Four and a half years on a Ukraine scheme count for nothing towards long residence settlement. Appendix Long Residence of the Immigration Rules expressly excludes "permission under Appendix Ukraine Scheme" from its 10-year qualifying period, and Appendix Ukraine Scheme states that the schemes "are not a route to settlement."
That is why two kinds of paperwork now run side by side for Ukrainian families in the UK. One is the UPE extension, which asks for very little. The other is a move to a Skilled Worker, Student or family visa, where Ukrainian diplomas, marriage certificates and birth certificates come out of the drawer and need certified translations.
This guide covers which schemes are open, how UPE works, children's documents, name spellings, replacement certificates from Diia, and switching to other visas.
Which Ukraine schemes are open in 2026?
One route from abroad and one extension route in the UK. The Home Office's UPE caseworker guidance (version 4.0, June 2026) gives the dates.
| Scheme | Status in October 2026 | Permission granted |
|---|---|---|
| Homes for Ukraine | Open, from outside the UK, with an approved sponsor | Up to 18 months |
| Ukraine Family Scheme | Closed at 3pm on 19 February 2024 | None |
| Ukraine Extension Scheme | Closed to most applicants on 16 May 2024, entirely on 4 February 2025 | None |
| Ukraine Permission Extension | Open to people in the UK who held Ukraine scheme permission | 18 months, then 24 months |
Homes for Ukraine is for Ukrainians, and their immediate family, who lived in Ukraine on or immediately before 1 January 2022. The sponsor must be British, Irish or settled and offer accommodation for at least six months, though a parent with Ukraine scheme permission can sponsor their own child. It is free, and applicants on a Ukraine scheme do not need a tuberculosis test.
How does the Ukraine Permission Extension work now?
You apply in the UK, for free, within 90 days of your current permission expiring. Since 8 April 2026 that window applies to first and second applications alike (it used to be 28 days), and a second UPE grant lasts 24 months. Any time left on your current permission, up to 90 days, is added to the new grant, so applying early in the window costs nothing.
Apply too early and the application can be rejected; apply after your permission expires and you lose the right to work, rent and claim benefits until a decision. Do not travel outside the Common Travel Area while you wait, or the application is withdrawn.
The form asks for your identity, your UK accommodation and any time living outside the UK or Ukraine. Short visits and temporary periods in Ukraine of under 12 months do not count against you. GOV.UK says "You'll generally not be required to upload evidence", but a caseworker may ask for a marriage or birth certificate, proof of your UK address or evidence of ties to the UK. When that happens, the rule is on the same page:
The caseworker guidance also tells caseworkers to "take into account the current situation in Ukraine and its potential impact on the applicant's ability to obtain documentary evidence." That helps when a record was destroyed, but a document you do have still needs translating.
What do children's applications need?
More than adults'. For a child under 18, UPE asks for "the child's full birth certificate showing their parents' details", the parent's identity document and the parent's immigration status, such as an eVisa share code. Then it depends on who the child lives with:
- A legal guardian: "an official document, which should be notarised by the issuing country or the Ukrainian Embassy, demonstrating legal guardianship."
- A close relative (grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt or step-parent): evidence of that relationship and written consent from a parent or legal guardian covering the application and the child's living and care arrangements.
- Another adult caring for the child: the same written consent, plus details of the care and accommodation.
Homes for Ukraine sets a stricter test for a child travelling without a parent: consent to leave Ukraine "notarised or certified by the Guardianship Service of the city or regional council in Ukraine", or by a notary or the Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate if the child is elsewhere, plus a UK sponsorship consent form and council approval. "For evidence that is not in English, you must upload a translation."
A child born in the UK after 18 March 2022 to a Ukrainian parent with scheme permission can apply for UPE using their UK birth certificate, which needs no translation. See Ukrainian document translation for certificate formats.
How should Ukrainian names be spelled in a UK translation?
As in the passport linked to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. Your eVisa is tied to that document, and a translation that spells the name differently makes the caseworker match two names to one person.
Ukraine's official system, adopted by the Government on 27 January 2010 and approved by the United Nations in 2012, applies "both to geographical and personal names". Its main rules:
- Г is h, Ґ is g, and зг is zgh: Згурський is Zghurskyi.
- Є, Ї, Й, Ю, Я change with position: ye, yi, y, yu, ya at the start of a word; ie, i, i, iu, ia elsewhere. Юрій is Yurii; Олексій is Oleksii.
- The soft sign and apostrophe disappear.
Older systems, such as the BGN/PCGN 1965 system (replaced in 2019 by the national one), use y-forms throughout, and some Ukrainian passports carry spellings like YURIY or NATALIYA. The holder's own name always follows the passport; other people on a certificate, such as parents, follow one system consistently across every document. A patronymic is labelled as a patronymic, never a middle name.
