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You can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa if you:

• want to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years
• are aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35, depending on where you’re from
• have £2,530 in savings
• have certain types of British Nationality or are from certain countries or territories listed in the eligibility requirements

How long it takes

The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you travel.

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

How much it costs

You will need to:

• pay the application fee
• pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £776 per year
• prove you have enough personal savings - check how much in the eligibility requirements

Application fee

The application fee is £319.

How long you can stay

You’ll be given a visa to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months.

You can enter the UK at any time while your visa is valid, and leave and come back at any time during your stay.

If you turn 31 after your visa is issued, you can stay in the UK for as long as your visa is valid.

If you’re from Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you’ll be able to extend your visa by one year after the 2-year period ends.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

• study - for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate
• work in most jobs
• be self-employed and set up a company - as long as your premises are rented, your equipment is not worth more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees

You cannot:

• work as a professional sportsperson (for example as a coach)
• extend your stay unless you’re from Australia, Canada or New Zealand
• get public funds
• bring in family members on your application - they must apply separately

If you’re from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea

You can apply for the visa if you’re aged 18 to 35 and from:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• South Korea

If you’re from elsewhere in the world

You can apply for the visa if you’re aged 18 to 30 and from:

• Andorra
• Iceland
• Japan
• Monaco
• San Marino
• Uruguay

You must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa if you’re from:

• Hong Kong, if you have an SAR passport
• Taiwan

You can also apply if you’re aged 18 to 30 and you’re a:

• British overseas citizen
• British overseas territories citizen
• British national (overseas)

When you cannot apply

You cannot apply if you have:

• children under the age of 18 who live with you
• children you’re financially responsible for
• already been in the UK under the scheme

If you’re from India

There’s a different scheme for Indian nationals. Check if you’re eligible for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa.

Money to support yourself

You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK.

You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.

You’ll need to show proof of this when you apply.

Read the guidance on financial evidence for more information about the money you need and how to prove it.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
• a bank statement showing you have at least £2,530 in savings
• your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

You need a blank page in your passport for your visa.

You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

If you’re from Andorra

You must provide an Andorran certificate of criminal records. It must have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

If you’re from Hong Kong or Taiwan

You must provide a valid email from the Home Office confirming you were successful in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot.

If you’re from Iceland

You must provide an Icelandic criminal certificate for private use (called a Sakavottorð). It must have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

If you’re from San Marino

You must provide a letter from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs.

The letter must:

• confirm that you’re suitable for the Youth Mobility Scheme
• have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa

If you’re from Uruguay

You must provide a Uruguayan certificate of judicial records (called a Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales). It must have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

Check which documents you’ll need to apply.

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. before you apply.

If you’re from Hong Kong or Taiwan, you must be successfully selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa.

Apply from outside the UK

You must apply online for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

Proving your identity and providing supporting documents

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document - you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

If you do need an appointment:

• the centre may need to keep your passport and documents while they process your application
• you may have to travel to get to your nearest visa application centre (this could be in another country)

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.

If you have a child while you’re in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You can . You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with your child.

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

You can only apply to extend your Youth Mobility Scheme visa if you’re from Australia, Canada or New Zealand.

You can extend your visa for one year.

To extend your visa, you must:

• be living in the UK
• have a valid Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Your visa will be valid from the day after your original visa ends.

You can only extend your visa once.

Fees

You’ll need to pay:

• the £319 application fee
• the £776 immigration health surcharge

Extend your visa online

You must apply online to extend your visa.

You should apply no more than 28 days before your current visa expires.

Proving your identity and providing supporting documents

As part of your application you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document - you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

How long it takes to get a decision

You’ll get a decision on your application within 8 weeks.

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.