Refugee family reunion in the United Kingdom

Who can come, from when, what evidence, and why a free application still costs money.

March 5, 2024

Family reunion is only possible after you have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection. That often takes one to three years, sometimes longer. While your asylum claim is still going, you cannot make this application.

Who can come: your spouse or partner, if you were married or had lived together for two years before you left; and your children under 18, born or conceived before you left.

For other relatives — an elderly parent, a brother, a sister — the application is made “outside the rules”. It is possible, but it is harder, and it needs a lawyer.

The evidence asked for: marriage and birth certificates, photos, messages, proof of money sent, statements from people who know your family. Gather everything you can, including what seems unimportant.

The application itself is free, and there is no minimum income requirement. But there are costs around it: a mandatory tuberculosis test, mandatory English translation of every document, photographs, your family's travel to the visa centre, and often the journey itself. Plan for that.

Expect at least three months of processing. If it is refused, the appeal deadline is short: as soon as the decision arrives, look for a lawyer without waiting.

One thing that is decided much earlier: name every relative at the screening interview, with their date of birth if you know it. A name that appears nowhere in your file is a name you will have to explain years later.

Factual owner: InfoKit

Last reviewed: August 11, 2026