Settlement for victims of domestic abuse explained

If you are in danger now

If you are in immediate danger, call 999. If you cannot speak, stay on the line and press 55 when asked. The police will know it is an emergency.

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247. It can help you find a safe place to stay. You do not need to have a visa sorted out to get help.

Why your visa matters

If you came to the UK as the husband, wife, or partner of a British citizen or settled person, your visa depends on your relationship. Some people stay with an abusive partner because they fear losing their right to be in the UK. An abuser may also use this fear to control you, for example by threatening to "cancel" your visa or send you back.

UK immigration law has a route for people in this position. If your relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse, you may be able to apply for settlement, also called Indefinite Leave to Remain. That gives you permission to live in the UK permanently, without depending on your former partner.

What counts as domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is wider than physical violence. The Home Office uses the definition in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. It includes:

• physical or sexual abuse
• threats and violent behaviour
• controlling or coercive behaviour, such as checking your phone, limiting who you see, or keeping your passport
• economic abuse, such as taking your wages or stopping you having money
• psychological or emotional abuse

Both men and women can be victims. The abuse may come from your partner. Abuse from your partner's family can also matter, for example where it caused the relationship to break down.

Who can apply for settlement

The rules are in Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse of the Immigration Rules. In outline, you must be 18 or over, and you must have, or last have had, permission as one of the following:

• the partner of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK, on a family visa
• the partner of a refugee
• the partner of a member of the armed forces, in some situations
• the spouse, civil partner, or durable partner of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen under the EU Settlement Scheme, in some situations
• a person granted leave under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession, if you held one of the types of permission above before that

You must show that your relationship broke down permanently because of domestic abuse. Fiancé and fiancée visas are not included.

You usually need to be in the UK to apply. If your partner left you abroad, for example by taking your passport and leaving you in Pakistan or Bangladesh, you may be able to apply from outside the UK to come back. You need to show you were abandoned there.

You do not need to have lived in the UK for any minimum time. The English language, Life in the UK, and financial requirements do not apply to this route. You still need to pass the general suitability checks, which look at things like serious criminal convictions.

Your children can usually be included in your application if they meet the rules.

The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession

The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) used to be called the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession, or DDVC. It gives you three months' permission to stay in the UK, separate from your partner. During that time you can work and apply for benefits and housing help. Many people on partner visas have a condition saying they cannot use public funds, and this lifts it for those three months.

It is meant to give you breathing space to get safe and make your next application. You must be in the UK to apply for it.

The concession covers more people than the settlement route. As well as partners of British citizens and settled people, it now includes partners of people on work and student visas, and some people under the Ukraine schemes and the EU Settlement Scheme. Since October 2026, some young people aged 18 or over who came as a child on one of these routes can also apply in their own right.

If you qualify for settlement, you should apply for it within the three months. If you do not qualify, the three months give you time to apply for another visa or arrange to leave.

The latest version of the Home Office guidance on the concession explains who it covers.

Evidence

GOV.UK says you will be asked to give a statement about what happened when you apply, and that you should include supporting evidence if you have it. There is no fixed list. The Home Office looks at all the evidence together.

Evidence can include:

• a court order, such as a non-molestation order or occupation order
• police reports, a police caution, or a criminal conviction against your partner
• letters from your GP, hospital, or a health visitor
• letters from a refuge, an independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA), or another support service
• letters from social services or your children's school
• a referral to a multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC), a meeting where agencies plan how to keep high-risk victims safe
• messages, emails, or voice notes from your partner
• statements from friends or family who saw what happened

You do not need every type. Many people do not report abuse to the police, especially if they were isolated or afraid. Other evidence can still show what happened. Keep copies somewhere safe that your partner cannot reach, such as with a friend or support worker, or in an email account only you can open.

How to apply

You apply online using the form for settlement as a victim of domestic abuse (often called SET(DV)). You can find it on GOV.UK at settle in the UK as a victim of domestic abuse. Help is available if you do not feel confident using a computer.

There is an application fee. You may not have to pay it if you can show you do not have a place to live and cannot afford one, cannot afford essentials like food and heating, or that paying would harm your child's wellbeing. Check the current fee and the fee waiver rules on GOV.UK.

If you are refused, you can ask for an administrative review, which is a check of whether the Home Office made a mistake. See our page on visa refusals and appeals.

After you get settlement

With Indefinite Leave to Remain, you can live, work, and study in the UK without time limits, and claim benefits if you are eligible. Later, you may be able to apply for British citizenship.

If you are separating and need help with children or finances, see our pages on child arrangements and divorce.

When to get advice

Your safety comes first, so contact the police or the helpline before anything else if you are at risk. Once you are safe, getting advice early can help you choose between the concession and a settlement application, and plan your evidence. We can help. You can book a call with us.