There is no single date on which you can renew every UK visa, but the most important aspect is that you must apply before your current visa expires. Applying in time keeps your status protected while the Home Office makes its decision, under what is known as Section 3C leave. Applying too late makes you an overstayer, and applying too early can waste months of leave that would otherwise count toward settlement. This post provides an overview of how soon you can renew a UK visa before it expires, including when to apply, the timing rules by route, and what happens if your visa has already lapsed.
How soon can you apply to extend your UK visa?
You can usually apply to extend your UK visa at any point before it expires, once you meet the requirements of your route. There is no fixed earliest date that applies to every visa, so the timing depends on your circumstances rather than a single national deadline.
As a general rule of thumb, you should apply to extend your visa in the 28 days before it ends. The rule that does apply to everyone is that your application must be made while your current leave is still valid. Applying in time means your existing leave continues automatically until the Home Office makes a decision, even where that decision arrives after your original expiry date. This protection comes from section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, and it is the main reason timing matters so much.
The earliest point at which you can apply still depends on your route, because each route sets its own requirements for the time you must have completed. The common routes work as follows:
- On the Skilled Worker Visa, you can apply to extend at any time before your current permission expires, provided you have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the same job with the same sponsor. If you change employer or job, you apply to update your visa rather than simply extend it.
- On the family routes, you can apply to extend a Spouse or Partner Visa at any time before it expires once you meet the requirements. Only up to 28 days of your remaining leave is carried over to the new visa, so the timing matters, as explained in the next section.
- On the Student Visa, you can usually apply up to three months before your new course starts, and the new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
What is the 28-day rule for family visa extensions?
On a family visa, only up to 28 days of the time left on your current visa is added to your new visa when you extend to stay with the same family member. You can apply at any time before your visa expires, but if you apply with more than 28 days remaining, you lose the extra days.
For this reason it is usually sensible to apply in the final 28 days before your family visa expires, so that none of your leave is wasted.
Lost leave can also matter when you are working toward settlement, because Indefinite Leave to Remain depends on completing a qualifying period of continuous lawful residence.
What is Section 3C leave, and why does timing matter?
Section 3C leave is the automatic protection that keeps your immigration status valid when you apply to extend before your visa expires and the Home Office has not decided by the expiry date. It lets you keep living in the UK, and keep working or studying on the same conditions, while you wait for a decision.
Section 3C leave applies only where the application was made in time, before the current leave expired. It comes to an end if you withdraw the application, when the Home Office decides it, or if you leave the UK, which is why travelling abroad during a pending renewal can bring your protected status to an end. The rules are explained further in our guide to Section 3C leave.
To discuss the timing of your extension with an experienced immigration adviser, contact our friendly team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form to get in touch.
How soon can you apply for settlement (ILR)?
If you are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain rather than another extension, you can apply up to 28 days before you complete your qualifying period. Applying earlier than 28 days may lead to a refusal.
The 28-day window allows you to apply before your current visa runs out while still meeting the residence requirement. The qualifying period is usually five years of continuous lawful residence on an eligible route, although some routes have a different period. The earliest application date and the way the period is calculated are set out in the GOV.UK settlement guidance.
How to renew your UK visa
You renew, or extend, a UK visa by completing the online application for your route, paying the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, and providing your biometric information. The form you use depends on your route and on whether the application is an extension of your current visa or a switch to a different one.
You will usually need to provide:
- Your current biometric residence permit or access to your eVisa, and your passport or travel document
- Evidence that you continue to meet the requirements of your route, such as a Certificate of Sponsorship, financial evidence, or evidence of your relationship
- Any documents not in English or Welsh, accompanied by a certified translation
You complete the application before your current leave expires so that section 3C leave protects your status while the decision is pending.
How long does a UK visa renewal take?
A standard UK visa extension decision usually takes up to eight weeks from the date you provide your biometrics. Many decisions come sooner, but it is safer to plan around the eight-week figure when deciding how early to apply.
