United KingdomGOV.UK
Ukraine Extension window widens to 90 days with 24-month renewal
The application window widens from 28 to 90 days for first and second UPE applications, with payments capped at 18 months from first UPE move.
By Taxxa AI OyPublished 15 September 2026
Guests under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme can now apply when their current permission has 90 days or less remainingGOV, instead of 28 days or less
GOV — and the change applies to both first and second UPE applications
GOV. The guest guidance page for the Homes for Ukraine UPE route now states the 90-day window, and the linked Home Office guidance on applying confirms the same window for first-time and repeat applications, including a further 24-month extension available when an initial UPE period nears its end, applied for 90 days before expiry through the Apply section
GOV.
The update also records the scheme's longer arc. The UPE scheme opened for applications on 4 February 2025GOV offering up to 18 months' permission
GOV with the same entitlements to work, study, rent and receive benefits, free to apply for. The UK government announced on 1 September 2025 that the scheme will be extended for another 24 months following the initial 18-month period
GOV. The applying guidance grants children not living with a parent or legal guardian 18 or 24 months' permission respectively.
Thank-you payments track a different clock from permission. Eligible sponsors and hosts of guests who moved from a Homes for Ukraine visa to a UPE visa can claim paymentsGOV for up to 18 months from the date the guest first moves onto a UPE visa, after which payments end
GOV — eligibility is set by that first-move date and capped at 18 months. Because guests can now apply for a further UPE extension up to 90 days before expiry, sponsors may in some cases keep receiving payments while guests are on a second UPE extension, within that cap. Sponsors and hosts will need to apply for thank you payments to continue when a guest's Homes for Ukraine permission expires or is about to expire
GOV; when that permission expires or is about to expire, sponsors and hosts should reapply to their council if they wish to continue to receive a monthly thank you payment
GOV.
Late applications carry a concrete cost. A guest should apply before current permission expires; if the application is late — submitted after expiry — then even if UPE is later granted, the guest loses entitlements to work, study, rent and benefits from expiry until a decision is madeGOV, and may have to repay public funds such as certain benefits paid during that gap. Guests can check their expiry date in their UKVI account. Councils can bridge the gap: they may pay thank-you payments for a further 6 months after the Homes for Ukraine visa ends while UPE permission is still pending, including for late applications
GOV, but stop after 6 months without confirmation the UPE visa was awarded
GOV. Payments are never payable where there is a close family relationship between sponsor and guest
GOV, and if a sponsorship breaks down councils may rematch UPE holders previously on Homes for Ukraine permission where there is a material risk of homelessness.
Legal basis: Homes for Ukraine / Ukraine Permission Extension scheme guidance (guest guidance and Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme), 4 February 2025 opening; 1 September 2025 24-month extension announcement.
Apply within the 90-day window before permission expires — never after — and reapply to the council for thank-you payments when Homes for Ukraine permission ends.