We know that the asylum process can be complex and difficult to navigate. We have put together a guide that takes you through all the stages. It will help you understand your rights and responsibilities, understand your situation and make informed decisions.

The Asylum Advice guide consists of the following sections.

Section 1: Claiming Asylum

You can find out whether you need to apply for asylum and where you can do it, as well as how to apply for support. You can view the asylum process here.

Read the full section.

Section 2: Screening interview

This section talks about what you can expect during your screening interview with the Home Office and how to complain if you feel you have been treated unfairly. There is also information about financial and accommodation support available, what health care you are entitled to, and the documents you will be given at, or shortly after the interview. It also explains reporting requirements, accessing legal advice and your duty to inform the Home Office of any change of circumstances.

Read the full section.

Section 3: Substantive interview

Here you will find out about the main asylum interview and how to prepare for it, as well as a short overview of possible outcomes.

Read the full section.

Section 4A: Post decision – positive

This section explains what happens after you have been granted leave to remain in the UK, what paperwork you will be given. It then outlines how to prepare for your future life in the country – finding accommodation, employment, claiming welfare benefits, learning English and eventually applying for British citizenship.

Read the full section.

Section 4B: Post decision – refusal

This tells you about your options in case your claim has been refused, how to access legal advice and appeal against the decision. It explains what you can do if you become ‘appeal rights exhausted’, including voluntary returns and what support is available to you during this time.

Read the full section.

Section 5: Other information and specialist support

Here you can find out about tracing your family, as well as support for victims of slavery, torture, sexual violence or female genital mutilation. It also tells you how to report crime to the police.

Read the full section.

Section 6: Useful contact

This section contains contact details of other organisation that provide support and assistance to asylum seekers and refugees.

Read the full section.

You can read the full guide here.

Below you can find this guide translated into Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese Mandarin, Farsi, French, Kurdish Sorani, Punjabi, Pushto, Somali, Tamil, Tigrinya, Urdu and Vietnamese. 

Translated advice 

If you don’t find the information you need, you can call us on 0808 8010 503 for advice and guidance. You can also email us on [email protected]. We provide dedicated lines for 14 languages. If your language is not listed, please use the numbers above and request the language you need.

Please note that we are able to give advice on rights and entitlements but we are not able to provide legal advice or legal representation. If we cannot help, we will provide you with a list of qualified legal representatives.