Adult Dependent Relative Visa: Eligibility, Requirements, and Process
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What is the Adult Dependent Relative visa?
- Visa holders are entitled to use the NHS. This gives access to medical treatment without the need for private health insurance, which can be particularly valuable for elderly or disabled dependents.
- The ADR visa allows families to be reunited, so relatives can care for family members who need help due to age, illness or disability.
Is the Adult Dependent Relative visa right for you?
You are likely eligible if:
- You are over the age of 18
- You have a close relative (a sponsor), such as a parent, grandparent, sibling or child, who is settled in the UK or a British citizen and is able to meet your long-term care needs
- You need long-term care due to illness, disability or age, such as help with washing, dressing and cooking
- The care you need is not available in the country where you live, even with the practical and financial help of your sponsor, because it is not available or unaffordable
- Your sponsor can support and accommodate you without relying on public funds
This route may not be right for you if:
- The relative is a cousin. The route is only for parents, grandparents, siblings and children
- Another relative where you live can provide the care, such as a son, daughter, brother, sister, parent, grandchild or grandparent
- A wider family member, friend, neighbour, home help or care home can reasonably provide the care
- Several people can pool their resources to care for you in your home country
Adult Dependent Relative Visa Requirements
Financial support and accommodation
The sponsor must be able to support and accommodate the relative without relying on public funds, such as disability benefits.
No one else can provide the care
The Entry Clearance Officer will check that no relative, friend, neighbour or other person, such as home help or a care home, can reasonably provide the care where the applicant lives.
Care not available at home
The care must not be available in the country where the applicant lives, even with the practical and financial help of the sponsor, because it is not available or unaffordable.
Long-term personal care
The applicant must need long-term care due to age, illness or disability. This may include help with everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing and cooking.
Close family relationship
The applicant must be over 18 and be the parent, grandparent, sibling or child of the UK sponsor. Cousins are not eligible.
Who can sponsor
The UK sponsor must be a British or Irish citizen, hold indefinite leave to remain or EUSS settled status, or have refugee or humanitarian protection status.
Key milestones in the application process
Before applying, the applicant must make sure they meet the strict eligibility criteria. This includes:
- The need for long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability.
- Proof that the care cannot be provided in the applicant's home country, either because it is unavailable or unaffordable.
- The UK-based sponsor must either be a British citizen, hold indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or have refugee or humanitarian protection status.
The sponsor must provide evidence that they can financially support the dependent without recourse to public funds. Proof of sufficient income or savings and appropriate accommodation for the dependent must be provided.
Applicants must submit detailed medical reports to prove that they require long-term care for essential personal needs. This can involve assessments from qualified medical professionals and evidence that care is not accessible in their home country.
The application is submitted online through the UK government's visa portal, along with supporting documents. The fees, and the Immigration Health Surcharge where it applies, must also be paid at this stage.
The applicant will need to attend a biometric appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit their fingerprints and photographs.
After submission, the Home Office will review the application. This period can vary depending on the complexity of the case. During this stage, further evidence may be requested.
If successful, the applicant will be granted indefinite leave to enter the UK, meaning they can live in the UK permanently. If the application is refused, the applicant can either appeal or reapply if the reasons for refusal can be addressed.
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Documents you will need
Cost Breakdown
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Frequently Asked Questions
Fees
From 8 April 2026, the Adult Dependent Relative visa fee is £3,635 for each person applying from outside the UK.
Fees
From 8 April 2026, the Adult Dependent Relative visa fee is as follows:
- If the UK-based family member has permission to stay as a refugee or with humanitarian protection, the fee is £452 if applying from outside the UK
- For all other applications under this route, the fee is £3,635 if applying from outside the UK
In addition, applicants may need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which allows them to access healthcare in the UK. It is £1,035 a year, so £5,175 for a 5-year stay. It is not charged where indefinite leave is granted.
Evidence and timing
The elderly dependent visa UK success rate is extremely low, with around 96% of cases being refused between 2017 and 2020. The approval rate is so low because many applicants struggle to meet the strict financial and care requirements set by the Home Office. ECOs are often able to find evidence of another family member or a person who is able to provide care in the applicant's home country.
Evidence and timing
The Home Office states that it processes Adult Dependent Relative visas within 12 weeks if submitted from outside the UK; however, the actual times can be much longer. This is because the Home Office almost always asks for more documents, medical assessments, and financial evidence to support the application. From our experience, applications under this category take, on average, between 6 and 12 months.
