UK Visa Application Fees 2026
UK immigration fees are revised each year. Additionally, applicants often pay separately for the IHS, biometrics, English language tests, the Life in the UK Test and optional priority services. This guide sets out the UK visa, settlement and citizenship fees for 2026.
Seven things to know about UK visa fees in 2026
How are UK visa fees structured in 2026?
UK visa and immigration fees fall into three main categories: the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and ancillary charges for priority processing and biometrics. All applicable fees must be paid in full online before the Home Office processes an application.
What the applicant pays for
- Application fee: The main Home Office charge for processing a visa, settlement, or citizenship application. The amount varies by route, length of grant, and whether the application is made from inside or outside the UK.
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): An NHS access charge of £1,035 per adult per year (April 2026), payable in full upfront for the entire duration of the visa.
- Biometrics: Fingerprint and photograph capture at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) or VFS centre.
- Priority services: Optional. As of June 2026, the standard priority service costs £500 for a 5-working-day decision; the super-priority service costs £1,000 for a next-working-day decision for in-country applications.
- English language tests: Secure English Language Test (SELT) fees of £150 to £230 per test, where the route requires one.
- Life in the UK Test: £50, payable at booking. Required for most Indefinite Leave to Remain and naturalisation applications.
Where fees are paid
- The application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge are paid online when you submit your immigration application through the GOV.UK website.
- Biometric appointments are paid for via the visa application centre.
- Test fees — for the English language test, the TB test and the Life in the UK Test — are paid directly to the approved third-party providers.
Home Office fees change periodically, usually following annual reviews in April or October, and sometimes mid-year through Statements of Changes to the Immigration Rules. All figures in this guide reflect the position as of June 2026. Always verify the current fee on the GOV.UK Visa Regulations Revised Table before submitting an application. An application submitted with an incorrect fee amount may be treated as incomplete.
Family visa fees
Family route fees apply to spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, fiancé, and child applications made under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. Fees differ depending on whether the application is made from outside the UK as entry clearance or from within the UK as a switch or extension. The applicant can read more about the eligibility requirements and application process on our family visas hub.
| Application | Where applied | Length of grant | Fee from 8 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse / partner / fiancé visa | Outside UK | 33 months | £2,064 |
| Spouse / partner / fiancé visa | Inside UK (switching) | 30 months | £1,407 |
| Further Leave to Remain (FLR(M)) extension | Inside UK | 30 months | £1,407 |
| Parent of a child route | Outside UK | 33 months | £2,064 |
| Parent of a child route | Inside UK | 30 months | £1,407 |
| Child as dependant | Outside UK | Same as main applicant | £2,064 |
| Child as dependant | Inside UK | Same as main applicant | £1,407 |
| Adult dependent relative | Outside UK | Indefinite (settlement) | £3,635 |
What the family visa fee covers
The application fee covers the Home Office's processing of the application. It does not include the Immigration Health Surcharge, the biometric appointment, any required English language test, or priority services. Each of those is charged separately.
Each dependant on a family route application pays the full visa fee. There is no family group discount. A couple applying with two children faces four sets of application fees plus four separate Immigration Health Surcharge payments. The IHS rate for children is £776 per year rather than £1,035, but the application fee is the same as the main applicant's.
To discuss your family visa application and plan the costs involved, call Whytecroft Ford on 0208 757 5751 or use our contact form.
Settlement (ILR) fees
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is the settled status granted after the qualifying period on most routes. ILR fees are higher than visa application fees, but no Immigration Health Surcharge applies once settlement is granted, as the applicant no longer holds limited leave. Further details on eligibility and requirements are on our settlement and ILR hub.
| ILR application | Notes | Fee (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse / partner / family route ILR | 5 years on the family route | £3,226 |
| Skilled Worker ILR | 5 years on the Skilled Worker Visa | £3,226 |
| Long residence ILR | 10 years continuous lawful residence | £3,226 |
| Points-Based System dependant ILR | Family member of a work route holder | £3,226 |
| No Time Limit (NTL) / transfer of ILR to an eVisa | Confirming existing settled status, e.g. moving from a BRP to an eVisa | Free |
The ILR fee is uniform across the family, work and long-residence routes Whytecroft Ford handles. The figure above applies whether the applicant is settling after five years on a spouse visa, five years on a Skilled Worker visa, or ten years of continuous lawful residence.
