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Adult dependent relative visa: fees and the care test

A parent, grandparent, son, daughter, brother or sister who needs long-term personal care can apply from outside the UK under Appendix Adult Dependent Relative. The fee is £3,635, or £452 if the UK sponsor has protection status, and the sponsor must be able to support, house and care for the applicant without public funds.

The adult dependent relative route is for a person who needs long-term care from a relative who lives in the UK. It is separate from the partner and parent routes, it has its own appendix in the Immigration Rules, and its application fee from outside the UK is higher than the partner fee. The Rules set out conditions about the relationship, the sponsor's status, the care the applicant needs and where it is available, and the money, accommodation and care the sponsor can provide.

This guide explains those conditions using GOV.UK's family visa pages, Appendix Adult Dependent Relative of the Immigration Rules (updated 3 August 2026), Appendix FM and the Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026. All were read on 9 October 2026. It explains how the route works and does not say whether any particular family meets it.

Who can apply, and who can sponsor

The applicant must be one of the following, in relation to a person in the UK called the sponsor (ADR 4.1): the parent, grandparent, son or daughter, or brother or sister of the sponsor. Both applicant and sponsor must be 18 or over on the date of application (ADR 1.2(d)).

The sponsor must be (ADR 4.2): a British citizen; settled in the UK; in the UK with protection status; or an EEA national with limited leave under Appendix EU on the basis the rule specifies. GOV.UK's version of the list is British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK (for example indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence), pre-settled status for people who started living in the UK before 1 January 2021, or protection status.

Two features of the appendix affect couples. First, a parent or grandparent applying must not be in a subsisting relationship with a partner unless that partner applies as an adult dependent relative at the same time (ADR 5.3A.1). Second, where a couple who are both the sponsor's parents or grandparents apply together, only one of them needs to require long-term personal care. The appendix introduction says so, and also notes that the partner of a parent or grandparent can apply at the same time.

The list in ADR 4.1 does not include a husband, wife or partner of the sponsor, or a child under 18; those relationships are covered by other family routes, which have their own guides. A relative who is not on the list, such as an uncle, aunt or cousin, is not within ADR 4.1 either.

The care test

The heart of the route is in ADR 5.1 and 5.2. In plain terms, there are two parts.

The need. The applicant (or, where a parent or grandparent applies with a partner, the applicant's partner) must, as a result of age, illness or disability, require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks. GOV.UK describes it as needing long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or age.

The lack of care where they live. For an entry clearance application, the applicant must be unable to obtain the required level of care in the country where they are living, even with the financial help of the sponsor. ADR 5.2 gives two ways that can be true: either the care is not available and there is no person in that country who can reasonably provide it, or the care is not affordable. GOV.UK puts it as: the care is not available or affordable in the country you live in.

Three points about how the Rules are written, without saying what any decision-maker will conclude on any facts:

  • The test is about the country where the applicant is living. ADR 5.2 words it as being "unable to obtain the required level of care in the country where they are living, even with the financial help of the sponsor".
  • Care that is not available and care that is not affordable are set out as two alternatives, (a) and (b), in ADR 5.2.
  • The appendix does not name a particular medical condition, an age or a type of document. The caseworker decides on the evidence in the application.

There is also a human-rights fallback in ADR 7.1. If the applicant does not meet all the requirements but refusal would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights because it would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant or their family, the application can be granted. This is an exception and is decided case by case; it does not apply to someone who falls for refusal on certain suitability grounds (ADR 7.2).

Money, accommodation and the maintenance undertaking

The sponsor must be able to provide adequate maintenance, accommodation and care for the applicant in the UK without access to public funds (ADR 6.1). The Rules set out how this is shown:

  • Evidence of income or cash savings sufficient to meet the requirement (ADR 6.2). Income other than self-employment, or savings, must cover the 6 months immediately before the date of application. Self-employment income must be shown for the last full financial year before the date of application, with additional evidence of ongoing self-employment. Non-employment income must have been received in the 12 months before the date of application, except where Appendix FM-SE paragraph 10 provides otherwise. Sale proceeds converted to cash savings have their own conditions in FM-SE paragraph 11A(d).
  • The evidence format is set by paragraphs 1, 12A and 12B of Appendix FM-SE (ADR 6.3), the same rulebook that governs partner applications.
  • A signed maintenance undertaking from the sponsor (ADR 6.4), confirming that the applicant will have no access to public funds and that the sponsor will be responsible for their maintenance, accommodation and care. The period is 5 years from the date the applicant arrives in the UK if the applicant is to be granted settlement, or the length of the permission granted if it is temporary.
  • Recovery of public funds. ADR 6.5 says that if the applicant receives public funds during the period covered by the undertaking, the UK Government may seek to recover them from the sponsor.

