The Home Office Ukraine Permission extension scheme

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme is intended to allow those with existing permission granted under any of the Ukraine Schemes, to apply for permission to stay in the UK for a further 18 months.

To be eligible, they need to have been living in the UK since they:

• arrived in the UK with Ukraine Scheme permission; or
• were granted Ukraine Scheme permission in the UK.

The scheme opened for applications on 4 February 2025.

How to apply

You can apply when your current permission has 28 days or less remaining until it ends. To find out when your current permission to stay (visa) ends, sign into your UKVI account.

To apply for UPE you will need to:

• prove your identity with a passport or a biometric residence permit card (BRP), even when if it has expired
• confirm you are in the UK when making the application
• confirm you have permission to be in the UK on a Ukraine Scheme
• provide information about your accommodation in the UK
• provide information (on the application form) about any time you have spent living outside of the UK

Applying for a child

If you apply on behalf of a child under the age of 18, you will need to provide:

• the child’s full birth or adoption certificate which shows the details of their parents
• evidence of the child’s parent or legal guardian’s nationality or identity document
• evidence of the parent or legal guardian’s immigration status, for example their passport number or Unique Application Number (UAN).

What happens next

You will usually receive a decision within eight weeks (40 working days). This is from when you have provided all the necessary documents. Whilst waiting for a decision on the application, you should not travel outside the UK. If you do travel, then your application will be withdrawn and will not be considered.  

Important information

• You must be inside the UK when making an application to UPE.
• If you are a student and currently studying abroad as part of your course, your application will not be valid and may be rejected if it is made from outside the UK.
• If you need to prove your right to stay and that you are entitled to benefits, you can use the 'view and prove' service to generate a share code. You can preview the information that is shared before it is seen by a third party.
• You can switch to other visa routes for which you qualify. 
• If your life circumstances changed, for example, you have a new passport, you must keep your details up to date in your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

For more information on the eligibility and the application procedure visit the Home Office website.