# Returning Resident visa: questions Indian applicants ask

Answers to the questions Indian applicants ask the desk about the Returning Resident visa, from bank statements to reapplying after a refusal.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa/faq · 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.

**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.

Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/returning-resident-visa.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.