The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
ExampleYou can apply from 16 March if you plan to travel on 15 June.
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

You can stay in the UK for 5 years on this visa.
You can apply to extend your visa.
You can also apply to settle in the UK permanently.

You can:
• work
• study
• bring family members
You cannot:
• change (‘switch’) into this visa if you’re already in the UK on another visa
• get public funds

You must prove that you:
• are 17 or over
• have enough money without help from public funds to support and house yourself and any dependants
• can and plan to work in the UK

You must also show that you have a grandparent born in one of the following circumstances:
• in the UK, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
• before 31 March 1922 in what is now Ireland
• on a British-registered ship or aircraft
You can claim ancestry if either you or the relevant parent:
• were adopted
• were born within or outside marriage in the UK
You cannot claim UK ancestry through step-parents.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:
• a current passport or other valid travel identification
• bank statements to show you’ve enough money to support yourself
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa.
Ancestry documents
You’ll also need to provide:
• your full birth certificate
• your marriage certificate or civil partnership registration document if your husband, wife or civil partner wants to join you
• the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
• marriage certificates for your parents and grandparents if they were married
• legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted
• evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK, for example job offers you’ve received or a business plan if you’re self-employed
You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

You should include any dependants who are on your current visa on your application to extend – including children who have turned 18 during your stay.
You should apply before your current visa expires.
Eligibility
You can also apply to settle in the UK permanently if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years on this visa.
How long you can stay
You can extend your visa for a further 5 years.

Your family members (‘dependants’) must apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:
• your partner
• your child under 18
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant