Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE): UK Application Guide

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme lets eligible Ukrainian nationals and qualifying family members who are already in the UK seek more time under the Ukraine routes. The application window is now up to 90 days before the current permission expires. A first grant of UPE is normally 18 months; a second grant, when the initial UPE permission approaches expiry, is normally 24 months. These are temporary permissions, not indefinite leave to remain.

What UPE does—and what it does not do

UPE is a further temporary permission route for people whose permission began under a qualifying Ukraine Scheme, including Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme. Some people who previously held such permission but now hold another valid UK visa, or who received leave outside the Immigration Rules in specified circumstances, may also fall within the rules. The exact previous-permission category matters; do not assume that any past connection to Ukraine or any temporary UK visa is enough.

While UPE permission is valid, the Home Office says holders can work, study and access public funds. It also refers to renting in England. Housing rules differ across the UK, so do not treat an England-specific right-to-rent statement as a universal tenancy rule for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. UPE does not itself grant refugee status, asylum, indefinite leave to remain or citizenship. It does not convert the permission into a settlement route with a guaranteed future outcome.

UPE is also distinct from a protection claim. If you need international protection, are considering an asylum claim, or have a protection decision, get advice about that route rather than assuming UPE answers those questions. Our UK refugee permission renewal and settlement guide covers the separate process for people who have already been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection.

Check whether your previous permission can qualify

The main applicant generally needs to have been granted permission under one of the Ukraine Schemes and to meet the scheme’s residence and suitability requirements. The published rules include a limited range of people who previously had Ukraine Scheme permission but now have a different valid visa, or who received specified leave outside the Rules. A family member may qualify through their own previous Ukraine Scheme grant or through a qualifying relationship to a Ukrainian national, depending on the category and history.

You must be in the UK when you apply. You also need to have been living in the UK or Islands since you were granted, or arrived with, Ukraine Scheme permission, subject to the rules about temporary absence and continued UK ties. The UK includes the Crown Dependencies for the scheme’s stated residence test; do not substitute a general 12-month continuous-residence rule because that is not how the public guidance describes the requirement.

Short visits or holidays outside the UK generally do not mean that you stopped living in the UK. A temporary period living in Ukraine of under 12 months is also treated differently from an absence elsewhere. If you spent time in another country, especially a longer period, the Home Office may assess the length of the absence, why you left, and evidence of your continuing connection to the UK. The public guidance describes this as a fact-specific assessment, not a simple number of days that automatically qualifies everyone.

If asked for evidence, examples in the GOV.UK guidance include a tenancy or mortgage agreement, a landlord or housing-trust letter, regular UK employment confirmation, a local-authority letter, school or education evidence, bank statements showing regular UK spending, and UK bills. These are examples rather than a fixed document quota. Choose records that match the dates and circumstances the Home Office asks about, and follow the live form if it requests additional material.

Apply in the correct 90-day window

You can apply when your current qualifying permission has 90 days or less remaining. This 90-day window applies to a first or second UPE application. The Home Office changed the previous 28-day window in 2026; older council pages or archived advice may still show the earlier rule. Check the current GOV.UK application page and your expiry date in your UKVI account before preparing a submission.

An application submitted too early may be rejected. This does not necessarily prevent a new free application once you are within the permitted 90-day window, but it can create avoidable delay. Conversely, do not wait until after your permission has expired. The applicant guidance says a late application can leave you without your current rights to work, rent in England or receive public funds until a decision, and public funds received during that period may have to be repaid. A late application is assessed under different suitability rules; do not assume a later approval will restore every entitlement for the gap.

An in-time application is different. If you apply before your current permission expires and the decision arrives later, the public guidance says your leave continues under section 3C while the application is pending. The conditions of your previous permission continue. The eVisa can show that you may stay until the decision and retain the same rights, and a view-and-prove share code can help show those rights to an employer or landlord. Check the digital record and use the current UKVI instructions if the status display does not look right.

Prepare the online application and identity records

Before starting, sign in to your UKVI account and make sure you can access your eVisa. Update the account with the identity document you intend to use, such as a current passport, before submitting if the details need correcting. GOV.UK also says to have your passport and any expired biometric residence permit (BRP) available because it may be needed as part of the identity process. An expired BRP is not a travel document and cannot be used to travel to the UK.

The online process asks you to establish identity, confirm that you are physically in the UK, identify the Ukraine Scheme permission you held, provide accommodation details and disclose relevant time spent living outside the UK or Ukraine. Depending on your case, the Home Office may ask for further evidence after submission. If a document is not in English or Welsh, follow the translation requirements on the official application page and include the translator details it asks for.

