UK Ancestry Visa
The British Ancestry Visa allows Commonwealth citizens with a British ancestor (going back as far as a grandparent) to live and work in the UK. By contacting the British diplomatic post (embassy, high commission etc) in your home country you can apply for a visa which permits you to stay and work for up to five years.
On this page, we simply uncover all the important things you need to know (without pages of stuff you don’t!).
We also have a handy step-by-step DIY guide (opens new page).
If you have questions not covered here or our FAQs page.
Do I qualify for the Ancestral Visa?
To qualify you must:
- be a citizen of a Commonwealth country (Although not limited to these countries, common applicants come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa)
- be at least 17 years old
- be able to work and intend to work
- have the ability to support yourself without resorting to public funds
- have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (including the Republic of Ireland before 1922)
If you have already entered the UK on another kind of visa, you can’t switch to the ancestry category – you must exit the UK and re-apply.
Restrictions: There are no restrictions on the type or duration of work under the Ancestral visa.
Enough funds to “support yourself” and “intend to work”
You must prove “you can support yourself and any dependants without needing any help from public funds” and you must “intend to work or look for a job in the UK” to qualify.
There is no hard and fast rule but rather applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Support
In general, the UK government does not want to issue this visa to people who don’t meet minimum financial requirements. Basically, they want to ensure that applicants have enough savings to support themselves (and any dependents) until they get a job. While there is no specific amount of funds required for a UK Ancestry visa, you must have enough to support yourself and any dependents.
Therefore, if you have enough savings to support yourself for a few months they will likely not worry too much if you don’t have a job before you arrive.
However, if you do not have a job to go to (most people don’t) your savings and intent to work become far more important.
As a rule of thumb, for a single person (no dependents) they currently want to see proof of £2,530 in savings for the Tier 5 — Youth Mobility Visa. Therefore, if you have at least this amount (though ideally a little more) and can show that you are actively looking for a job you should be fine.
Intent to work
Another important part of the application process involves supplying documentation proving that you are looking for work. An email from a recruiter or employer or a business plan if you are self employed.
Do I have to be outside of the UK to apply?
If you have not entered the UK based on “ancestry clearance” previously, then you must apply for a visa from the country where you currently live.
How do I apply?
- Yourself: Apart from the information on this page, check out our step-by-step guide to do-it-yourself visa applications. For most people, DIY is a perfectly good way to go. Also make sure you consult official information.
- Visa Service: If you would like assistance with your visa possibly because you have some complex issues (or simply don’t like lots of paperwork), a visa service may be a good option for you.
I'm also eligible for the Tier 1 highly skilled workers visa...which is best for me?
The Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled Workers visa has been closed to all overseas applicants. If you want to run a business in the UK, your new route is the Innovator Founder visa. The Ancestry visa allows you to stay in the UK for 5 years, compared to the Innovator Founder visa, which only lasts 3 years.
Additionally, the Innovator Founder visa has higher processing fees and stricter requirements, so if you qualify for a British Ancestry visa, that might be a better option.
What happens when my Visa comes to an end?
If you have used up your five-year visa entirely (i.e. lived and worked in the UK continuously for five years under the ancestry visa category) you can apply to stay permanently in the UK. Or if you just want to extend your stay, you can also apply to do that.
Have more questions? They might be answered in our VISA FAQs.
Table of Contents
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