GOV.UK adds that the sponsor must have enough money to support the applicant without relying on public funds, and that the caseworker considers the sponsor's income, housing costs and any care costs. The Rules do not set a single figure the way the partner route does with £29,000. They ask whether maintenance, accommodation and care are adequate, and GOV.UK says the caseworker looks at the sponsor's income, housing costs and any care costs. The GOV.UK family page points to guidance on maintenance and accommodation for adult dependent relatives; read the current version before assembling evidence.

What it costs

GOV.UK gives the fee for an adult who needs to be looked after by a relative as depending on the sponsor's status:

  • £3,635 from outside the UK if the sponsor is British, settled or otherwise not on temporary protection status. The Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026 lists this as "Route to Settlement - other dependant relative".
  • £452 from outside the UK if the sponsor has temporary protection status (refugee permission or humanitarian protection). The fee table lists this as "Route to Settlement - refugee dependant relative".
  • £1,407 from inside the UK to extend.

The Immigration Health Surcharge is a separate matter. The IHS page says nobody applying for indefinite leave to enter or remain needs to pay it, and the family page lists surcharge amounts for those given temporary permission (for an adult, £2,587.50 for 2 years and 6 months, £3,105 for 2 years and 9 months, £5,175 for 5 years). Which applies depends on the grant, so check the amount the application service shows. A TB test is also needed where Appendix Tuberculosis applies (ADR 3.2), and its cost is paid to the clinic.

The super priority service cannot be used for this route, according to GOV.UK. A fee waiver may be available in certain situations. GOV.UK also advises telling your bank in advance, because a large payment may otherwise be cancelled.

How the application works and how long it takes

An applicant outside the UK applies online on the "Join or accompany a family member" form and completes Appendix 1, according to the Rules and GOV.UK. The applicant must obtain entry clearance before arriving (ADR 3.1). GOV.UK says you can only apply from outside the UK, unless you are applying to extend a stay already granted on this route.

Alongside the application the sponsor's documents and the applicant's evidence of need and of the care position go in. After applying, the applicant attends a biometrics appointment, which may be in another country. GOV.UK says a decision outside the UK usually takes 12 weeks, and from inside the UK about 8 weeks.

Other requirements are shorter. The applicant must not fall for refusal under the suitability rules (ADR 2.1). An application that does not meet the validity requirements may be rejected as invalid (ADR 1.4); those requirements are that the fee and surcharge are paid (unless waived), biometrics are provided, a passport or other identity document is provided, and both applicant and sponsor are 18 or over (ADR 1.2). A TB certificate is needed where Appendix Tuberculosis applies (ADR 3.2).

English and life in the UK. GOV.UK lists "applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative" among the cases that do not need to prove knowledge of English. The settlement sections of the appendix (ADR 10 to 14) list suitability, sponsor and maintenance requirements; they do not list an English test or a Life in the UK test.

What the grant looks like: settlement or temporary permission

The type of grant depends on the sponsor's status:

  • Sponsor British or settled. ADR 9.1 says the applicant for entry clearance will be granted settlement. GOV.UK puts it as the stay being unlimited, with no need to extend or settle. The undertaking runs for 5 years from arrival.
  • Sponsor with temporary status. ADR 9.2 says the applicant gets temporary permission that expires on the same date as the sponsor's permission. For a sponsor with pre-settled status or protection status, GOV.UK says the applicant can stay as long as the family member stays and will need to extend or settle when they do. For the applicant's own settlement, ADR 12.1 requires the same sponsor as at the last grant, who is British or settled, or who has protection status (or is the EEA national the rule describes) and applies for settlement at the same time and is granted it.
  • Extension from inside the UK. For someone granted temporary permission to stay whose sponsor is British or settled, ADR 9.3 gives 30 months.

Temporary permission carries a condition of no access to public funds, and work (including self-employment and voluntary work) and study are permitted (ADR 9.4); study is subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS. Settlement for someone with temporary permission is applied for online on form SET(O) from inside the UK (ADR 10.1). Check the current settlement fee in the Home Office fee table, which lists £3,226 for indefinite leave to remain for a main applicant and dependants.

