Register your asylum claim

You register your asylum claim at a ‘screening’. This is a meeting with an immigration officer where you tell them about your case.

You’ll have your screening at the UK border if you claim asylum as soon as you arrive. You can also be screened once you’re in the UK if you become eligible for asylum.

At your screening you’ll:

  • be photographed
  • have your fingerprints taken
  • have an interview to check who you are and where you’re from

You’ll be asked why you want asylum. You can bring written evidence to support your claim if you want, as well as any other documents you need.

You’ll need to say if you or your dependants are taking any medication and give any relevant medical information.

You can ask for a male or female interviewer, but your choice might not always be available.

Screening at the UK border

You must tell a Border Force officer that you want to claim asylum.

Your application will be registered and you’ll be screened - ask for an interpreter if you need one.

Screening in the UK

You must call the asylum intake unit if you’re already in the UK.

They’ll call you back and ask simple questions about you and your family. You will not be asked why you’re claiming asylum during this telephone call.

You’ll be asked if you need help with housing.

The call may take up to 30 minutes.

Asylum intake unit appointments line
Telephone: 0300 123 4193
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm
Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Find out about call charges

Tell the asylum intake unit if you need any other dependants on your claim to be present at any stage of your asylum registration, for example the welfare interview, or if you’re a child and need to be accompanied. You can ask to have an interpreter at your screening.

At the end of the call, you may be offered a screening appointment.

If you have nowhere to live

You’ll still need to call the asylum intake unit appointments line.

They’ll call you back and you may be told to attend a screening appointment or to go to a ‘walk-in’ service at an asylum registration location.

If the asylum registration location does not know you’re coming you may not be seen.

Attending your appointment

Because of coronavirus, attend your appointment alone or with any dependants claiming asylum with you.

If you’re helping a child register their own asylum claim, only you can go with them to their appointment.

You must bring the documents you need for your application.

You must also bring any dependants (partner and children under 18) who are claiming asylum with you.

If you show up without an appointment, you may be asked to come back another day.

You cannot get financial help for travel to or from the asylum intake unit.

Tell the appointment service if your situation changes before your appointment date, for example if you can no longer stay where you are living.