The short version
- The UK Ancestry visa lets you live and work in the UK for 5 years if one of your grandparents was born in the UK and you are a Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over.
- It costs £726, plus a healthcare surcharge of £1,035 for each year for most adults.
- After 5 years you can extend it, or apply to settle in the UK for good.
- It is a visa, not citizenship. Settling in the UK can later lead to an application for British citizenship.
What is the UK Ancestry visa?
It is a UK visa for Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the UK. It lets you live in the UK for 5 years, and the Home Office's rules call it a route to settlement.
The GOV.UK UK Ancestry visa page says that while you hold it you can:
- Work, paid or unpaid, full time or part time, for an employer or for yourself.
- Study.
- Bring your partner or children.
Two limits: you cannot get public funds, and you cannot switch into this visa from inside the UK if you came on a different one.
Who can get a UK Ancestry visa?
You can apply if you are a Commonwealth citizen with a grandparent born in the UK, and you meet the other rules. GOV.UK also accepts British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British nationals (overseas) and citizens of Zimbabwe.
The eligibility page says you must prove that you:
- Are 17 or over.
- Have enough money to support and house yourself and any family with you, without help from public funds.
- Can and plan to work in the UK.
Your grandparent must have been born in one of these places:
- The UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
- What is now Ireland, before 31 March 1922.
- A ship or aircraft registered in the UK, or owned by the UK government.
It still counts if you or your parent were adopted, or if your parents or grandparents were not married. It does not count through a step-parent.
Can Americans get a UK Ancestry visa?
Not on a US passport alone. The visa is for Commonwealth citizens, and the US is not on the list of Commonwealth countries in the British Nationality Act 1981. Countries on that list include Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa.
The same Act says a citizen of any listed country is a Commonwealth citizen. So an American who is also, say, a Canadian citizen is a Commonwealth citizen through Canada.
Americans who only want to visit usually need a UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA): see the UK ETA for Americans. If a grandparent was born in Ireland, Irish citizenship may be open to you instead: see how to move to Ireland from the US.
What documents do you need for a UK Ancestry visa?
Your passport, birth certificates that show the family line, and proof of work plans and money. GOV.UK's documents page lists:
- A current passport or other valid travel document.
- Your full birth certificate.
- The full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your claim is based on.
- Proof you plan to work, such as job offers, or a business plan if you will work for yourself.
- Proof of money, such as bank statements dated within 31 days of when you apply.
You may also need papers showing a name change, such as a marriage certificate, adoption papers, a tuberculosis test result if you come from a country where one is needed, and proof of your link to any partner or children applying with you.
How much does a UK Ancestry visa cost?
£726 for the visa, plus the immigration health surcharge. For most adults the surcharge is £1,035 a year, so £5,175 for a 5-year visa. These are the fees on GOV.UK, checked on 18 October 2026:
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Visa, from outside the UK | £726 |
| Health surcharge, adults | £1,035 a year |
| Health surcharge, under 18 when applying | £776 a year |
| Extension, for 5 more years | £1,407 plus the surcharge |
| Indefinite leave to remain | £3,226 |
The extension and settlement fees are for each person. Family members aged 18 or over usually pay the same surcharge as you. No surcharge is due on an application for indefinite leave to remain. The visa, extension and settlement figures match the Home Office fees table that took effect on 8 October 2026.
How long does a UK Ancestry visa take and last?
A decision usually takes 3 weeks, and the visa lasts 5 years. You apply online from outside the UK, no earlier than 3 months before you travel, and give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.
After 5 years you can extend it for 5 more years, as many times as you like, as long as you still meet the rules. You must apply before your visa runs out. An extension decision usually takes 8 weeks, and you must not leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while you wait.
Can your partner and children come?
Yes, as your dependants. GOV.UK counts your partner, your children under 18, and children 18 or over who were already on your or your partner's visa as dependants.
- Your partner. You are married or in a civil partnership, or you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years, living together or with a good reason not to.
- Your children. They live with you, unless away at boarding school, college or university. They are not married, in a civil partnership or parents themselves, and you support them without public funds.
Your partner and children can work, except as a sportsperson or coach, and they can study. A child born while you are in the UK does not become British automatically. To stay, they need a dependant visa, applied for before they turn 18.
Can you settle in the UK on an Ancestry visa?
Yes. After 5 years in a row in the UK on the visa, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, also called settlement. It lets you live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like, and GOV.UK says you can use it to apply for British citizenship.
To settle, you must:
- Live mostly in the UK. In most cases, no more than 180 days outside it in any 12-month period.
- Still meet the rules on money and work, and still be a Commonwealth citizen.
- Pass the language and life tests if you are 18 to 64: the English language rule and the Life in the UK Test.
The English level is going up. The Immigration Rules for UK Ancestry, updated on 8 October 2026, ask for level B1 in speaking and listening if you apply before 26 March 2027, and level B2 from that date.
You can apply up to 28 days before you reach 5 years. The fee is £3,226 for each person, and a decision usually takes 6 months. A super priority service costs £1,000 more.
Is the Ancestry visa the same as British citizenship?
No. The Ancestry visa is permission to live in the UK. British citizenship by descent is a different thing: it normally passes through a British parent, not a grandparent. Check your own line with the UK citizenship by descent checker.
If you are younger and have no UK grandparent, a working holiday may fit. The UK's Youth Mobility Scheme visa is for people aged 18 to 30 from set countries, or up to 35 from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea. See the UK working holiday visa page, or read how a working holiday visa works.