Certificates issued before 1991 may be in Russian or in both languages. The translation renders what is on the page and adds a note where a Russian form of the name differs from the Ukrainian passport spelling.
Can you use replacement certificates from Diia?
Yes. According to Ukraine's government, since 21 July 2022 repeat birth, marriage, divorce, death and name-change certificates and register extracts can be ordered through the Diia portal, for yourself or for close relatives with proof of the relationship. You collect them from the civil registry office or have Ukrposhta deliver them; martial law has limited the service in some regions.
A repeat certificate is a new issue of the record, with a recent issue date. The translation must show that date and any repeat-issue marking exactly; a 2025 reissue must never read like a 1998 original. Translate any QR code text or verification details printed on extracts too.
Leaving the schemes: which visas, and what to translate?
Ukraine scheme permission is granted under the Immigration Rules, so it does not stop you switching inside the UK to a Skilled Worker or Student visa; leave outside the rules does. Because a switch made in the UK is an application for leave to remain, paragraph 39B(f)(iv) requires the translation to carry "certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials." Official Translations is a member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), and every certificate it issues meets that requirement.
- Skilled Worker: no overseas criminal record certificate is needed when you switch in the UK, as SW 16.1 applies only to entry clearance. English has been required at level B2 since 8 January 2026. See our Skilled Worker documents guide.
- Student: after 12 months in the UK with permission, you do not have to show funds (ST 12.1). Courses below degree level still need the qualifications behind the offer, so translate your school leaving certificate or diploma and its supplement (dodatok do dyploma). See our Student visa documents guide.
- Family routes: a marriage certificate (svidotstvo pro shliub) and children's birth certificates (svidotstvo pro narodzhennia), translated in full.
For driving on a Ukrainian licence, see our DVLA guide for Ukrainian and other licences.
What changed for the Ukraine schemes in 2025 and 2026?
| Effective date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 4 February 2025 | UPE opened with 18 months' permission; the Ukraine Extension Scheme closed entirely | UPE caseworker guidance |
| 13 August 2025 | People who arrived on a permission to travel letter and had not applied to stay by 9am can no longer apply under the Ukraine schemes | GOV.UK Homes for Ukraine guidance |
| 8 April 2026 | Second UPE grant of 24 months; applications open 90 days before expiry instead of 28 | Statement of changes HC 1691 |
Why Ukraine scheme applications get delayed over documents
- Applying more than 90 days early, so the application is rejected.
- Applying after permission expires, losing the right to work and rent until a decision.
- An untranslated birth, marriage or guardianship document, prompting a request.
- A guardianship document not notarised by Ukrainian authorities or the Embassy.
- One name, three spellings across passport, certificates and translations.
- Travel outside the Common Travel Area while the application is pending.
Checklist: Ukraine scheme documents
Questions people ask
Is the Ukraine Family Scheme still open?
No. It closed to new applications at 3pm on 19 February 2024. Homes for Ukraine is now the only Ukraine scheme open to people outside the UK, and it needs an approved sponsor in the UK.
Can I extend my UPE permission for another 24 months?
Yes, since 8 April 2026. If you were granted an initial 18 months under UPE, you can apply within 90 days of that permission expiring for a further 24 months, and up to 90 days of remaining permission is added to the new grant.
Do I need to upload translated documents for a UPE application?
Usually not, because most UPE applications need no uploaded evidence. If a caseworker asks for a document that is not in English, such as a birth or marriage certificate, it needs a full, dated and signed English translation with the translator's or company official's name and contact details.
Does time on the Ukraine schemes count towards settlement?
No. Appendix Ukraine Scheme says the schemes are not a route to settlement, and Appendix Long Residence excludes Ukraine scheme permission from the 10-year qualifying period. Settlement depends on moving to another route, such as Skilled Worker or a family visa.
Which spelling of my name should the translation use?
The spelling in the passport linked to your UKVI account, even if Ukraine's 2010 transliteration system would give a different one. Other names on the document should follow one system consistently, and a short translator's note can link any variant spellings.
Can I use a repeat certificate ordered through Diia?
Yes. Repeat certificates and register extracts have been available through Diia since 21 July 2022, and they are official documents issued from the civil register. The translation must show the new issue date and any repeat-issue marking exactly as printed.
How much does a Ukrainian document translation cost, and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page of up to 300 words, with a signed certificate of accuracy that meets every part of paragraph 39B(f), so it covers a UPE request and an in-country switch alike. Most single-page certificates arrive as a signed PDF within 24 hours, and longer documents such as diploma supplements take 1 to 3 business days.
