Ukrainians in the United Kingdom will be able to extend their visas for another 24 months

The UK government has released details of the second phase of visa extensions for Ukrainians under the Ukrainian Permission Extension program. This concerns an additional 24 months of stay for those who have already used the first extension. Visit Ukraine reports on this.

The total term of residence under Ukrainian support programs may reach up to 6.5 years.

Visa extensions for Ukrainians: who can apply

Only those Ukrainian citizens who have already received the first extension for a period of 18 months will be able to apply for the second extension. Automatic extensions are not provided; a new online document submission procedure is required.

The main conditions are as follows:

• additional 24 months of stay

• application submission exclusively through the online service

• only participants of the first extension phase have the right to apply.

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Visa in the United Kingdom: application deadlines and important requirements

Documents can be submitted within the last 90 days of the validity of the current visa. Previously, this was limited to only 28 days. The exact start date for accepting applications has not yet been announced.

A key condition remains continuous residence in the country. However, absence for up to 12 consecutive months or in total is allowed without losing the right to extension.

The UK government has emphasized that stay under Ukrainian support programs does not count towards the duration required to obtain permanent residency. Even after 6.5 years within the support, automatic transition to permanent resident status is not provided.

Ukrainians are advised to check the validity of their documents in advance and prepare proof of residence to submit their applications on time.

It should be recalled that the number of U.S. citizens seeking to obtain British citizenship reached an unprecedented level in 2026.