To be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa (also known as the British Ancestry Visa or UK Ancestral Visa) as a Canadian, you must meet the following criteria:

Commonwealth Citizenship

You must hold Canadian citizenship when you apply. Permanent residents of Canada who are citizens of other countries do not qualify unless that country is also a Commonwealth member.

Age Requirement

You must be 17 years or older on the date you plan to arrive in the UK. There is no upper age limit, though you’ll need to demonstrate you’re able and intend to work.

UK-Born Grandparent

This is the key requirement for the UK Ancestral Visa. You need to prove that one of your grandparents was born in:

• England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
• The Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
• The Republic of Ireland (only if born before 31 March 1922).
• On a British-registered ship or aircraft (in specific circumstances).

Your grandparent can be related to you through either parent, and there’s no requirement that your parents or grandparents were married. If you or your parent were legally adopted, you can still qualify through your adoptive grandparent or your parent’s adoptive parent.

Important: Eligibility must be traced directly to a grandparent; unfortunately, connections through great-grandparents or earlier ancestors won’t qualify. Additionally, step-grandparents are eligible only if there’s been a legal adoption. 

Many Canadians search for the “England Ancestry Visa”. However, it is important to note that your grandparent can be born anywhere in the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, not just England, to qualify.

Financial Requirement

You must show that you can support yourself (and any family members who are coming with you) without relying on public benefits. While there’s no specific amount required, you’ll need to demonstrate adequate funds for accommodation and living expenses.

The UK Home Office will accept:

• Your own savings or income.
• Financial support from family or friends (with a letter confirming their commitment).
• A combination of both.

Your financial evidence must be dated within 31 days of your application.

Work Intention

You must be able to work and genuinely intend to seek employment in the UK. This doesn’t mean you need a job offer before applying for a UK Ancestry Visa. You must provide evidence of your work history, recent tax returns, pay stubs, and academic and professional qualifications. Additionally, evidence of research into employment opportunities which match your profile should be included.

There are six standard VFS Global visa application centres across Canada where you can submit biometrics for your British Ancestry Visa application:

• Vancouver: 580 Hornby Street, Suite 440, Vancouver, BC V6C 2E7.
• Toronto: 415 Yonge Street, Suite 801, Toronto, ON M5B 2E7.
• Edmonton: Unit #1802, 10025 102A Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 2Z2.
• Ottawa: 2211 Riverside Drive, Unit 403, Ottawa, ON K1H 7X5.
• Halifax: Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites by Hilton, 1960 Brunswick St, Halifax, NS B3J 2G7.
• St. John’s: Smallwood Centre, Room UC-4000, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1 Arctic Avenue, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7.

In addition, Premium Application Centres are available in Calgary, Dartmouth, Hamilton, Kingston, Mississauga, Moncton, Montreal, Saskatoon, Victoria, and Winnipeg.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory fee that gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) during your stay. You must pay this in full when you submit your visa application.

For a 5-year UK Ancestral Visa, the current costs are:

• Principal applicant: £5,175 (approximately CAD $9,500).
• Each dependant (partner or child): £5,175 for your spouse or partner and £3,880 per child.

For example, if you’re applying as a family of four (two adults and two children), the total IHS would be £18,110 (roughly CAD $33,400) in addition to your visa application fees.

While this is a substantial upfront cost, it grants you full access to NHS services, including GP appointments, hospital care, maternity services, and emergency treatment throughout the entire five-year visa duration. This offers excellent value compared to the costs of private health insurance or healthcare in many other countries. It’s worth noting that while dental and optical services usually require additional payments, they are subsidized for NHS patients.

Yes, absolutely. Being self-employed in Canada can strengthen your application by demonstrating your ability to work independently and support yourself. The United Kingdom Ancestry Visa permits self-employment, including freelancing.

Here’s what you’ll need to provide if you’re currently self-employed in Canada:

• Recent tax returns or CRA Notice of Assessment for the last two years.
• Business registration documents, including Articles of Incorporation, business name registration, and GST/HST registration.
• Recent invoices and proof of payment from your clients.
• Business bank statements that reflect your income.
• Professional licenses or certifications (if applicable, such as in trades, accounting, or real estate).
• A letter from your accountant confirming your self-employment status and income.