Faster decisions are available on many in-country routes for an additional fee. As of June 2026, the super priority service costs £1,000 for a decision by the end of the next working day, and some routes also offer a standard priority service. Where the Home Office needs more information, a decision can take longer even on a priority service, and the extra fee is not refunded. The faster services available for your route are set out in the relevant GOV.UK route guidance, including the family visa guidance.
The timeline below shows how this works for a spouse extending a family visa, with a current visa due to expire on 30 November 2026, applying in time on the standard service. The dates are illustrative.
| Date | Stage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 2 November 2026 | The 28-day window before expiry opens | Applying from this point means all of your remaining leave, up to 28 days, is added to the new visa, so none is wasted |
| 10 November 2026 | Online application submitted, fee and Immigration Health Surcharge paid | The application is made in time, so section 3C leave can protect your status if the decision comes later |
| 17 November 2026 | Biometrics appointment attended | The processing time is usually measured from this point |
| 30 November 2026 | Original expiry date of the current visa | Section 3C leave continues your status automatically because the decision is still pending |
| By 12 January 2027 | Decision received, standard service of up to eight weeks | A new grant is issued, with up to 28 days of any remaining leave added |
Processing times and the faster services for each route are set out on the GOV.UK family visa guidance.
In practice, timing tends to work out in a few common ways. A Skilled Worker applicant extending with the same employer on standard processing applies well before expiry and relies on section 3C leave to cover the gap if the decision arrives after the visa’s original end date. A spouse applying to extend who has travel booked waits for the decision before leaving the UK, because section 3C leave ends on departure. An applicant who needs certainty quickly uses the super priority service for a next-working-day decision, as of June 2026, provided the Home Office does not ask for further information.
What happens if your UK visa has already expired?
If your visa has already expired, you cannot rely on section 3C leave, and remaining in the UK without valid leave is overstaying. An application made after your leave has expired is treated as an out-of-time application, which carries more risk than an in-time one.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can usually apply to extend a UK visa at any time before it expires, once you meet the requirements of your route. There is no single earliest date for every visa, but the application must be made before your current leave ends. On a family visa, only up to 28 days of your remaining leave is added to the new visa, so many applicants apply within the final 28 days before expiry. For Indefinite Leave to Remain, you can apply up to 28 days before you complete your qualifying period.
On a family or partner visa, only up to 28 days of the time left on your current visa is added to your new visa when you extend. You can apply at any time before your visa expires, but applying more than 28 days early means the unused days are not carried over, so many applicants apply within the final 28 days before their visa expires.
No. Section 3C leave, which protects your status while a renewal is pending, ends if you leave the UK. Travelling abroad before you receive a decision can therefore end your protected status and disrupt your application, so it is safer to remain in the UK until the decision is made.
If your visa expires before you apply, you become an overstayer and cannot rely on section 3C leave. An application made after expiry is treated as out of time. A limited exception allows an application within 14 days of expiry where there is a good reason, beyond your control, for the delay.
A standard extension decision usually takes up to eight weeks after you provide your biometrics. As of June 2026, a priority service costs around £500 for a decision usually within five working days, and a super priority service costs around £1,000 for a decision by the next working day, subject to the Home Office not needing further information.
Yes. You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain up to 28 days before you complete your qualifying period. Applying earlier than 28 days may result in a refusal, so the timing should be calculated carefully against your residence history.
How Whytecroft Ford Can Help
The timing of a UK visa renewal carries real consequences. Applying after a visa expires removes the protection of section 3C leave and can lead to overstaying, while applying too early can give up leave that would otherwise count toward settlement, and the correct moment to apply is different on each route.
Whytecroft Ford advises applicants on when and how to extend across the main routes, including the Skilled Worker Visa, the Spouse and Partner routes, and applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain. For an applicant approaching their expiry date and unsure how early to act, the firm sets out the right timing for their route, what section 3C leave does and does not protect, and what evidence the renewal requires.
To discuss your renewal with an experienced immigration adviser, contact our friendly team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form to get in touch.
Sources
Written and reviewed by Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team, authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration number F201900075. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 8 June 2026.