The applicant guidance currently describes the application as free and says there is no Immigration Health Surcharge for UPE. Do not pay an unofficial site or intermediary to submit an application. If you need help understanding the form, a person may provide technical assistance, but only an appropriately authorised immigration adviser can give regulated immigration advice or submit an application on your behalf. Check the Immigration Advice Authority’s current rules if you need a representative.

Family members and children

Some non-Ukrainian family members can apply if their own previous permission or relationship falls within the rules. The categories described by GOV.UK include a partner, child, certain parents of a Ukrainian national who received Ukraine Scheme permission as a child, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, some family members under the now-closed Ukraine Family Scheme, and a carer of a child with Ukraine Scheme permission. The relationship requirements depend on the category. A partner who was previously granted permission on that basis will generally need to show that the eligible relationship continues.

If a relationship has ended, that does not automatically answer every possible UPE category. The guidance describes circumstances in which a parent or legal guardian of a child with, or eligible for, Ukraine Scheme permission may still qualify. This depends on the child’s status and the applicant’s role; it is not a general exception for every former partner.

A child under 18 must be in the UK with a parent, legal guardian, close relative, responsible adult or local authority care. The application may need a full birth certificate, proof of the relevant adult’s identity/nationality and immigration status, and evidence of guardianship, relationship, consent or care arrangements. What is needed depends on who is applying and where the child lives. The child’s welfare and accommodation arrangements may be considered.

If you were originally granted Ukraine Scheme permission as a child but are already 18 or older on the date of the UPE application, the Home Office says you are not treated as a child applicant for UPE. A child’s period of permission may be aligned with a parent or guardian in specified circumstances where that adult is living with the child and jointly or solely responsible for day-to-day care. Children in local-authority care may follow a different application route. Read the child-specific guidance before submitting a family group.

What happens after you submit

The Home Office says decisions are usually made within eight weeks, but this is an estimate and not a guaranteed deadline. Provide the email address you monitor and respond promptly if UKVI asks for information. A granted application updates the eVisa automatically; sign in to the UKVI account to check the permission dates and conditions and ensure the current passport is linked before travel.

For a first grant of UPE, the normal permission period is 18 months. If you have already received an initial UPE grant and are now making the next UPE extension application, the normal period is 24 months. The rules allow remaining permission to be added at the decision stage up to a maximum of 90 days in the specified circumstances. The caseworker guidance distinguishes a first grant from a second grant; a refused application followed by a fresh application does not by itself mean that you have already received a first grant.

If your in-time application remains undecided after expiry, do not travel outside the UK or another part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) while it is pending. The CTA includes Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. GOV.UK says leaving during this period withdraws the application, so the Home Office will not consider it. An applicant who is outside the UK when permission expires cannot make a UPE application from abroad and may need to consider a different entry-clearance route to return.

If the Home Office rejects or refuses an application, read the notice for the exact reason and any immediate instructions. The current caseworker guidance says there is no right of appeal or administrative review under UPE, but an applicant may make another fee-free application if they believe they qualify, including with additional evidence. This is not a guarantee that a repeated application will succeed. A late or refused case can affect status and access to work, public funds and housing checks; seek regulated advice promptly if your current permission has expired or the notice is unclear.

Keep your eVisa and proof of status current

Once a decision is made, check the result in your UKVI account rather than relying only on an old BRP, a screenshot or an expired decision date. Confirm that the new permission period and conditions are shown. Update the passport or identity document linked to the account if it changes. If the eVisa contains an error, use the GOV.UK reporting process and keep evidence of the correction request.

When an employer or landlord needs to check your status, generate the appropriate share code through the official service. A code for an employer check is not automatically the code for another purpose. See the UK eVisa and share code guide for the separate steps to access, prove and correct a digital status record. Do not share your UKVI password or sign-in code with an employer or landlord.

Official information checked

• GOV.UK: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme
• Home Office: Ukraine Permission Extension caseworker guidance
• Immigration Rules: Appendix Ukraine Scheme
• GOV.UK: View an eVisa and get a share code
• GOV.UK: Update details in a UKVI account

Frequently asked questions

UPE rules and application screens can change. Confirm the current expiry date, eligibility and submission instructions in your UKVI account and the official GOV.UK guidance. This article does not decide whether an individual qualifies or predict a Home Office decision.