If you plan to be self-employed in the UK, you can provide information relating to that, such as proof of any preliminary contracts, letters of intent, or expressions of interest from potential clients in the UK. You can also provide details on how you intend to set up your business in the UK, whether as a sole trader or a limited company.

You can carry on with the same type of self-employed work in the UK, start a completely new venture, or switch between employment and self-employment at any point during your five years on the visa, there are no restrictions on this. The primary requirement is to show that you can financially support yourself (and any dependents) without relying on public benefits.

Many Canadians have successfully used the UK Ancestry Visa to launch consulting practices, IT contracting businesses, trade operations, creative freelancing careers, and a host of other self-employed endeavours. You’ll have the flexibility to grow your business however you see fit.

Yes, absolutely! Birth in any part of the United Kingdom qualifies. This includes:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey)
• Isle of Man

All of these locations count as being “born in the UK or Islands” for the England Ancestry Visa (officially known as the UK Ancestry visa). It makes no difference which part of the UK your grandparent was born in—they’re all treated equally.

Note: Many Canadians mistakenly search for “England Ancestry Visa” thinking their grandparent must have been explicitly born in England, but Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish births all qualify equally.

Yes, as long as you hold Canadian citizenship (regardless of what other citizenships you have), you qualify to apply as a Commonwealth citizen for the United Kingdom Ancestry Visa. Your US citizenship doesn’t disqualify you. You should apply using your Canadian passport since that’s the Commonwealth citizenship that qualifies you for the route.
However, if you hold only US citizenship and are a permanent resident of Canada, you would not qualify. The principal applicant must be a Commonwealth citizen, not just a Canadian resident.

Yes, you can bring cats and dogs from Canada to the UK, but there are specific requirements:

Requirements:

• Microchipped (must be done before rabies vaccination)
• Rabies vaccination (at least 21 days before travel)
• Tapeworm treatment for dogs (1-5 days before travel, administered by a vet)
• Pet travel document or official veterinary certificate
• Arrive via an approved route (most major airlines from Canada)

Canada is considered a “listed country” by the UK, which makes the process simpler than for some other countries. Your pet doesn’t need a blood test or quarantine period if you meet all the requirements.

The process can take several months to arrange, so start early. Airlines also have their own pet travel policies and requirements. Some Canadians find it helpful to use a professional pet relocation service, particularly for the first international move with pets.

To qualify for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after five years of lawful residence in the UK on the UK Ancestral Visa, you must meet the continuous residence requirement, which involves spending no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period. This applies throughout your entire five-year qualifying period. Even one day over 180 in a rolling 12-month period breaks continuous residence.

You don’t need the original birth certificate—a certified copy is acceptable and often preferable since you won’t risk losing an irreplaceable family document. The copy must be certified by an authorized person or body, such as:

• A solicitor or a notary public.
• The issuing vital statistics office (General Register Office in the UK, or the equivalent provincial office in Canada).
• A commissioner of oaths.

The certifier should confirm that the copy is a true copy of the original and include their signature, stamp, and date. If your grandparent was born in the UK, you can order a certified copy directly from the General Register Office (GRO) online, which is ideal as it comes directly from the official source.

No, it makes no difference whether you’re claiming through your mother’s side or father’s side of the family for the England Ancestry Visa (the official term is UK Ancestry visa). You can qualify through any of your four grandparents (two maternal, two paternal), as long as at least one of them was born in the UK or the Islands.

You also don’t need to prove that your parents or grandparents were married—the UK Ancestry rules recognize both children born within marriage and those born outside marriage equally.

Unfortunately, being born in a British Overseas Territory (such as Bermuda, Gibraltar, or the Cayman Islands) does not qualify. Your grandparent must have been born in the UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

You won’t lose your visa status. The UK Ancestry visa doesn’t require continuous employment. You’re free to change jobs, take breaks between employment, or switch to self-employment. You need to continue meeting the financial requirement (being able to support yourself without public funds).

