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Before you travel to the UK

??You need permission to enter the UK. Check which visa you can apply for.

Once your application has been processed, youll either get a visa or official letter of permission. You can use this to board a plane or other form of transport to the UK.

If you applied to be sponsored by the Scottish or Welsh government

If you apply for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (also known as Homes for Ukraine), you can choose the Scottish or Welsh government as your sponsor.

If your application is successful, theyll contact you to let you know where youll be staying. Theyll also help with things like getting a bank account, accessing benefits, finding work and registering with a doctor.

Theres more information about the help you can get if the Scottish government is your sponsor or if the Welsh government is your sponsor.

What happens at the UK border

When you arrive in the UK, show your visa or your permission letter and passport to a Border Force officer.

If youre bringing money or belongings

You can bring most personal belongings into the UK without having to speak with a customs officer. Use the green channel marked nothing to declare.

You must speak with a customs officer if youre bringing:

• a personal vehicle
• prohibited or restricted goods, for example controlled drugs or weapons
• 10,000 or more in cash (or 10,000 or more if youre coming to Northern Ireland), or the equivalent in another currency

Check how to bring your own vehicle to the UK and what to speak with a customs officer about.

If youre bringing a pet

If you want to bring your pet with you, it might need to go into quarantine when you arrive. Find out what you need to do if you bring a pet.

Travelling to where youre staying

In England, Scotland and Wales, you can get free onward travel by train, bus, coach or light rail from the major airport or port you arrive at. To be eligible, you must travel within 48 hours of arriving in the UK.

You can get free train or bus travel in Northern Ireland within 7 days of arriving.

Getting financial help

You can apply for benefits to get financial support. To be eligible for benefits you might have to pass a residence test if you have recently arrived in the UK. These tests mean you usually need to wait for an amount of time before you are eligible for benefits.

You will automatically pass the residence test if all of the following apply:

• you were living in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022
• you left Ukraine because of the Russian invasion
• it does not say no public funds or no recourse to public funds on your immigration documents

If you do not have a job, cannot work or are on a low income

You can apply for Universal Credit if you do not have a job, cannot work or youre on a low income. This benefit is paid each month. The amount you get depends on things like if you have a child or need help with housing costs.

You can open a UK bank account to get your benefits payments. If youre not able to open a UK bank account you can still get benefit payments by using the Payment Exception Service

Read more on setting up a bank account.

If you have children

You can apply for Child Benefit if you have one or more children in the UK with you. If successful, youll get 24 a week for your eldest or only child and 15.90 for each additional child.

You might also be able to get help to pay for childcare if your child is not in school yet. You can apply for a school place once your child is 4 years old.

If youre aged 66 or over

You can apply for Pension Credit to get extra money each week.

Theres different guidance for getting Pension Credit if youre in Northern Ireland.

If you have a Homes for Ukraine visa

You can get a one-off payment of 200 per person when you arrive in the UK if you have a Homes for Ukraine visa. To get this, contact the council where you live.

Accessing your eVisa

We are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status. This is known as an eVisa. You need to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and share information about your immigration status and conditions, such as your right to work or rent in the UK, using the view and prove service. For more information visit Online immigration status (eVisa).

If you need to provide your biometric information

Your permission letter might say you need to provide your biometric information once youre in the UK.

If it does, you need to do this within 6 months of arriving in the UK.

Fill in the online form to start the process of providing your biometric information.

Where you can live

You can live with family members, sponsors or in a property of your own.

If you want to live in a property of your own, you can search on property listings websites or go to local lettings agents. Find out about your rights and responsibilities if you rent a property.

Working in the UK

When you find a job with a UK employer youll need to prove your right to work. To use the online service youll need to have a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

You can show your employer the visa in your passport, if your passport has not expired.

If you do not have a passport and were given your visa on a form, youll need to use the online service.

Getting a National Insurance number

You might already have a National Insurance number if you applied for any benefits.

If you do not have one, you need to apply for a National Insurance number to work in the UK.

Help finding work

You can use the Find a job service to search and apply for jobs.

If you claim benefits, theres support to help you find work, such as training schemes and work experience.

Sharing you immigration status with employers

You need to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa. Once youve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to acces

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