Ukrainians in Britain can apply for permission extension within a 90-day window

Use the wider window before existing permission expires

Ukrainians and eligible family members living in Britain should check their permission expiry now rather than rely on older instructions to wait until the final 28 days. The Home Office’s March 2026 explanatory memorandum describes the expansion of the Ukraine Permission Extension application window from 28 to 90 days. This is a current deadline guide checked on 29 October, not a newly announced extension today.

The public application guidance now allows both first and second applications within the 90 days before existing permission expires. It says applying within that window does not shorten the total permission granted because remaining valid time is carried forward. Applying prematurely can lead to rejection. There is no single deadline shared by all Ukrainians: the controlling date is the individual’s current permission expiry.

Distinguish the first extension from the second grant

Appendix Ukraine Scheme in the Immigration Rules provides up to 18 months for an applicant who has not previously received Ukraine Permission Extension permission, and up to 24 months for someone who has. Remaining permission can be added, capped at 90 days. Children’s grants can instead be aligned with the relevant parent or guardian, so the adult maximum should not be assumed for every child.

The rules require an eligible immigration history and nationality or family relationship. They cover specified previous Ukraine Scheme permissions and certain grants outside the rules, with a separate provision for eligible children born in Britain. Being Ukrainian alone does not establish entitlement under this route. The appendix also states that the Ukraine schemes are not a route to settlement.

Prepare identity evidence and check whether biometrics can be reused

The Home Office’s separate caseworker guidance confirms that there is no application fee and no Immigration Health Surcharge. A request to pay either as a mandatory UPE application charge should therefore be checked against that official guidance before any payment.

A valid international passport or travel document is the preferred evidence of identity and nationality. The caseworker guidance also discusses alternatives for Ukrainians without one, including a recently expired passport with a recognisable photograph or an appropriate Ukrainian identity card. These are assessed against identity standards, rather than accepted automatically in every case.

The same guidance explains that eligible applicants using the identity-check app may reuse fingerprints while providing a new facial image. An expired biometric residence permit can support that process where the stated conditions are met, including its expiry period. Someone unable to use the digital process must follow the instructions for an appointment instead of leaving identity verification unfinished.

Update the UKVI account before submitting the application

The separate UKVI account-update resource explains how to keep passport details, contact information and addresses current. It requires access to the account’s sign-in document information and associated phone number or email. Check that access before the application deadline approaches, particularly if a host or helper originally managed the account.

That service cannot change a person’s passport or name while a visa decision is pending. It also distinguishes updating account details from changing an immigration application itself. If the displayed immigration status is wrong, use the eVisa error-reporting route linked there. Adding a passport to an account is not an application to extend permission.

Submit in time and avoid withdrawing the application through travel

The public UPE application guidance requires applicants to be in Britain and to apply before their existing permission ends. It warns that a late applicant can lose work, rent and benefit entitlements while awaiting a decision, even if permission is eventually granted. An in-time application is treated differently, with existing permission continuing while the decision is pending.

That guidance also warns that leaving the Common Travel Area while waiting causes withdrawal of the application. Arrange necessary travel around this restriction and check the decision before departure. For illustration, submitting the form before a holiday does not make an overseas trip harmless. Keep the submission record and monitor the registered email so requests for further evidence can be answered promptly.