Practicalities

If your Ukrainian family has school age, or pre-school age children you will need to check availability and apply for place as soon as the visa application has been lodged. Click here for more information, including how to do this.

When preparing the property or room you are offering, consider the following:

  • If you are offering a spare room in your home to someone you sponsor, make sure that it’s clean and any personal items you need access to are removed. Ensure the person staying in that room feels and knows that it belongs to them, and that you will respect their privacy.

  • Ensure there’s plenty of storage available if needed, if this is not in the same room, make sure the person you sponsor can have unrestricted access to this.

  • Provide bed linen, towels and other items they may need.

  • Provide spare keys in order for the people you sponsor to come and go as they please. Ensure you provide your full address so that they can find their way back should they get lost; help to install google maps on a phone if needed.

  • Make sure they have space to store their own food in fridges and cupboards.

  • If your guest is bringing a pet, make sure they have the things they need.

Your guests' first priority on arrival is likely to be: a SIM card with data to enable access to the internet for calls to Ukraine. Click Offers for a deal you can get as soon as they arrive




Provide a Welcome Pack for each of your guests

Ideas:

  • Personal hygiene products - shampoo, conditioner, razors, towels/tampons, deodorant, toothpaste etc.

  • Moisturiser and lip balm, as stress has a really bad effect on skin condition

  • Nappies for babies

  • Culturally appropriate food

  • Toys for children

Once your guests have arrived

  • Help them connect to your internet

  • If your home is non-smoking, and your guest is a smoker, be clear with your guest where they can and cannot smoke.

  • You may decide between sponsor and guest that you will cook and eat together; or you may not. Be open and clear with one another about what you would like.

  • Everyone will have ‘house rules’ – discuss with those who already share your home in advance what these are, and ensure your guest knows these too. Living with someone is hard, be prepared to be clear, and to compromise.

  • Help them register for GP services, dental services- see Health section, Universal Credit, Pension Credit, open a bank account, get a National Insurance number, depending on your Local Authority you may need to contact them to claim their £200/Ukrainian Welcome Benefit - see Benefits, Banking and Employment sections.

  • Be clear about money - how much you decide to fund them and for how long, will be a matter of personal choice and need (yours and theirs), but have that conversation quickly, in the context of Universal Credits (including how long it takes to come through) to ensure their expectations and yours are aligned.

  • Don't forget to remind your Ukrainian guest to extend their visa from the initial 6 months to up to 3 years. They will need to submit their biometrics within 6 months of arriving in the UK to extend their stay and be issued with a biometric residence permit (BRP) as evidence of their immigration status. They can start the process to provide biometric information by completing the online form.