Evidence and timing
To make a successful application for a UK Adult Dependent Relative visa, both the applicant and the sponsor must provide suitable evidence that:
- The sponsor is a British or Irish national or is settled permanently in the UK (e.g. passport or birth certificate)
- The applicant is a close family member (parent, grandparent, sibling, or child) of the UK sponsor (e.g. birth certificate)
- The applicant requires long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability, and this care cannot be provided in their home country (e.g. medical records and correspondence from a local government agency that no suitable care is available)
- The UK-based sponsor can financially support and accommodate the relative without relying on public funds (e.g. bank statements)
Who you can bring
Unfortunately, bringing a cousin to the UK under the Adult Dependent Relative visa is not possible. The Adult Dependent visa UK is only available for parents, grandparents, siblings, and children. However, there may be alternative visa routes, such as work or study visas, that could allow a cousin to move to the UK. So, if you are asking whether you can bring your cousin to the UK permanently, the answer is unfortunately no under the ADR route.
Who you can bring
You may be able to sponsor your brother to come to the UK through the ILR for adult dependent relative route, but the chances of success are slim without a robust case. If your brother is over 18 and severely dependent on you for care due to a medical condition or disability, and if there is no alternative care available in their country, they may be able to secure a visa. We recommend speaking to an immigration lawyer who can help you sponsor your brother to come to the UK under the Adult Dependent visa.
Who you can bring
Yes, bringing a sibling to the UK under an Adult Dependent visa is possible, but it must be shown that they are in need of care and meet the strict eligibility criteria. For example, if your brother or sister is over 18 and has a severe disability or medical condition that requires care, and no such care is available in their home country, they may be eligible.
It is important to bear in mind that the success rate for such cases is generally lower compared to applications involving elderly parents. That being said, the elderly dependent visa UK success rate is also extremely low. For this reason, if you are considering bringing a sibling to the UK, speak to an immigration solicitor who can help you build a compelling case to demonstrate that they need to come to the UK to be cared for by you.
Who you can bring
Yes, the Adult Dependent Relative visa is most commonly used to bring elderly parents to the UK. If your elderly mother or father (or both) is in need of long-term care from you and it is not available in their home country, then you may be able to bring them to the UK under the settlement adult relative category. It is important to understand that the application process for an Adult Dependent visa is complex and lengthy, and the requirements are stringent.
To bring your elderly mother or father to the UK, you will need to demonstrate to the Home Office that:
- You are a British or Irish national, or you have indefinite leave to remain (or EUSS settled status)
- Your elderly parent is in need of long-term personal care
- The care they require cannot be provided in their home country, either due to a lack of facilities or prohibitive costs, and
- You, as the sponsor, can provide accommodation and financial support without resorting to public funds.
About the visa
To qualify for an Adult Dependent Relative visa, the applicant must:
- Be over the age of 18
- Have a close relative (called a 'sponsor') such as a parent, grandparent, sibling, or child who is settled in the UK or a British citizen and is able to meet their long-term care needs
- Demonstrate that they require long-term care due to illness, disability, or age. This may include help with performing everyday tasks, for example, washing, dressing and cooking
- Not have access to the care they need in the country where they live, even with the practical and financial help of the sponsor. This may be because it is not available or unaffordable.
- Have a sponsor who can financially support and accommodate their dependent relative without relying on public funds (e.g. disability benefits).
The Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) considering your application will check that no other person is available to provide the care needed where you live, including a son, daughter, brother, sister, parent, grandchild, or grandparent. They will also check whether a wider family member, friend, neighbour, or another person can reasonably provide the care required (e.g. home help or a care home). They will also consider whether the applicant has multiple people who can pool resources to care for them in their home country.
About the visa
The 'Settlement Adult Relative' category allows a relative coming to the UK to be cared for by a family member to settle permanently without any time restrictions.
About the visa
The Adult Dependent Relative visa, often referred to as the Elderly Dependant Relative visa, is part of the family visa scheme and enables an individual to come to the UK to be cared for by a British or Irish citizen or a person who is settled here.
To make a successful Adult Dependent Relative visa application, applicants must be in need of long-term care, and this must not be available in their home country.
The UK Adult Dependent Relative visa enables holders to remain indefinitely.
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