You arrived before 1973 from a Commonwealth country

You may be able to apply for proof of your right to live and work in the UK if both of the following apply: you’re a Commonwealth citizen you were settled in the UK before 1 January 1973 What you’re entitled to depends on whether you: have been living in the UK continuously left the UK for more than 2 years and came back are outside the UK If you’ve been living in the UK continuously If you’ve lived in the UK continuously, or have the right of abode, you can apply for one of the following: British citizenship a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode proof that you have indefinite leave to remain Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible. Find out how to apply . If you’ve left the UK for more than 2 years and come back If you’ve been away from the UK for more than 2 years at some point and are now lawfully in the UK, you might be entitled to indefinite leave to remain. If you already have indefinite leave to remain you might be able to apply for either: proof that you have indefinite leave to remain British citizenship Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible. Find out how to apply . If you’re outside the UK If you’ve left the UK and have lost your indefinite leave to remain, you might be entitled to: a Returning Resident visa a 10 year multiple entry visa Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible.

You're the child of a Commonwealth citizen who arrived before 1973

You can apply for one of the following: British citizenship a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode proof that you have indefinite leave to remain If you do not have indefinite leave to remain but are here lawfully, you can apply for it through the scheme. To apply, one of your parents must be a Commonwealth citizen and either: was settled in the UK before 1 January 1973 had the right of abode You must have lived continuously in the UK since arriving (or being born) here. One of the following must also be true: you were born in the UK you came to live in the UK before turning 18 You do not have to have lived continuously in the UK, if you were automatically a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and Colonies from birth. You can apply for a document to confirm your status. Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible. Find out how to apply .

You arrived before 1989

You can apply for proof that you have the right to live and work in the UK if you came to live in the UK before 31 December 1988 and are now settled here. You can be of any nationality. Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible. Find out how to apply .

When you apply, the Home Office will work with other government departments to find records of you living in the UK. None of your information will be shared with immigration enforcement teams. If you’re in the UK Apply using the Windrush Scheme application form (UK) . Post it to the address on the form with your supporting documents. The Windrush helpline can post a paper form to you. Windrush helpline commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gov.uk Telephone: 0800 678 1925 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except bank holidays ) Find out about call charges If you’re outside the UK You must apply using an online form . Fee It’s free to apply. What happens next The Windrush taskforce will get in touch with you if they have any questions about your application, or if they need more information. Give your fingerprints and photo You’ll be asked to provide your fingerprints and a photo (biometric information) once you’ve sent in your form.

Commonwealth countries

You may be eligible for the Windrush Scheme if you arrived in the UK from any country before 1989 . You may also be eligible if you or your parent is a citizen of one of the following Commonwealth countries: Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Bermuda Botswana British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Cyprus (excluding the Sovereign base area) Dominica Falkland Islands Fiji The Gambia Ghana Gibraltar Grenada Guyana Hong Kong India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Monserrat Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Lucia Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis St Vincent and The Grenadines Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Vanuatu Virgin Islands Zambia Zimbabwe Contact the Windrush helpline for help with working out if you’re eligible.

The Windrush helpline can: help you make a claim give extra support to those who need it - for example, elderly or vulnerable claimants post a form to you If you are outside the UK, email the helpline and request a call back. Windrush helpline commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gov.uk Telephone: 0800 678 1925 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except bank holidays ) Find out about call charges Outside of the helpline opening hours, you can leave a message to ask for your call to be returned at a convenient time. You can also sign up for email updates about the scheme.

Windrush Scheme: get proof of your right to be in the UK

Overview

If you’re settled in the UK but have no evidence to prove it, you might be eligible to apply to the ‘Windrush Scheme’.

You may be able to apply for proof that you can live and work in the UK if one of the following is true:

you came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973
your parents came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973
you came to the UK from any country before 31 December 1988 and are now settled here

It’s free to apply.

The proof that you get will depend on what you’re entitled to based on your circumstances. For example, you could get a letter or access to an online record of your right to be in the UK (known as an eVisa).

You might also be entitled to apply for citizenship for free if you’re a Commonwealth citizen who settled in the UK before 1 January 1973, or you’re the child of someone who did.

If you’ve suffered losses because you did not have proof of your right to be in the UK

If you are eligible for this scheme, you might also be able to apply for compensation. The compensation scheme is for losses that happened because you could not show that you had a right to live in the UK.

‘Losses’ can be things like not being able to work, find a place to live or get health treatment. They can also include immigration action, like detention or removal from the UK.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Windrush Scheme: get proof of your right to be in the UK

Overview

If you’ve suffered losses because you did not have proof of your right to be in the UK

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Cookies on GOV.UK

Windrush Scheme: get proof of your right to be in the UK

Overview

If you’ve suffered losses because you did not have proof of your right to be in the UK

Related content

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK