Supporting Ukraine
Become a Homes for Ukraine sponsor
Help someone fleeing Ukraine
The Homes for Ukraine Scheme offers Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members a way to come to the UK. If you are willing to provide them with a spare room or self-contained accommodation, you may become their sponsor (if they apply to come to the UK) or host (if they already have a valid Homes for Ukraine visa).
Sponsors need to be British or Irish citizens or settled in the UK (which means having the right to live in the UK permanently) on the date of the guest's visa application. There is no such requirement for hosts.
For more information on how the scheme operates, accommodation and safeguarding checks, and advice for sponsors see Homes for Ukraine: sponsor guides
You can use the link below if you want to host someone who is already in the UK or you need help with matching with a person/ family from Ukraine.
Register your interest to become a Homes for Ukraine sponsor (opens new window)
If you already know who you want to sponsor, you can help them apply for a visa.
Special rules apply in the following situations:
Children being sponsored by a parent or legal guardian
Council checks
We will be contacting you shortly after receiving your application. We are responsible for protecting guests who come to our borough through the scheme, conducting accommodation, safeguarding and welfare checks in line with the guidelines set out by the Government.
Whether any of these checks raise major concerns, we will take extra care to review and assess your application. We will work with Surrey County Council to make sure that we are being fair and consistent. There is no right of appeal, and our decision will be final.
Thank you payments
Sponsors/hosts of Ukrainian guests on a Homes for Ukraine visa who are eligible and pass all relevant checks can apply for a monthly Thank you payment paid in arrears. The current government funded rate is £350 a month per household. However, it has been agreed that Surrey County Council will continue to top up this payment until March 2026 to enable all sponsors/ hosts to receive an increased Thank you payment of a total of £600 whilst they are eligible for them.
Sponsors/ hosts will not receive Thank You Payments if they have or form a close family relationship with their guest, including romantic relationship of any duration. This applies to new arrivals, those guests who are already in the UK and move in with a close family member, and those who return after temporary absence in the UK for more than 28 days.
Sponsors/ hosts will not receive Thank you payments if they charge their guest rent, ask for excessive contributions for food/ utilities or request their guest to do unpaid work.
Hosts who move with guests within the borough do not have to reapply for Thank you payments, while those who move to us from another borough will have to make a new application.
When your guest leaves or is temporarily absent
You are responsible for letting us know by sending an email to ukraine@guildford.gov.uk when your guest leaves permanently or for more than 28 days. Failure to do so may result in an overpayment and us requesting that funds are recovered.
In case of temporary absence Thank you payments will be paused and can be reinstated when your guest returns unless your guest is closely related to you.
Toolkits for sponsors
Organisations experienced in supporting new arrivals in the UK have produced toolkits to help new sponsors. These toolkits give a general overview and advice about being a sponsor and a host:
Find out how we use your personal data through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.