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You can only cancel (withdraw) an application for a visa, visa extension or citizenship if you’re still waiting for a decision. 

What you’ll be refunded depends on what stage your application is at when you cancel.

Before you cancel

You may not need to cancel your application if:

• you only want to ask for your passport and other documents to be returned
• you applied from inside the UK and now want to apply for a different visa instead

If you cancel your application:

• you cannot stop the cancellation once it’s been received by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
• you may lose your permission to stay here if you’re in the UK

How to cancel your application

How you cancel and the deadline for getting a refund depends on how you were told to prove your identity when you started your online application.

You would have been told either to:

• attend an appointment to provide your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) and identity document in person
• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ smartphone app to upload your photo and scan your identity document

If you were told to attend an appointment

If you applied within the UK, check how to cancel your application and get your documents back.

If you applied outside the UK, sign in to your account using the link from your sign-up email. Go to ‘Section 6: further actions’ to cancel your application.

You’ll also need to cancel any appointments at the visa application centre.

If you used the smartphone app

You can cancel your application online.

To cancel, sign in to your account using the link from your sign-up email. Go to your dashboard and select ‘Withdraw this application’ for the application you want to cancel.

If you cancel your visa application, you might be able to get a refund of your:

• application fee 
• immigration health surcharge
• priority service fee (if you used this service)

What you get depends on when you cancelled your application.

Application fee

The amount you’ll be refunded depends on how you were told to prove your identity and when you cancel.

You do not have to do anything to get the application fee refund. It will be automatically paid to the account or card you paid with.

If you were told to attend an appointment

Your fee will be refunded if you have not yet given your fingerprints and photo.

Your fee will not usually be refunded if you have already given your fingerprints and photo. 

If you used the smartphone app

Your fee will be refunded if:

• you’ve not selected ‘confirm and upload’ in the app - either to upload your evidence or confirm you do not have anything to upload

• you withdraw your application before the deadline you were given for uploading your evidence

Immigration health surcharge

You’ll get a full refund of the immigration health surcharge if you cancel your application before a decision has been made.

You do not have to do anything to get it. It will automatically be paid to the account or card you paid with.

Priority service fee

You can ask for a refund of the priority service fee if you paid one and you’re eligible. It will not be paid automatically, you need to ask for it.

When you’ll get the refund

If you’re eligible, you’ll get a refund within 28 days of cancelling your application.

If your bank account has changed

Contact UKVI if your bank account has changed. 

Do not send your new bank or account details to UKVI unless it asks for them. You can contact UKVI to check that the request is genuine.

It may take longer to get a refund if your bank account has changed.

If you’ve asked your bank to cancel your payment

It can take longer to get a refund if you’ve also asked your bank to cancel your payment to UKVI (called a ‘chargeback’).

You will not get a refund if the bank cancelled your payment to UKVI.

If you have not been given your refund

Contact UKVI if it has been more than 28 days since UKVI confirmed your application was cancelled.