Who qualifies for a UK Ancestry visa — which grandparent counts?

The UK Ancestry visa is for Commonwealth citizens — and some related categories such as British overseas citizens, British nationals (overseas) and Zimbabwean citizens — who have a direct ancestral link to the UK.

The key test is grandparentage: you need to show that at least one grandparent was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. This is proven through a chain of birth (and sometimes marriage) certificates linking you to that grandparent, so gather these documents early.