UK Long Residence

What Long Residence is and who it is for

Long Residence is a settlement route for people who have already spent a long, unbroken period living lawfully in the UK. Instead of qualifying through one specific visa, applicants qualify on the strength of 10 years of continuous lawful residence, which may span more than one immigration category (for example time as a student followed by time as a worker).

It is aimed at long-settled residents who have built their lives in the UK legally but who do not have a more direct settlement route. A successful application results in Indefinite Leave to Remain, granting the right to live, work and study in the UK without time limit.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must show 10 years of continuous lawful residence in the UK. Residence counts as lawful when it is covered by valid leave (permission) to be in the UK. Applicants generally need to have held their current permission for at least a year.

Applicants aged 18 to 65 must also pass the Life in the UK Test and demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the English language. Those who meet the 10-year residence rule but cannot yet meet these requirements may apply to extend rather than settle.

• The 10 years can combine time spent on several different immigration categories.
• Absences of up to 180 days in any 12-month period are allowed without breaking continuous residence.
• For time abroad that began before 11 April 2024, the older limits apply: no single absence over 184 days and no more than 548 days in total.
• Life in the UK Test and English language requirement apply to applicants aged 18 to 65.

What does not count and what breaks continuous residence

Some periods do not count towards the 10 years, and certain situations break continuity altogether. Applicants should check their history carefully before applying.

• Time on a Standard Visitor, Short-term Study or Seasonal Worker visa does not count.
• Time on Ukraine schemes or spent on immigration bail does not count.
• Time in prison, a young offender institution or a secure hospital does not count and can break continuity.
• Time spent overstaying (after permission has expired) breaks continuous residence.
• Time as a British citizen after citizenship was removed does not count.

Costs

The fees below were confirmed on gov.uk on 20 August 2026. Fees are charged per applicant, and dependants applying in their own right pay separately.

• Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain): £3,226.
• Extending your stay for 2 years: £1,407.
• Super priority service (faster decision): an extra £1,000.
• The biometric appointment itself has no separate fee.
• You may also need to budget for the Life in the UK Test and an approved English language test, plus certified translations of any non-English or non-Welsh documents.

Documents you must provide

• A current passport or other valid travel identification.
• All the passports you have held during your time in the UK.
• Proof of immigration status: your biometric residence permit (BRP) if you have one (it can be expired), or online proof via your eVisa using a share code.
• A certified translation of any document not in English or Welsh.
• Any additional documents relevant to your particular circumstances.

How to apply

You apply online through the official UK immigration service, and you must be in the UK to apply. You can save the form and return to it later. After submitting, you attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics), and you either upload your documents or have them scanned at the appointment. Children under 6 do not give biometric information.

Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your application is being decided — leaving withdraws your application and the fee is not refunded.

Processing times

• Settlement applications: usually a decision within 6 months of giving your biometrics.
• Extension applications: usually a decision within 8 weeks of giving your biometrics.
• Super priority service: a decision by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment, or within 2 working days for a weekend appointment.
• Complex cases (for example needing document checks or an interview) can take longer.

Family members and dependants

You cannot include family members in a Long Residence application. A dependant means your partner or child.

Each family member must qualify and apply separately. A partner or child may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain through Long Residence in their own right if they meet the requirements. If they do not qualify for settlement but your application succeeds, they may be able to apply on a family route as the partner or child of a settled person. Children over 18 who cannot apply separately may have to leave the UK.

Extending instead of settling

If you meet the 10-year continuous residence requirement but cannot yet meet the knowledge and language requirements (the Life in the UK Test or the English language requirement), you can apply to extend your permission instead of settling straight away. An extension is granted for 2 years, after which you can apply to settle once you meet all the requirements. You apply online from within the UK and give biometrics in the same way as a settlement application.

After you settle

A successful settlement application is issued as a digital eVisa, and you will need a UKVI account to access it. With Indefinite Leave to Remain you can live, work and study in the UK without time limit and access public services and benefits where eligible. You can usually apply for British citizenship after a minimum of a further 12 months, provided you meet the citizenship requirements.