British citizenship fees
British citizenship is acquired by naturalisation or by registration. Both carry a Home Office application fee. For naturalisation, the £130 citizenship ceremony fee is added to the application fee and paid when you apply. Full eligibility requirements are on our British citizenship hub.
| Citizenship application | Notes | Fee (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalisation as British citizen (Form AN) | Adult; settled applicants may apply after holding ILR for 12 months | £1,709 |
| Citizenship ceremony fee | Added to the naturalisation fee and paid at the point of applying | £130 |
| Registration as British citizen (Form MN1) | Child under 18 | £1,000 |
| Registration as British citizen (adult by entitlement) | Form B(OS), B(OTA), and other adult registration routes | £1,540 |
| Registration as a British overseas territories citizen (adult) | Adult applicants | £1,027 |
| British passport (adult, applied online) | Once citizenship is granted (HM Passport Office fee) | £102 online |
The ceremony fee
From 8 April 2026, the £130 citizenship ceremony fee is added to the naturalisation application fee and paid at the point of applying, rather than separately to the local council afterwards. A successful adult applicant then attends a citizenship ceremony, arranged through the local council, to take the oath of allegiance.
Children's registration, fee actually fell in April 2026
One of the few fees to go DOWN. Child registration as a British citizen (Form MN1) dropped from £1,214 to £1,000 in the April 2026 schedule. Some categories of registration are entitlement-based and may not be refused where the criteria are met; others are subject to the Home Secretary's discretion. The £130 ceremony fee does not normally apply to a child, but it is charged if the applicant turns 18 during processing.
Other nationality service fees
The following nationality service fees also changed under the 8 April 2026 schedule.
| Service | Current fee | Fee from 8 April 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renunciation of nationality | £482 | £513 | +£31 |
| Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode (in the UK) | £589 | £589 | £0 |
| Nationality review | £482 | £513 | +£31 |
| Status Letter (Nationality) | £459 | £489 | +£30 |
| Non-acquisition Letter (Nationality) | £459 | £489 | +£30 |
| Nationality correction to certificate | £428 | £456 | +£28 |
| Nationality – certified copy of a notice, certificate, order or declaration | £428 | £456 | +£28 |
| Nationality reissued certificate | £428 | £456 | +£28 |
Skilled Worker and other work route fees
Skilled Worker Visa fees vary by the length of grant, whether the role appears on the Immigration Salary List, and whether the applicant qualifies for the Health and Care Worker reduced fee. Full details on the Skilled Worker route are on our work and business visas hub.
| Application | Where applied | Length | Standard fee (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker Visa | Outside UK | Up to 3 years | £819 |
| Skilled Worker Visa | Outside UK | Over 3 years | £1,618 |
| Skilled Worker Visa | Inside UK | Up to 3 years | £943 |
| Skilled Worker Visa | Inside UK | Over 3 years | £1,865 |
| Health and Care Worker Visa | Outside UK | Up to 3 years | £324 |
| Health and Care Worker Visa | Outside UK | Over 3 years | £628 |
| Innovator Founder Visa | Outside UK | 3 years | £1,357 |
| Innovator Founder Visa | Inside UK | 3 years | £1,693 |
| Scale-up Visa | Outside UK | 2 years | £937 |
| Global Talent Visa | Outside UK | Up to 5 years | £766 |
| Skilled Worker dependant | Same as main applicant | Same as main | Same as main |
Health and Care Worker fee reduction
Roles on the eligible health and care list pay reduced application fees and are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge. The exemption applies to the main applicant and dependants on the Health and Care Worker Visa. Not all healthcare roles qualify; the GOV.UK eligibility list should be checked before applying under this route.
