Settlement after domestic abuse
There is a settlement route for someone whose relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse, with no qualifying period, no financial requirement and no English or Life in the UK test. This guide sets out what it asks for, and what the concession that bridges to it now provides.
- Section
- ILR & Settlement
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 21 February 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse has no qualifying period at all.
- No financial requirement, no English language requirement, no Life in the UK test.
- The DDVC is now the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession: 3 months' permission, and you can apply for public funds.
- The Immigration Rules specify no mandatory evidence; it is considered in the round.
- The fee is £3,226, waived if you are destitute. No healthcare surcharge applies.
Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse gives settlement with no qualifying period where a relationship has broken down permanently because of domestic abuse. No financial requirement applies, and the English language and knowledge of life in the UK requirements do not apply either. The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession — the renamed DDVC — gives 3 months' permission independent of the partner, with the ability to apply for public funds, as a bridge to it. The settlement fee is £3,226, waived if you are destitute.
Immediate Safety
If you are in immediate danger, call 999. The 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is on 0808 2000 247. Contacting the police or a support service is not an immigration application and does not start one. See our Home Office contact guide for how to reach UK Visas and Immigration.
See our domestic violence and visa guide for broader information.
The Concession, and Its New Name
The Destitute Domestic Violence Concession has been renamed the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession. A great deal of writing still calls it the DDVC. Home Office guidance describes it as giving "a short period of independent immigration status and financial support to certain partners who are victims of domestic abuse". It gives:
- 3 months' permission to stay, independent of your partner.
- The ability to apply for recourse to public funds, so that financial support is available.
Before those 3 months run out, the guidance says you must do one of three things: apply for permission to stay on a relevant immigration route, apply for settlement on form SET (DV) if you are eligible under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse, or make arrangements to leave the UK.
It reaches partners on a wider set of routes than the settlement appendix does — Appendix FM, the EU Settlement Scheme, some work and study routes, the armed forces routes, refugee family reunion and the Ukraine schemes. Apply through the GOV.UK page for the concession.
Settlement Under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse
The settlement route asks for:
- Permission, now or last granted, in one of the categories the appendix lists: a partner under Appendix FM of a British citizen, settled person or qualifying EEA national; a spouse, civil partner or durable partner with limited leave under Appendix EU; a partner of a refugee under Appendix FM, Part 11 or Family Reunion (Protection); a partner under Appendix Armed Forces or Part 7; someone previously granted settlement as a victim of domestic abuse; or someone granted leave outside the rules under the concession. A fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner is not included.
- A relationship that has broken down permanently because of domestic abuse, as defined by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 — which covers psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, and controlling or coercive behaviour.
- That you are in the UK, unless you are a victim of transnational marriage abandonment, in which case you can apply from outside it.
There is no qualifying period. There is no financial requirement. The English language requirement and the Life in the UK test do not apply on this route.
The fee is the standard settlement fee of £3,226, but it is waived if you are destitute — which Home Office guidance defines as lacking adequate accommodation or being unable to meet essential living needs. No healthcare surcharge is charged: settlement applications do not attract it, and GOV.UK separately exempts people covered by the domestic violence concession.
Evidence of Domestic Violence
Home Office guidance is explicit that "the Immigration Rules do not specify any mandatory evidence or documents". Evidence is considered in the round. It treats some as conclusive:
- A criminal conviction against the abuser.
- A police caution.
- A civil court order, such as a non-molestation or occupation order.
- A charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service.
Other evidence that can form part of a case:
- Police reports or crime reference numbers.
- Medical records of injury or psychological harm.
- Letters from refuges, support organisations or social workers.
- Your own written statement.
No criminal conviction is required. For an application made in the UK the standard is the balance of probabilities; for a transnational marriage abandonment case made from overseas it is a reasonable degree of likelihood. To show your immigration status to a support service, use a share code from your eVisa, which lasts 90 days.
Support Organisations
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247.
- Refuge: Safe accommodation and support.
- Southall Black Sisters: Support for Black and minority ethnic women.
- Men's Advice Line: 0808 801 0327 (for male victims).
- Galop: Support for LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse.
Some charities are approved to give immigration advice free of charge alongside domestic abuse support; GOV.UK's find an immigration adviser service lists regulated advisers, and our guide to paid and free help explains who may give advice. See also what happens after a refusal and our general guide to settlement.
After ILR
Settlement granted on this route is the same settlement as any other, with the same rights. See our benefits after ILR guide. You can also proceed to British citizenship.
Questions and answers
Can I get ILR if I leave an abusive partner?
There is a settlement route with no qualifying period, in Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse. It covers a partner under Appendix FM of a British citizen, settled person or qualifying EEA national; a spouse, civil partner or durable partner with limited leave under Appendix EU; a partner of a refugee; a partner under Appendix Armed Forces; someone previously granted settlement as a victim of domestic abuse; and someone granted leave under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession. A fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner is not covered.
What replaced the DDVC?
The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession. The Destitute Domestic Violence Concession was renamed, and Home Office guidance now uses the new name. It works the same way: 3 months' permission to stay independent of your partner, with the ability to apply for recourse to public funds. Before those 3 months end you must apply for permission on a relevant route, apply for settlement on form SET (DV), or make arrangements to leave the UK.
What evidence do I need for a domestic violence ILR application?
Home Office guidance says the Immigration Rules do not specify any mandatory evidence or documents: evidence is considered in the round. It names criminal convictions, police cautions, civil court orders and Crown Prosecution Service charging decisions as conclusive. Police reports, medical records, letters from refuges and support organisations and your own statement can all be part of it. The standard is the balance of probabilities.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.