Super Sponsor Scheme and Homes for Ukraine: guidance for local authorities
Guidance for local authorities on the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsorship Scheme and Scotland’s responsibilities under the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.
UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme
This guide is for local authorities in Scotland. A Homes for Ukraine guide for hosts is available.
Background and eligibility
From the 7 December 2023, all new visa applicants under the Homes for Ukraine scheme must travel to the UK within 90 days after they have provided their biometric information at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
As of 13 February 2025, permission to travel letters are no longer valid for entry to the UK. Further information is on the UK Government website.
To apply to the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme the applicant must be Ukrainian, or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who has been granted permission under, or is applying to, and qualifies under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. This also includes applicants aged 18 or under.
On 4 February 2025, the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme opened. Under this scheme, displaced people from Ukraine who have been granted a visa under one of the other Ukraine visa schemes can apply to continue living in the UK for a further 18 months.
People whose first period of UPE permission is coming to an end may be able to apply for a further 24-month extension under the UPE scheme.
As of 8 April 2026, applicants to the UPE scheme can apply up to 90 days before their current Ukraine Scheme permission expires. This applies to both first and second time UPE applications.
Further information on the UPE scheme, including guidance for councils, is on the UK Government website.
This guidance sets out how the Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA, expects this scheme to operate in Scotland, and should be read together with the latest version of the Homes for Ukraine guidance for councils on the UK Government website.
The UK Government announced changes to Ukraine visa schemes on 19 February 2024, including the eligibility criteria for sponsors
Those arriving need to meet standard security checks prior to being issued with a visa. Hosts (and members of their household aged over 16 years) will need to apply for a Level 2 barred list disclosure when they register for both the super sponsor scheme and Homes for Ukraine scheme when offering accommodation in their own homes.
They will also undergo local authority system checks, which include social work and local authority record checks for any child and adult protection risks and concerned. Where they are hosting in a separate property, only the property owner/s will need to undertake the above checks.
On 15 September 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) UKG, launched a new digital case management system known as ‘Share’ which has been rolled out to all councils and local authorities across the UK. Following this launch, the Scottish Government agreed for full decommission of the WSW Digital Ecosystem applications by 31 March 2026.
Contact
Email: ceu@gov.scot