Your ticket to life in London.
Having the right to live in the UK is essential for your move and for most people this involves getting a UK visa. Without a valid visa you will only be able to stay in the UK for up to 6 months as a tourist.
If you have a UK or Irish passport you won’t need to get a visa. Even if you aren’t born in the UK or Ireland but one of your family members was, you may be able to claim a British or Irish passport.
There are different types of visas that will allow you to live and work in the UK, but your personal circumstances will ultimately decide which visas you can apply for.
With GOV.UK you can check if you need a visa.
This popular visa allows young people from specific countries to live and work in the UK.
For Commonwealth country citizens with a grandparent born in the UK.
Sponsored workers who have a job offer from a licensed UK employer.
Anyone moving to the UK to study an approved course for a longer than 6 month duration.
Healthcare workers who have secured a job within the NHS can move at a cheaper rate.
For those with a partner approved to live and work in the UK can join as a dependant.
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The details of your UK visa will be stamped or glued into your passport, this is called a vignette.
A valid visa will allow you to live in the UK. This includes:
Each visa has different eligibility requirements and will require different documentation, but the application process is fairly similar across all visa types.
As part of your application you will have to pay the healthcare surcharge. This will allow you to use the NHS.
You will be required to send away your passport as part of your visa application so be sure you don't have any international trips planned at this time.
Once you have applied for a visa it can take anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months until you receive confirmation. For more about visa application times check out the information on GOV.UK and V.
Don’t worry if your application is taking a long time or if you hear someone else’s is going faster than yours. Unfortunately the process isn’t very transparent.
The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is most popular with 18-30 year olds, as it allows you to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. It is a popular choice because you don’t need to have a job in the UK before applying.
Eligibility criteria
You will need to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa: ballot system if you are from; Hong Kong (SAR passport), Japan, South Korea or Taiwan.
Costs
Documents and items needed to apply
How long does it take
If you are from a Commonwealth country and have a parent or grandparent that was born in the UK, you are eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry visa allowing you to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years.
This visa is popular (if eligible) with those intending to stay in the UK long-term. If you live in the UK for 5 years on this visa you can apply to extend for an additional 5 years or for permanent residency.
Eligibility criteria
Costs
Documents needed to apply
If you don’t have your grandparent’s birth certificate you can request one from GOV.UK.
If you have been offered a job with a UK employer you will be able to move to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa. The employer must be a licensed sponsor and they will issue you with a certificate of sponsorship and all other documents you need.
This visa lasts up to 5 years depending on the length agreed between you and your employer. You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK.
Eligibility criteria
Costs
Employers are usually happy to pay for the visa costs as part of your package but make sure you ask when agreeing your employment contract.
If you work in healthcare and have been offered a job offer from the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS or an organisation providing adult social care you can move to the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa.
This visa lasts up to 5 years depending on the length agreed between you and your employer. You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK.
Eligibility criteria
Costs
You can work in healthcare on other visas but this visa will help you avoid paying the healthcare surcharge.
Documents needed to apply
How long does it take
If you are coming to the UK to study and have been accepted into a course, a Student visa will cover you while you complete your studies.
Eligibility criteria
Costs
If you are coming to the UK to study a short course (under 6 months) you do not need a visa.
Students are also allowed to work but it depends on what you’re studying and whether it is term-time or not. You can work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week while studying and full-time during vacation periods.
If you are the partner of someone with a valid visa, you can be added to that visa as a dependent partner. On a Dependant/defacto visa you will be able to live, work and study in the UK for the same length of time as your partner.
Eligibility criteria
Costs
You will need to provide evidence of your relationship which can be a lengthy complicated and time consuming process. This includes utilities documents, reference statements from friends, photos and messaging history.
If you have been approved for a visa, you will be issues with a visa vignette stamped into your passport. The vignette is not the actual visa; it allows you to travel to and enter the UK, after which you must collect your Biometric Residence Permit.
A UK visa vignette is a physical sticker or label affixed to your passport, containing important information about your visa. It includes your name, visa category, visa validity dates, and other relevant details. The vignette is issued by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) office and is an essential document for entering the UK as a new resident.
The main purpose of the visa vignette is to provide clear evidence of your visa status. It acts as a temporary visa while you are outside the UK, allowing you to travel to the country. Once you arrive in the UK, your visa vignette will be checked at the border, and you'll be granted entry accordingly. It is crucial to ensure that your visa vignette is valid and matches the details of your visa approval letter.
The 'Valid From and Valid Until' dates on a UK visa vignette are determined by your actual visa start date, which is generated from the field [UK Arrival Date] on your official visa application.
For example, if you entered April 1, 2023, as your UK arrival date on your application, your visa vignette will be valid from April 1, 2023, and will expire 30 days later on May 1, 2023. It's crucial to note that the visa vignette only serves as proof of your arrival window and not your right to live and work in the UK.
If you need to change your travel plans or wish to travel later than the visa validity dates stated on your vignette, you might need to transfer your visa to a new passport or apply for a replacement vignette. Transferring or replacing your vignette involves specific procedures, and it's essential to understand the process to avoid any complications with your travel plans.
You will list your UK arrival date as part of your visa application. Make sure you arrive in the UK within the dates stated on your vignette.
A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is an identification card issued by the UK government for anyone that comes to live in the UK. You do not have to apply separately for a BRP as you’ll get one automatically if your visa or immigration application is approved.
BRPs come as a card that is a similar in size to a credit card and has personal details (name, date and place of birth) and biometric information (facial image and fingerprints).
You will need to collect your BRP shortly after your arrival in the UK. This needs to be done before the vignette sticker in your travel document expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.
When collecting your BRP from a Post Office, the Post Office will be located near the address you listed at your arrival address when completing your visa application..
To collect your BRP, you will need your passport that includes your vignette sticker.
You will need to show a BRP whenever you need to prove your right to live in the UK.
Examples include:
Visas aren't the only way to legally live and work in the UK. Anyone with a British or Irish passport can live and work in the UK as a citizen.
Since the UK's withdrawal from the European Union only EU passport holders who previously lived in the UK before 2020 can live and work in the UK without a visa.
Having a UK passport will give you full immigration access to the UK, allowing you to live and work as a citizen.
Depending on when you were born, your parent’s circumstances (e.g. gender and/or marital status) may influence your eligibility to obtain citizenship through descent.
You can either be born in the UK or overseas, but you must have at least 1 parent with UK citizenship.
To see whether you’re eligible, check out GOV.UK.
If you claim British citizenship you should check that it doesn’t conflict with your original citizenship. Some countries such as Germany lose their right to their original citizenship if they claim another citizenship.
If you have an Irish passport you can freely move to the UK under the Common Travel Area arrangements (CTA).
If one of your grandparents was born in Ireland or if one of your parents was an Irish Citizen at the time of your birth you may be entitled to Irish Citizenship by obtaining a Foreign Birth Registration Certificate. For more information about claiming Irish citizenship visit Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs.
Ireland is the only country where immigration has not changed after Brexit. All other EU countries will need a valid visa.
Since the UK’s exit from the European Union on 31st Dec 2020 European nationals can only live and work in the UK if they have a valid visa. Check if you need a visa.
For EU citizens already living in the UK, the government has launched a settlement scheme that will protect the rights of EU citizens and their family members to stay in the UK. For more information on applying for settled status and changing legislation, visit GOV.UK.