Worked examples (illustrative)

Example 1: fee by sponsor status. A British citizen sponsors a parent living abroad. The application fee is £3,635, plus the TB test if needed, translations and any surcharge shown on the application. If the sponsor instead holds temporary protection status, the fee shown by GOV.UK is £452. The status of the sponsor, not of the applicant, sets which fee applies.

Example 2: a couple. A sponsor's mother and father both apply, and only the mother needs long-term personal care. The appendix introduction says that where a couple who are both parents or grandparents of the sponsor apply together, only one of them needs to require care, and that the partner of a parent or grandparent can apply at the same time. ADR 5.3A.1 deals with the other situation: a parent or grandparent applicant must not be in a subsisting relationship with a partner unless that partner is applying at the same time.

Example 3: the undertaking. A British sponsor signs the maintenance undertaking for a parent granted settlement. The undertaking covers 5 years from arrival. If the parent claims public funds in that period, ADR 6.5 says the UK Government may seek to recover them from the sponsor. ADR 6.4 and 6.5 are the paragraphs that describe the undertaking and the recovery power.

Finding a regulated adviser

This route turns on evidence about care and money, and families often ask a regulated adviser to look at the evidence before they apply. GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser. Only advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly the OISC), solicitors and barristers may give immigration advice in England and Wales.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How much does an adult dependent relative visa cost?

GOV.UK gives £3,635 for an application from outside the UK, or £452 if the relative in the UK has temporary protection status, and £1,407 to extend from inside the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge is not charged on indefinite leave to enter, so check the amount the application service shows.

Who counts as an adult dependent relative?

Appendix Adult Dependent Relative says the applicant must be the parent, grandparent, son or daughter, or brother or sister of the sponsor, and both must be 18 or over. The sponsor must be British, settled, in the UK with protection status, or in the other category the appendix lists.

What is the care test for the adult dependent relative route?

The applicant must need long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks because of age, illness or disability, and must be unable to obtain the required level of care in the country where they live even with the sponsor's financial help, because it is either not available or not affordable (ADR 5.1 and 5.2).

How long must the sponsor support the relative?

The sponsor signs a maintenance undertaking for 5 years from the date the applicant arrives in the UK if the applicant is granted settlement, or for the length of the permission if it is temporary (ADR 6.4). The UK Government may seek to recover public funds the applicant receives in that period.

Do adult dependent relatives need to take an English test?

GOV.UK lists adults coming to be cared for by a relative among those who do not need to prove knowledge of English. A TB test is needed if the applicant lives in a country on the Home Office TB list.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Parent of a child in the UK: how the visa works — The parent route in Appendix FM is for a parent of a child under 18 who lives in the UK and is British, settled or has Appendix EU status. It costs £2,064 from outside the UK (£1,407 inside), needs evidence of an active role in the child's upbringing, and can lead to settlement after 5 years.
  • UK spouse visa cost in 2026: the application fee, the health surcharge and what else you pay — A partner or spouse visa costs £2,064 if you apply from outside the UK and £1,407 if you apply from inside it, plus the immigration health surcharge (£3,105 for the first 2 years 9 months from outside the UK, £2,587.50 for an extension). Settlement (ILR) is a separate £3,226. These are the 8 October 2026 fees and are per person.
  • Spouse visa financial requirement: how the £29,000 minimum income works — For a first partner application, the Immigration Rules require specified gross income of at least £29,000 a year, or cash savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall. A lower £18,600 figure applies only to people who first applied before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner. Loans, benefits such as Universal Credit and property equity do not count.
  • Spouse visa documents: what UKVI asks for, and the rules on how to present them — A UK partner application needs your identity documents, your partner's details, proof of relationship, specified financial evidence (for example 6 months of payslips with bank statements and an employer letter), English evidence, a TB certificate if you are from a listed country, and certified translations. Missing or out-of-date documents are the commonest reason for avoidable refusals.
  • Settling as a partner after 5 years: ILR and form SET(M) — A partner on the 5-year route can apply for indefinite leave to remain after 60 months of continuous residence on partner permission with the same partner. The application costs £3,226, uses the online form SET(M), and needs the financial requirement, English and Life in the UK test evidence again.
  • ILR fee in 2026: £3,226 per person and extras — Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) costs £3,226 for each person applying, and the Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026 shows no change from the current fee. Most applicants aged 18 to 64 also pay £50 for the Life in the UK Test, and can pay £500 or £1,000 more per person for a faster decision where the application type allows it. There is no health surcharge for ILR.
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