UK Ancestry Visa Eligibility

Table Of Contents

1. What is a UK Ancestry Visa
2. Eligibility for a UK Ancestry Visa
3. Be a Commonwealth Citizen
4. Age requirement
5. Financial requirement
6. Work requirement
7. Your ancestry
8. Summary

You can apply for a UK Ancestry visa if you are a Commonwealth citizen, a British Overseas citizen, a British Overseas Territories citizen, a British National (Overseas), or a Zimbabwean citizen.

You must prove that one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

What is a UK Ancestry Visa?

The UK Ancestry Visa is a special visa category that allows certain Commonwealth citizens to live and work in the UK on the basis of their family history—specifically if they have a grandparent born in the UK.

With a UK Ancestry Visa, you can work (full-time or self-employed), study, bring your dependants (partner and children), and travel freely in and out of the UK. 

Unlike many work visas, you do not need a job offer to be able to apply.

With this visa, you can stay in the UK for 5 years, after which you can apply for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain), followed by British citizenship (if eligible).

Eligibility for a UK Ancestry Visa

To qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet certain eligibility conditions, of which the two most important ones are that you are a certain Commonwealth citizen and have a grandparent who was born in the UK.

1. Be a Commonwealth Citizen

You must be one of the following:

a. A Commonwealth citizen such as Africa, India, Canada, or Malta, 

b. A British Overseas citizen

You became a British overseas citizen on 1 January 1983 if:

• You were a CUKC (citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies such as India before independence, Hong Kong, etc.) on 31 December 1982; and

• You did not become either a British citizen or a BOTC (British overseas territories citizen) on 1 January 1983

If you were a BOTC only due to your connection with Hong Kong, you lost that citizenship on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China.

However, you became a British overseas citizen if:

• You had the nationality of no other country and would have become stateless; or

• You were born after 30 June 1997 and would have been born stateless if one of your parents was a BN (O) – British national (overseas) or British overseas citizen when you were born

c. A British Overseas Territories citizen

If you were born prior to 1 January 1983

You became a BOTC (British Overseas Territories Citizen) on 1 January 1983 if:

• You were a CUKC on 31 December 1982; and

• You had connections with a British overseas territory such as Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, or British Virgin Islands because you, your parents, or your grandparents were born, registered, or naturalised in that British overseas territory

You also became a BOTC if you were a woman married to a man who became a BOTC on 1 January 1983.

You can apply to become a BOTC if you did not automatically become one because:

• Your parents were not married when you were born; or

• Your mother was a BOTC 

You can apply for British citizenship at the same time.

If you were born on or after 1 January 1983

You are a BOTC if:

• You were born in a British overseas territory; and

• One of your parents was a BOTC or legally settled in a British overseas territory when you were born

You are also a BOTC if:

• You were adopted in an overseas territory by a BOTC; or

• You were born outside the overseas territory to a parent who gained British Overseas Territories citizenship in their own right (known as ‘otherwise than by descent’). “Otherwise than by descent” means your parent became a BOTC through their own direct connection, such as being born in a British Overseas Territory, or being naturalised or registered there

You can apply to become a BOTC if you did not automatically become a citizen because your parents were not married when you were born.

You can apply for British citizenship at the same time.

d. A British National (Overseas)

If a person was a BOTC (British Overseas Territories Citizen – this was called ‘British dependent territories citizenship’ before 26 February 2002) by having a connection with Hong Kong, was able to register as a British national (overseas) prior to 1 July 1997.

If you were a BOTC from Hong Kong and you did not register as a British national (overseas) and had no nationality or citizenship of any other country on 30 June 1997, you became a British overseas citizen on 1 July 1997.

You cannot apply to become a British national (overseas) if you are not already one.

e. A Zimbabwean citizen.

2. Age requirement

You must be aged 17 or over on the date of your UK Ancestry Visa application.

3. Financial requirement

You must have enough money to support and house yourself and any dependents without help from public funds. There is no fixed financial threshold.

4. Work requirement

You must prove that you can and plan to work in the UK.

5. Your ancestry

You must show that you have a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, before 31 March 1922 in what is now Ireland, or on an aircraft or ship that either belonged to the UK government or was registered in the UK.

You can claim UK ancestry if:

• You/your parent were adopted

• Your parents/grandparents were not married

Claiming ancestry through step-parents is not allowed.

Summary

To be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must be a Commonwealth citizen, aged 17 or over, have a grandparent who was born in the UK, prove that you can and plan to work in the UK, and be financially independent.

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