Can I Apply for The UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa lets young people from certain countries and territories live, work and study in the UK for up to two years, without a sponsor or job offer.

What Is The UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa (previously called the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa) is set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme of the Immigration Rules. It is a cultural exchange route: you do not need a sponsor or a job offer, and you can work, study or travel during your stay. It does not lead to settlement, and you cannot bring family members on your application.

How Long You Can Stay

You get a visa for up to 24 months. You can enter the UK at any time while your visa is valid.

If you are a citizen of Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you can extend your visa once, from inside the UK, for a further 12 months (up to three years in total). Apply no more than 28 days before your current visa expires. The extension costs £340 plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776, and a decision usually takes up to 8 weeks. Nationals of other eligible countries cannot extend.

What You Can and Cannot Do

On a Youth Mobility Scheme visa you can:

• work in most jobs;
• study (some courses need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate);
• be self-employed and set up a company, as long as your premises are rented, your equipment is worth no more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees.

You cannot:

• work as a professional sportsperson (including as a coach);
• claim public funds (most benefits);
• extend your stay, unless you are from Australia, Canada or New Zealand;
• bring family members on your application (they must qualify and apply separately).

You pay UK tax and National Insurance on your earnings under the usual rules.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Nationality and Age

Your age limit depends on your nationality. You must be 18 or over when your visa starts, and no older than the upper limit on the date you apply.

• Aged 18 to 35: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea.
• Aged 18 to 30: Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino and Uruguay.
• Aged 18 to 30, ballot required: Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passport holders) and Taiwan.
• Aged 18 to 30: British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas).

Nationals of Japan and South Korea no longer need to enter a ballot. Nationals of countries not listed above, such as the USA, are not eligible. Indian nationals have a separate India Young Professionals Scheme, which has its own ballot.

Savings Requirement

You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account. The money must have been held for at least 28 days in a row, and day 28 must fall within 31 days of the date you apply.

Other Requirements

You cannot apply if you:

• have children under 18 who live with you;
• have children you are financially responsible for; or
• have already been in the UK under the Youth Mobility Scheme.

You must also meet the general suitability requirements, which include checks on criminal history and previous immigration breaches.

The Ballot for Hong Kong and Taiwan

Applicants from Hong Kong and Taiwan must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before they can apply. For 2026 there were 1,000 places for each, with ballots held in February and July. The 2026 ballots have closed. The Home Office will publish details of the 2027 ballots on GOV.UK.

Entering the ballot is free. If you are selected, you will get an invitation and have 90 days to submit your visa application, pay the fee and provide your biometric information.

Documents You Will Need

• a valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality;
• a bank statement showing at least £2,530 in savings;
• tuberculosis (TB) test results, if you are from a country where you must take the test;
• certified translations of any documents not in English or Welsh.

Some nationalities must provide extra documents:

• Andorra, Iceland and Uruguay: a criminal records certificate issued no more than 6 months before you apply;
• San Marino: a letter from the San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs confirming you are a suitable candidate, issued no more than 6 months before you apply;
• Hong Kong and Taiwan: the Home Office email confirming you were successful in the ballot.

Costs

• Application fee: £340.
• Immigration Health Surcharge: usually £776 per year, paid upfront (£1,552 for a two-year visa).

How to Apply

1. Check you meet the eligibility requirements (and, for Hong Kong or Taiwan, that you have a ballot invitation).
2. Apply online on GOV.UK from outside the UK. The earliest you can apply is 6 months before you travel.
3. Pay the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
4. Prove your identity, either using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by giving your fingerprints and photograph at a visa application centre, depending on your nationality and passport.
5. Upload or provide your supporting documents.

You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks of applying, proving your identity and providing your documents. In some locations you may be able to pay extra for a faster decision.

Your decision email will explain how you can prove your immigration status. Status is now normally held as an eVisa, which you access through your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

If your application is refused, you can apply for an administrative review if you think the Home Office made a mistake. There is no right of appeal for this route.