The UK government has published strict rules under the Adult Dependent Relative route that applicants and sponsors must satisfy. The rules, which remain active in 2026, place obligations on both the person applying from abroad and the UK-based family member sponsoring them. To qualify, applicants must be aged 18 or over and be a parent, grandparent, son, daughter, brother or sister of someone already living in the UK.
Applicants must require long-term personal care for everyday tasks due to age, illness or disability. They must show that such care is either unavailable in their home country or unaffordable, even with financial support from the UK sponsor. Before travelling, applicants must obtain entry clearance, and a valid medical certificate confirming the absence of active pulmonary tuberculosis is required if tuberculosis screening rules apply to their country of residence.
The UK-based sponsor must be a British citizen, settled in the UK, hold protection status, or be a qualifying EEA national with leave granted under Appendix EU. They must show they can provide adequate housing, financial support and personal care for the applicant without accessing public funds. Financial evidence covering the six months immediately before the application date is required.
The sponsor must also sign a formal maintenance undertaking, which covers five years from the date of arrival if the applicant is granted settlement. If the applicant receives temporary permission instead, the undertaking lasts for the full duration of that permission. Should the applicant access public funds during the covered period, the UK government may recover those costs from the sponsor.
Where the sponsor is a British citizen or is already settled in the UK, the elderly relative receives settlement on arrival. In all other cases, the relative is granted temporary permission that expires on the same date as the sponsor's own leave, after which they may apply for settlement or further permission in line with their sponsor's status.
If a parent or grandparent is applying alongside their partner, only one of the couple needs to meet the long-term care requirement, provided both submit their applications at the same time. The UK government has set out 10 conditions that must be satisfied before a British citizen or settled resident can bring an elderly parent or grandparent to live in the country under the Adult Dependent Relative route.
The rules place significant obligations on both the applicant and the sponsor, ensuring that the applicant's care needs are met without relying on public funds. The UK government aims to balance the need for family reunification with the need to manage immigration and public resources.
Key points
- The UK government has set out 10 conditions for British citizens or settled residents to bring elderly parents or grandparents to live in the country.
- Applicants must require long-term personal care for everyday tasks due to age, illness or disability.
- Sponsors must show they can provide adequate housing, financial support and personal care for the applicant without accessing public funds.
