Settle and Citizenship
Returning Resident visa for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£726
about ₹96,072 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
Not payable
This route is exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge
Verified 8 October 2026
Processing time from India
12 weeks
Priority 30 working days
Verified 8 October 2026
Our filing price
₹14,999
All-in, GST included
Verified 8 October 2026
Summary
In short
The UK Returning Resident visa costs £726 (gov.uk, read 8 October 2026) and carries no health surcharge. It is for a former settled resident whose indefinite leave lapsed through more than 2 continuous years outside the UK, or 5 years for EU Settlement Scheme holders. The officer weighs the length of and reason for the absence against your ties to the UK and your plan to live there again, and decisions take about 12 weeks as a settlement application. The common Indian mistake is assuming a visitor visa will do and trying to stay on arrival.
In practice
Worked example
Example: Baldev returns to Southall after caring for his mother in Jalandhar. A file like the ones the desk prepares; the figures are from the datasets and dated.
The situation
Baldev, 58, from Jalandhar, held indefinite leave to remain from 2004 and worked for a logistics firm in Southall. He left in June 2023 to care for his mother after her stroke and stayed until her death in August 2026, an absence of 3 years and 2 months. His wife and son are British and live in the family home in Southall, which Baldev co-owns. He kept his UK bank account, paid council tax jointly and visited for 2 weeks in 2024. He applies from New Delhi in October 2026 with his mother's hospital records and his old passport carrying the ILR vignette.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Visa fee, Returning Resident | £726 (₹96,072) |
| Health surcharge | none, settlement is exempt |
| Length of absence | 3 years 2 months, against a 2-year limit |
| Years of settlement held before leaving | 19 years |
| UK ties | co-owned home, British wife and son, UK bank account, council tax record |
| Subject Access Request for his Home Office record | free, about 1 month |
| Priority settlement service, if offered | £500 (₹66,165) |
| Standard decision time from biometrics | 12 weeks |
Outcome
The visa was granted after 11 weeks as indefinite leave to enter. The file succeeded because the reason for the absence was documented, the absence was close to the limit rather than a decade, and the UK home and family showed he never gave up residence. His 2024 visit on his lapsed status was not held against him because he declared it. The residence clock for citizenship restarts from his return.
The officer’s view
What the officer checks
What the entry clearance officer weighs on a Returning Resident file
| What they check | Why it matters | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| You held indefinite leave when you last left | Immigration Rules paragraph 18 and Appendix Returning Resident RR 3.1: the applicant must have had settlement when they left the UK | Old passport with the ILR vignette or stamp, BRP, Home Office grant letter, or a Subject Access Request printout |
| The absence is more than 2 years, so leave has lapsed | Article 13 of the Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) Order 2000: indefinite leave lapses after 2 continuous years outside the UK | Passport stamps, airline records and the Indian arrival stamp showing the date of departure |
| Strong ties to the UK throughout the absence | RR 4.1 and the Returning Residents guidance: the applicant must show ties such as family, property and employment maintained while away | Council tax bills, mortgage or tenancy, HMRC or pension records, UK bank statements, family members' British passports |
| The reason for the absence and whether it was intended to be temporary | RR 4.1 guidance: compelling reasons such as caring for a relative, study or a posting weigh in favour; a settled life abroad weighs against | Hospital discharge summaries, death certificate, employer posting letter, school records, a lease rather than a purchase in India |
