UK Overseas Domestic Worker Visa Checklist
An Overseas Domestic Worker visa lets you visit the UK with your employer if you live outside the UK and work as a domestic worker in a private household. It costs £726, lasts up to 6 months, and cannot be extended. Based on the official GOV.UK page (gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa).
Three quick facts
- £726. It costs 726 pounds for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa.
- Up to 6 months. You can visit the UK with your employer for up to 6 months and must return home at the end of that period.
- No extension. You cannot extend an Overseas Domestic Worker visa.
The checklist — what you need to meet
| Live outside the UK | You must live outside the UK. |
| Be a domestic worker in a private household | Cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, those providing personal care for the employer and their family, and nannies. |
| One year with that employer | You must have worked for that employer for at least one year. |
| Travel with your employer | You can apply for a visa to visit the UK with your employer. |
| Fee | It costs 726 pounds for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa. |
| Stay and return home | Up to 6 months; you must return home at the end of the 6 months, and you cannot extend the visa. |
| When to apply | You can apply up to 3 months before your date of travel; you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK. |
What the visa is for
You can apply for a visa to visit the UK with your employer if you live outside the UK, are a domestic worker in a private household, and have worked for your employer for at least one year. A domestic worker in a private household includes cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, those providing personal care for the employer and their family, and nannies.
For the wider UK picture see the UK visa documents checklist and the UK short-term study visa documents checklist. Verify any photo with the UK passport photo page and the passport photo checker.
What you can do
- Travel abroad and return to the UK to complete your stay.
- Change employer within the 6 months, if you are still a domestic worker in a private household.
What you cannot do
- Work except as a domestic worker in a private household.
- Live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits.
- Get public funds.
You cannot extend an Overseas Domestic Worker visa, and you must return home at the end of the 6 months.
What is not published
The employer’s sponsorship and declaration obligations, and the exact supporting document list, are not published on the page, so not asserted here. Biometric and priority-service fee amounts are not published on the page, so not asserted here. The pre-2012 Domestic Worker in a Private Household exception is linked from the page but its detail is not given there, so not asserted here.
Common reasons an application fails
- Less than one year worked for that employer.
- Not a domestic worker in a private household as the route defines it.
- Intending to stay long-term through frequent visits — expressly not allowed.
- Planning to extend the visa — it cannot be extended.
- Taking other work, or claiming public funds — both are prohibited.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Overseas Domestic Worker visa cost?
It costs 726 pounds for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa.
How long can I stay in the UK?
You can use this visa to visit the UK with your employer for up to 6 months. You must return home at the end of the 6 months.
Can I extend the visa?
No. You cannot extend an Overseas Domestic Worker visa.
Can I change employer?
You can change employer within the 6 months if you are still a domestic worker in a private household.
When can I apply, and how long does it take?
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel. You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.
What can I not do on this visa?
You cannot work except as a domestic worker in a private household, you cannot live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits, and you cannot get public funds.
Sources: GOV.UK — Overseas Domestic Worker visa (gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa), retrieved 2026-09-29. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position before you apply.