# Returning Resident visa for Indian applicants

The Returning Resident visa costs £726 (gov.uk, verified 8 October 2026) and is for a former UK settled resident who has been outside the UK for more than 2 years and lost indefinite leave to remain. There is no health surcharge. You must show strong ties to the UK and a reason for the long absence.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

## 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.

Our all-in filing price: ₹14,999, GST included.

## Worked example
Example: Baldev returns to Southall after caring for his mother in Jalandhar

**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.

## 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 |

## Mistakes we see
| 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 |

## Timeline
1. **Confirm the original settlement** (Month 0): Locate the passport with the ILR vignette, BRP or grant letter; otherwise submit a Subject Access Request, which takes about a month
2. **Map the absence** (Month 0): Write a dated timeline of departure, visits and the reason for the absence with the matching records
3. **Gather UK ties evidence** (Month 1): Property, council tax, bank, HMRC or pension records across the absence and the family's British passports
4. **Collect the plan to return** (Month 1): Job offer, family letter, children's school places, and evidence that Indian arrangements are ending
5. **Submit online and pay** (Month 1 to 2): Pay £726; no health surcharge; upload the documents to the VFS portal
6. **Biometrics at VFS** (Month 2): Attend with the current and old passports; add priority settlement where offered
7. **Decision** (About 12 weeks after biometrics): Granted as indefinite leave to enter; refusals carry no in-country remedy, so the file must be complete first time
8. **Passport returned, eVisa and travel** (Within 2 weeks of the decision): Create the UKVI account and check the eVisa shows indefinite leave before travelling
9. **After arrival** (First month): Update HMRC and the GP, and start the residence period again if you plan to apply for citizenship

## 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.

## 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

## Documents
- 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

## Cost from India
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Returning Resident visa (indefinite leave to enter after lapse of ILR) application fee | £726 | ₹96,072 |
| Priority service (optional) (optional) | £500 | ₹66,165 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST included |  | ₹14,999 |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £726 | ₹1,11,071 |

Fees effective 8 April 2026, verified 2026-10-08; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (2026-10-08). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk.

## Processing time
Standard 12 weeks; priority 30 working days; super priority not offered. UKVI figures as of 2026-09-09, verified 2026-10-08. Processed as a settlement entry clearance application (12 weeks). Priority settlement availability for this route at Indian VACs not confirmed on 8 Oct 2026.

## Refusal reasons
- 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

## Refusal paragraphs decoded (verified 2026-10-08)
### 9.2.1: 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

### 9.3.1: Presence 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

### 9.4.1: Criminality: 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

### 9.7.1: False representations or documents, or failure to disclose (mandatory where deception used)
The Home Office says something in your application was false: a fake bank statement, an edited employer letter, an undisclosed previous refusal, or a document an agent made up without telling you. 'Whether or not to the applicant's knowledge' means you are refused even if the agent did it. Where deception is found, a 10-year ban under 9.8.4 usually follows.
What to fix: get your file: Subject Access Request to UKVI for the verification notes; if a document was genuine, obtain written confirmation from the issuer and a statement from them; if an agent submitted documents without your knowledge, gather the agent's receipts, messages and a police complaint; it does not remove the finding but can matter for later applications; declare every previous refusal anywhere in the world from now on

## FAQ
**How much does the Returning Resident visa cost?**
£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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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.

## In depth
- [Fees in rupees](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/fees.md)
- [Documents](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/documents.md)
- [Eligibility](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/eligibility.md)
- [Refusal reasons](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/refusal-reasons.md)
- [Processing time](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/processing-time.md)
- [Cost from India](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/cost-from-india.md)
- [FAQ](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/faq.md)
- [Worked example](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/worked-example.md)
- [Mistakes](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/mistakes.md)

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.