Yes, you can study at any level and at any institution without restrictions. Unlike student visas, there are no limits on work hours.

No. You only need to show you’re able and intend to work. Evidence of job searching, relevant qualifications, employment history in Canada, or a solid business plan is usually sufficient. Note that while many Canadians search for “England Ancestry Visa,” the official name is the UK Ancestry visa, and your grandparent can be born anywhere in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland) for you to qualify.

Yes, the UK Ancestral Visa allows you to work for any employer, including Canadian companies, as long as you’re physically working from the UK. However, please seek tax advice from an accountant well-versed in Canadian and British tax laws.

Required Documents

When applying for your British Ancestry Visa from Canada, you’ll need to provide:

Proof of Ancestry

• Your full birth certificate showing both parents’ names.
• Your relevant parent’s full birth certificate (the one through whom you’re claiming UK ancestry).
• Your grandparents’ birth certificates clearly show they were born in the UK.
• Marriage certificates or name change documents, if anyone changed their name.
• Adoption papers (if applicable).

Important note for Canadians: If you are using birth certificates from Canadian provinces, ensure they are full, long-form certificates showing both parents’ names. Short-form birth certificates won’t be sufficient. If the Province of Quebec issued your birth certificate, you must ensure it is translated from French into English.

Financial Evidence

• Bank statements covering at least 31 days before your application.
• Letter from your bank on official letterhead.
• If relying on third-party support, a signed letter from your sponsor and evidence of their finances are required.

Canadian bank statements from major institutions (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, etc.) are readily accepted. Funds in Canadian dollars will be converted to the equivalent amount in GBP by the UK visa officer to ensure that you have sufficient funds as per income support thresholds.

Identity Documents

• Valid Canadian passport
• Previous passports (if applicable)

Additional Documents:

• Evidence of employment history (CV, reference letters, payslips).
• Proof of job searching efforts or job offers (if available).
• Business plan (if you intend to be self-employed).
• For self-employed applicants: recent tax returns or Notice of Assessment from CRA, invoices, and bank statements showing business income.

One significant advantage of the UK Ancestral Visa is its flexibility regarding self-employment. If you are self-employed in Canada, you can absolutely qualify for this visa.

What You Need to Show:

If you’re currently self-employed in Canada, provide evidence such as:

• Recent tax returns or Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Business registration documents (provincial or federal incorporation documents, business name registration).
• Recent invoices and proof of payment from clients.
• Bank statements showing business income.
• GST/HST registration (if applicable).
• Professional registration or licenses (if applicable).
• Letter from your accountant.

If you plan to be self-employed in the UK, you can provide some of the following documents in support of your application:

• A business plan outlining your intended work.
• Evidence of your relevant skills and experience.
• Proof of any contracts or expressions of interest from potential UK clients.
• Details of how you’ll generate income.
• Information about how you’ll establish your business in the UK.

The key is demonstrating you’re genuinely able to work and intend to do so. Self-employed work fully satisfies the work requirement, as long as you can support yourself financially.

Many Canadians successfully use the United Kingdom Ancestry Visa to establish UK-based consulting practices, trades businesses, creative freelancing careers, IT contracting, and other self-employed ventures. You can operate as a sole trader or set up a limited company once in the UK.

 Yes. If you’re not ready to apply for settlement after five years, you can apply for another 5-year extension as long as you continue to meet the requirements. There’s no limit on the number of extensions.

Your partner (spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner) and children under 18 can join you on your UK Ancestry visa. They do not need to be Commonwealth citizens or have British ancestry themselves.

Important considerations:

• Each family member needs their own application and must pay separate fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
• Your partner will need to prove that your relationship is genuine (a marriage certificate, photos together, joint financial commitments, etc.).
• For unmarried partners, you’ll need to show you’ve lived together for at least 2 years.
• Children will need birth certificates and may require both parents’ consent to travel.
• Dependants can work and study without restrictions.