| The intention to return to live permanently | RR 4.1: the applicant intends to live in the UK, not to visit | Job offer, family letter about where you will live, children's school places, sale or closure of Indian arrangements |
| Previous visits on the lapsed status were declared | Part 9 paragraph 9.7: an undeclared entry as a visitor after ILR lapsed can be treated as a false representation | A full travel history in the form and the covering statement |
| Suitability | Part 9 paragraphs 9.2 to 9.8 and RR 5: deportation orders, criminality and deception | Police clearance if asked, declaration of any convictions |
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving on a visitor visa and expecting the ILR to be revived at the border | Refusal of entry or a breach record, and a harder Returning Resident case later | Apply for the Returning Resident visa from India before travelling |
| Applying with no evidence of the original ILR | The officer cannot confirm settlement and refuses | Order a Subject Access Request for your Home Office record and find the old passport, BRP or grant letter |
| Buying property and taking a permanent job in India during the absence | The absence looks like settlement abroad and the ties test fails | Document why the arrangements were temporary, and keep UK ties alive: tax, bank, property, family |
| A caring reason with no medical records | The officer gives the reason no weight | Collect hospital discharge summaries, prescriptions, the doctor's letter and the death certificate |
| Absence of 6 or more years with no visits and thin ties | Refusal; discretion is rarely exercised for long absences | Consider a fresh application on another route, such as the Partner route if your spouse is British |
| Not declaring a visit made after the ILR lapsed | Possible Part 9 refusal for false representation | List every entry to the UK on the form and explain it in the statement |
| Expecting the family to apply on the same form | Family members who never held ILR are refused on this route | A spouse or child without lapsed settlement applies on the Partner or Child route |
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Confirm the original settlement
Month 0Locate the passport with the ILR vignette, BRP or grant letter; otherwise submit a Subject Access Request, which takes about a month
Step 2: Map the absence
Month 0Write a dated timeline of departure, visits and the reason for the absence with the matching records
Step 3: Gather UK ties evidence
Month 1Property, council tax, bank, HMRC or pension records across the absence and the family's British passports
Step 4: Collect the plan to return
Month 1Job offer, family letter, children's school places, and evidence that Indian arrangements are ending
Step 5: Submit online and pay
Month 1 to 2Pay £726; no health surcharge; upload the documents to the VFS portal
Step 6: Biometrics at VFS
Month 2Attend with the current and old passports; add priority settlement where offered
Step 7: Decision
About 12 weeks after biometricsGranted as indefinite leave to enter; refusals carry no in-country remedy, so the file must be complete first time
Step 8: Passport returned, eVisa and travel
Within 2 weeks of the decisionCreate the UKVI account and check the eVisa shows indefinite leave before travelling
Step 9: After arrival
First monthUpdate HMRC and the GP, and start the residence period again if you plan to apply for citizenship
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
Many Indian families held indefinite leave to remain, returned to Punjab or Gujarat to care for parents, run a family business or settle a child in school, and stayed away past 2 years. Indefinite leave lapses automatically after 2 continuous years outside the UK, or 5 years for EU Settlement Scheme holders. A Returning Resident visa restores settled status on arrival, but it is a discretionary decision. Officers weigh the length of the absence, the reason, your ties while away such as property, family and income in the UK, and your plans to live in the UK again. An absence of several years with no UK ties is usually refused, and the alternative is a fresh application on another route. Decisions take about 12 weeks because it is a settlement application.
