Pick your visa route and tick off each item as you get it ready. When you’re done, print the list or save it as a PDF and keep it with your papers.
Our list is shorter than some you’ll find online, and that’s on purpose. GOV.UK says you’ll be told exactly which documents to upload when you fill in the online form. We only list the things GOV.UK names for each route, so nothing here is a guess.
Before you send anything
Each person on the form pays £3,226, children too. After you apply, stay in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. If you travel somewhere else, your application is withdrawn and the fee is not refunded.
Your time in the UK and your trips abroad matter as much as the papers. Check those first with the ILR date calculator and the 180-day absence checker, then come back here.
Where these items come from
Skilled Worker: GOV.UK asks for a document from your employer saying you’re still needed for the job and that you meet the salary rules. Partners: GOV.UK lists proof of income and housing, proof you’ve lived together since your last visa, proof the relationship is real, English and the Life in the UK Test. Long residence: your current passport, every passport you held while in the UK, and your BRP or eVisa. BN(O) and UK Ancestry each have their own short lists too.
Sources: ILR for Skilled Workers, ILR for partners, Long residence documents, BN(O) settlement, UK Ancestry ILR, Life in the UK Test.
Last checked against GOV.UK: 12 October 2026