Guidance

Practical information for applicants

Updated 25 July 2024

Introduction

This document provides information about how the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) can support you with your voluntary departure from the UK.

Eligibility

To get help from the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS), you need to meet eligibility criteria.

This criteria will largely depend on your current immigration status in the UK, but may also depend on other factors, such as any criminal history you have. If you have existing leave to remain in the UK, you are not eligible for this service.

You will not be eligible for VRS if you hold any form of leave in the UK. If you’re unsure about your current status, contact UKVI before you apply for VRS.

In addition, depending on your country of return and your personal circumstances, you may be able to receive up to £3,000 in financial assistance as part of your voluntary return.

Before you apply, check whether you are eligible for VRS help and financial assistance.

If you have an existing application, please do not reapply. Someone will be in touch with you about your application.

Travelling

Help booking travel home

If you are planning on self-funding your travel, you can contact the VRS to get advice on how to make your booking and what else you should consider before you travel.

If you need the VRS to buy a flight for you then we will make all the arrangements. We will work with you to arrange a suitable flight destination, and date and time. We can also help you get to your place of departure.

Help with travel documents

To complete your departure, you must have a valid travel document.

If you do not have a valid passport, the VRS can help you get a one-way travel document. This could be by discussing with you about visiting your local embassy to obtain a travel document or arranging a travel document application.

Each destination country will have their own rules and regulations about what documentation is needed, but the VRS can help you navigate the process.

Medical help

Medical help to support your journey

If you need financial help from the Home Office to purchase your flight or further reintegration help, we may also be able to help you with additional medical support during your flight. You should discuss your medical condition with your caseworker who will be able to tell you how we can help.

You may be asked to discuss your situation with a doctor and get a fit-to-fly certificate, or provide confirmation of what medical support you will need to help you to fly. This will allow the VRS to identify any support needed and make the appropriate arrangements. We are experienced in assisting with a range of complex and varied medical needs.

Help if you have significant medical incapacity

In some cases, returning to your country alone may not be possible. For example you may be bedbound after suffering a stroke or have severe vulnerabilities which limit your capacity to travel alone. In these instances, the VRS use support from a specialist medical contractor.

The medical contractor supply fully licensed, trained professional medical escorts who can visit you at your place of residence to assess which medical officers and medical equipment may be needed to safely return you to your country.

The medical contractor can supply hoists to help you onto the plane, and a door-to-door pick-up from your place of residence to the departure port. They will help you from the moment they collect you, during your travel and also on arrival in your final destination. Medical officers will return to the UK after they have completed your return and placed you in the care of a friend, family member or transferred you to another hospital.

Medical conditions if you are self-funding your voluntary return

If you are funding your own journey and you have a medical condition that may affect your ability to travel, you should consider discussing your circumstances with a doctor to make sure you are fit to travel.

As you are buying your own ticket to return, you should check with your provider that you will be able to travel, or whether you will need documentation such as a fit-to-fly certificate. You should also contact your travel provider to arrange any mobility care that you may need.

Financial and accommodation support

The VRS does not provide accommodation. If you currently receive accommodation through another provider, such as a local authority, we can work with them on a possible short-term extension while arrangements are made to leave the UK.

Alternatively, we can suggest charitable organisations which may be able to help you with short-term accommodation.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) passports and vaccinations

Individual countries now have different entry requirements in relation to COVID-19 vaccination status and evidence of negative PCR test. Many countries also have different regulations around other factors such as the age of the passenger, the type of vaccine you have received, and/or other countries that you have recently travelled to.

If you cannot provide evidence of the necessary COVID-19 certificate or test result, you may not be allowed to travel. You must check that you are eligible to travel before you arrive at your place of departure.

If you are eligible for support, the Home Office can assist you with arranging any necessary COVID-19 tests that you may be required to undertake before travel.

If your destination, or any transit location, requires you to be vaccinated against COVID-19, you should ensure that you have the relevant COVID passport (proof of vaccination) for that country.

The IATA Travel Centre website provides details about the latest travel and entry requirements.

Baggage allowances

The maximum amount of baggage you are allowed to take on to your flight is specific to the airline that you are travelling with and the type of ticket that you hold.

Whether you have purchased your own flight, or you asked for the Home Office to help with this, you should always check with the airline what the baggage allowance is for your flight. The Home Office is unable to help with any excess baggage costs.

The easiest way of checking baggage allowances is by accessing the website of your airline and locating the relevant page or searching for ‘baggage allowance’.

Bringing your pet

If you have a support animal, the VRS can work with you to accommodate this on your journey.

In some circumstances, we may work with PetAir UK to provide additional support.

In most cases your animal will need to be documented in order to return them. To obtain a pet passport, your pet will usually need a microchip and a vaccination against rabies.

Speak to your vet about getting a passport, as they will help you fill out all of the relevant paperwork and check that your pet is fit for travel.

For more help with vaccinations and other pre-flight requirements, visit the PetAir UK website.