UK Names One Country Whose Nationals Can Apply for Visas Without a Valid Passport

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• The UK government has published official guidance confirming that Ukrainian nationals can apply for certain UK visa schemes without holding a valid international passport
• The guidance lists several alternative documents Ukrainians may submit, including identity cards and emergency certificates issued since March 2022
• The UK government also outlined separate biometric appointment rules for children under five years old applying under the scheme

The UK government has published official guidance confirming that Ukrainian nationals are the only group permitted to apply for specific UK visa schemes without a valid international passport, reflecting allowances tied to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The guidance, issued as part of the support scheme for Ukrainian nationals and family members of British nationals in Ukraine, sets out the exact documents applicants must present at a visa application centre during their biometric appointment.

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Documents Ukrainians can submit

While a valid international passport remains the standard requirement for most applicants across UK visa categories, Ukrainian nationals are offered a range of alternatives unavailable to any other nationality under the scheme.

Accepted substitutes include a recently expired international passport, a valid or recently expired Ukrainian national identity card, or an emergency certificate issued by a Ukrainian authority from March 2022 onwards.

Applicants who cannot produce any of those documents may present a photo driving licence combined with a birth certificate, provided that together the two documents confirm the individual's full name, date of birth, nationality, and determined gender.

This flexibility has been in place since 17 February 2022. It reflects the practical barriers many Ukrainians face in obtaining or renewing travel documents, given the administrative disruption caused by Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Biometric appointment rules

Regardless of which documents an applicant presents, attendance at a visa application centre for biometric enrolment remains a firm requirement under the scheme.

At the appointment, applicants must provide a photograph and fingerprints. Children under five years old are exempt from the fingerprint element and are required to provide a photograph only.

The guidance makes clear that no exceptions are made to the biometric attendance requirement itself, even where document flexibility has been granted.

UK confirms asylum seekers can stay with family

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the UK Home Office has confirmed that asylum seekers have the option to leave government-provided accommodation.

According to the Home Office, asylum seekers can live with friends or family already based in the United Kingdom without it affecting the outcome of their asylum application.

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Source: YEN.com.gh