Extending UK permission under the Ukraine schemes

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Identify the scheme and expiry date

Sign in to your UKVI account and record when your current permission ends. Do not rely on an old BRP expiry date: the card and immigration permission may have had different dates. Find the earlier decision and establish whether it was under Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Extension Scheme or UPE itself.

Further stay is considered under Ukraine Permission Extension ↗. Do not look for a closed former scheme as the new extension form. Someone who previously switched to another valid visa may sometimes remain eligible for UPE, but their complete immigration history needs checking.

Check the application window and possible grant

Under the guidance current in October 2026, you can apply within 90 days before existing permission expires and must be in the UK. The first UPE grant provides 18 months; a further application after initial UPE may provide 24 months. These are separate stages, rather than an automatic grant of the combined duration.

Applying within the permitted window does not reduce the grant: remaining permission is added according to the scheme rules. Submit before your existing permission expires. An excessively early application may be rejected; applying late can interrupt work, rental and benefit entitlements until a decision. A free scheme does not mean permission extends without an application.

Prepare identity and residence information

Check access to your eVisa and update the current passport in your UKVI account before applying. Have your passport, previous decisions and BRP available if needed for identity checks. If you lack a valid passport, follow the alternative-evidence instructions and explain the circumstances; do not leave this until the final day.

You will need information about accommodation, time outside the UK and previous permission. If requested, residence can be supported by housing documents, employment, education and banking activity. Children require their own information, a full birth certificate and parent or guardian documents; their permission dates may be aligned with a parent's. Do not treat short trips and prolonged residence in another country as equivalent.

Processing, travel and longer-term plans

UPE has no application fee or IHS. After submitting online, complete the identity process offered, including biometrics if required. A valid in-time application preserves existing permission under section 3C if it expires before the decision. Use official view and prove services for evidence of rights and retain your application number.

Do not travel outside the Common Travel Area while waiting: the application will be withdrawn. After approval, check the updated eVisa and its link to your current passport before travelling. An expired BRP cannot be used to return.

Home Office guidance expressly states ↗ that the Ukraine schemes provide temporary sanctuary and are not themselves settlement routes. If considering a work or family route, separately check its requirements and qualifying periods rather than assuming several extensions automatically lead to ILR.