If you are a Commonwealth citizen and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, born in what is now Republic of Ireland before March 1922 or on a British registered aircraft or ship you may be eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry visa. UK Ancestry cannot be claimed through step-parents, however, you can claim ancestry is either you or the relevant parent were born within or outside of marriage in the UK, or were adopted. We recommend speaking to one of our experts via the online contact form or calling us on .
Once granted, the Ancestry visa allows the individual to live, study and work in the UK as well as enabling you to bring family members to the UK. On the other hand, you cannot switch into this visa if you are already in the UK on another visa; and you will not have access to public funds.
How can Alexandra & Spencer help?
As this application is based on the British Citizenship of a grandparent you will be required to provide enough evidence to demonstrate the lineage and their British heritage which can be difficult to obtain. We will assist you with collecting such information and locating family history in order to submit a strong and encouraging application.
We will complete your application form and collate all documents, ensuring the merits of your case are solid and relevant law is highlighted in your Letter of Representation which will be submitted with your application. Together we will work towards the successful outcome you wish to achieve. Get in touch with us today using the online contact form or call us on to speak to one of our immigration experts.
In order to qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following requirements:
As part of the Ancestry requirements you are required to prove that one of your grandparents was born in the UK, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; born in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922 or on a British registered ship or aircraft.
You may be required to pay the NHS surcharge when making your application.
You are able to claim ancestry if either you or the relevant parent were adopted or were born within or outside of marriage in the UK. You cannot claim ancestry through step-parents.
An application for UK Ancestry must be made from outside of the UK.
The following documents: are required as part of the application:
In order to prove your eligibility for the UK Ancestry Visa, you will need to provide the following documents:
Other documents may be required depending on your circumstances. If you wish for us to proceed with your application, we will be able to advise you on which documents are required.
An application for UK Ancestry must be made from outside of the UK.
The following documents: are required as part of the application:
In order to prove your eligibility for the UK Ancestry Visa, you will need to provide the following documents:
Other documents may be required depending on your circumstances. If you wish for us to proceed with your application, we will be able to advise you on which documents are required.
A UK Ancestry Visa allows you to live, work and study in the UK for up to five years. Once you have had lawful residence for five years you can apply to extend your visa or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
You are unable to switch into this visa category if you are already in the UK.
An application for UK Ancestry must be made from outside of the UK. You can apply for the UK Ancestry Visa up to three months in advance of your intended travel date.
The following documents: are required as part of the application:
In order to prove your eligibility for the UK Ancestry Visa, you will need to provide the following documents:
Other documents may be required depending on your circumstances. If you wish for us to proceed with your application, we will be able to advise you on which documents are required.
The UK ancestry visa will cost £496. You may also need to pay the NHS healthcare surcharge which is equal to £200 per year.
A UK Ancestry Visa can be very complicated and requires a considerable amount of documents and evidence; particularly to demonstrate your ancestral record. There are also some optional evidence you may wish to include to strengthen the application which we can discuss, should you wish to appoint us to act on your behalf.
We will make certain that the application and any evidence are strong, assisting you in the collation of all necessary family history requirements and preparing all information to submit to the Home Office. We will highlight the merits of your case on a Letter of Representation, citing relevant UK law which will support the application; liaising with the Home Office as many times as required in order to obtain the required outcome. Contact us on or complete the online contact form.
Our highly professional, dedicated and knowledgeable specialists will do all the hard work to make the immigration process easy and understandable so you will be confident about successful outcome.