The rules
Eligibility
- You held indefinite leave to remain or settled status when you last left the UK, and it has lapsed through absence of more than 2 continuous years (5 years for EU Settlement Scheme holders)
- You intend to return to the UK to live permanently, not for a visit
- You have strong ties to the UK, such as family who are British or settled, property you own or rent, a UK job or pension, or children in UK schools
- You have a good reason for the absence, such as caring for a sick parent, a child's education or a work posting, with evidence
- The longer the absence, the stronger the ties must be: absences over 5 years are rarely accepted without compelling reasons
- You did not leave under a deportation or removal order and have no Part 9 suitability issues
- You are not exempt: partners of British armed forces members or of certain government and British Council staff posted abroad do not lose their settlement
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Current and old passports, including the passport that carried the indefinite leave stamp or vignette, or the BRP and the Home Office letter granting settlement
- Evidence of your settled status if your document was lost: a Subject Access Request result, a No Time Limit decision, or an eVisa record
- Proof of the date you left the UK and your travel since: passport stamps, airline records and the Indian immigration arrival stamp
- Reason for the absence: parent's medical records and hospital discharge summaries, your child's school admission records, or a posting letter from your employer
- UK ties: council tax bills, mortgage statements or tenancy agreements, property deeds, HMRC records, pension statements and UK bank statements covering the absence
- Family in the UK: passports or BRPs of British or settled spouse, children or parents, with their addresses and a letter about your return
- Evidence of your plan to return: a job offer, enrolment of children in a UK school, or a letter from the family about where you will live
- Indian records that show the stay was temporary: a leave agreement, a rental rather than a purchase, or the sale of Indian assets ahead of the return
- Marriage certificate and birth certificates if your family will apply with you or as dependants
- A short written statement setting out the timeline of your absence and why you did not return earlier
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Returning Resident visa (indefinite leave to enter after lapse of ILR) application fee | £726 | ₹96,072 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST includedPaid to Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd. Home Office fees are paid by you on gov.uk. | ₹14,999 | |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £726 | ₹1,11,071 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- The absence is treated as settlement abroad: a long stay in India with a job, property and no UK ties looks like you gave up the UK
- Ties to the UK not shown: no property, no family, no income and no records covering the years away
- The reason for the absence is not proved, such as a claimed caring duty with no medical records
- No evidence of the original indefinite leave, often because the passport with the stamp was lost and no Home Office record was obtained
- The plan to return is vague: no job, home, school or family arrangement in the UK
- Part 9 suitability: a past deportation, an undeclared refusal or a document that could not be verified
Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Criminality: custodial sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender, serious harm
A mandatory refusal for a prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or for repeat offending or serious-harm offences. Sentences under 12 months are considered under 9.4.2 to 9.4.5 (discretionary, with time limits for visitors).
What to fix: always declare convictions; non-disclosure leads to a 9.7.1 deception finding on top; for shorter sentences, show the time elapsed and rehabilitation evidence; get the court record and sentence length in English.
Decode 9.4.1Free tools
Tools for this route
Fee calculator in rupees
Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.
Document checklist generator
A checklist for your route and situation, sent on WhatsApp.
Processing times tracker
Standard, priority and super priority times for Indian applicants, updated monthly.
Refusal reason decoder
Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
How much does the Returning Resident visa cost?ShowHide
£726 on gov.uk as of 8 October 2026. There is no health surcharge because the visa restores settlement. Priority settlement service, where offered, costs £500 extra.
I was away for 2 years and 3 months. Have I lost my ILR?ShowHide
Yes. Indefinite leave lapses after 2 continuous years outside the UK, even by a few months. You need a Returning Resident visa or a new visa on another route. A short absence over the limit with strong UK ties is the easiest case to win.
What counts as strong ties?ShowHide
Family who are British or settled, a home you own or rent, a UK job or business, a pension, bank accounts you kept open, children in UK schools, and regular visits during the absence. Officers look at the whole picture against the length of time away.
I lost the passport with my ILR stamp. What do I do?ShowHide
Request your Home Office record through a Subject Access Request, or apply for a No Time Limit decision if you still had ILR. Keep any old letters, BRP cards or the landing card record. Without proof of the original grant, the application fails.
Can my spouse and children apply with me?ShowHide
Only if they also held settlement that lapsed. A spouse who never held ILR applies on the Partner route once you are back and settled, or at the same time if you can show your status. We refer family route questions to the Partner visa page.
Can I just visit the UK and stay?ShowHide
No. Entering as a visitor with the intention to stay is a breach and can lead to refusal at the border and future bans. Apply for the Returning Resident visa from India before you travel.
How long does the decision take?ShowHide
About 12 weeks after biometrics, because it is processed as a settlement application. Priority settlement service, when available at Indian centres, aims for 30 working days. Super priority is not offered for settlement entry clearance.
Do I get a new ILR, or does my old one come back?ShowHide
The visa is granted as indefinite leave to enter, which has the same effect as ILR. You will hold an eVisa. Time spent abroad does not count toward citizenship, so the residence clock for naturalisation starts again on your return.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. No outcome is guaranteed.
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.