of your ancestral history.

    Our team of expert immigration lawyers is available to help you with your Ancestry Visa application.

    Our services include:

    • ensuring you have the sufficient documents for your application;
    • locating family history using subject access requests for documents to prove that you meet the eligibility requirements;
    • preparing a Letter of Representation to accompany your British Ancestry Visa application. This will offer the positives of your case and any relevant UK immigration laws which support it;
    • corresponding with the Home Office while your application is processed; and
    • competently completing your application in full before its submission.

    Contact us on 0333 363 8577 or make an enquiry online to discuss your eligibility and application for a UK Ancestry Visa.

    What our clients are saying

    We are the UK’s leading immigration specialists

    IAA Accredited UK Immigration lawyers

    We’ve had over 25,000 applications approved

    We are now open 7 days a week from 8.30am to 6pm.

    How our UK Immigration Lawyers can help

    At the Immigration Advice Service our lawyers specialise in a wide range of UK visas, nationality and asylum applications and have represented clients in various successful complex and high-profile cases.

    Get in Touch

    Head Office:

    Immigration Advice Service
    Ashwood House, Ellen Street
    Oldham, OL9 6QR, United Kingdom

    Head Office Phone:

    +44 (0)333 414 9244

    We have over 12 offices across the world, find a branch near you.

    Call us now at +44 (0)333 414 9244 or request a call back using the form below.

      In the news

      Get in touch with our team

      Learn about our professional services and find out how we can help.

      X
      Contact Us