Sponsor-side costs
Employers sponsoring overseas workers pay separate charges that are not part of the applicant's fee. From 8 April 2026, these include a sponsor licence fee (£611 for small or charitable sponsors, £1,682 for medium or large organisations), a Certificate of Sponsorship fee (£525 per Skilled Worker hire), and the Immigration Skills Charge (typically £480 per year for small or charitable sponsors, £1,320 per year for medium or large organisations). These are employer costs. Some employers pass part or all of these charges to the worker by agreement, which is a matter for the employment contract rather than the Immigration Rules.
For guidance on Skilled Worker applications, call Whytecroft Ford on 0208 757 5751 or complete our online enquiry form.
Student and Graduate visa fees
Student Visa fees are lower than work route fees. The Graduate Visa fee applies when transitioning to post-study work on completion of a qualifying course. Both routes attract the Immigration Health Surcharge at the student rate of £776 per year.
| Application | Where | Fee (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Student Visa | Outside UK | £558 |
| Student Visa | Inside UK | £558 |
| Graduate Visa | Inside UK only | £937 |
| Child Student Visa | Outside UK | £558 |
| Student dependant | Same as main applicant | £558 |
| Short-term Student (English language) | Outside UK | £228 |
Students pay a reduced Immigration Health Surcharge rate of £776 per year, rather than the standard £1,035. This reduced rate applies to both the main Student Visa applicant and any dependants on the Student route.
Visitor visa fees
A Standard Visitor Visa allows stays of up to 6 months for tourism, business meetings, family visits, or short-term study. Fees scale with the validity period chosen. Full details on the visitor routes we assist with are on our visit and short-term visas hub.
| Visitor visa | Validity | Fee (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor Visa | 6 months single entry | £135 |
| Standard Visitor Visa (long-term) | 2 years multiple entry | £506 |
| Standard Visitor Visa (long-term) | 5 years multiple entry | £903 |
| Standard Visitor Visa (long-term) | 10 years multiple entry | £1,128 |
| Marriage Visitor Visa | 6 months single entry | £135 |
| Transit visa | Landside / Direct Airside | £74.50 / £41.50 |
| Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor | 1 month | £135 |
| Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) | 2 years multiple entry, up to 6 months per visit | £20 |
Visitor visas do not attract the Immigration Health Surcharge. The visit is short-term and visitors do not have access to NHS services beyond emergency care during their stay.
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
The Immigration Health Surcharge is the NHS access charge paid alongside most visa applications. As of June 2026, the standard rate is £1,035 per adult per year, and it is paid in full upfront for the entire duration of the visa. On longer grants, the total surcharge often exceeds the application fee.
Current rates (April 2026)
- £1,035 per year for adults on most visa routes, including work and family routes.
- £776 per year for students, child dependants under 18, and Youth Mobility Scheme participants.
- £0 for Health and Care Worker Visa main applicants and their dependants, who receive a full surcharge waiver.
When the surcharge is not payable
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications
- British citizenship applications
- Visitor visas (any validity)
- EU Settlement Scheme applications
- Health and Care Worker Visa (main applicant and dependants)
- Some narrow exemptions for refugees and those with humanitarian protection
Refunds
Where a visa application is refused, the Immigration Health Surcharge is refunded automatically. Where a visa is granted but the holder departs the UK before the visa expires, no refund is due; the surcharge is treated as paid for the full grant period.
The IHS is the single largest cost on most family route applications. A spouse visa entry clearance with 36 months of surcharge (33 months rounded up) totals £5,169 in Home Office charges, £2,064 application fee plus £3,105 IHS, before any tests, biometrics or priority services. Planning cash flow early in the process is worthwhile, as the full amount is due at submission and cannot be paid in instalments. See our Immigration Health Surcharge guide for the full set of rounding examples by route.
Priority and super-priority services
Standard Home Office processing is included in the application fee. For applications made outside the UK, visit, work and study visas are usually decided within about 3 weeks, while family and settlement applications take up to about 12 weeks. A priority service is available on many routes for an additional fee, subject to availability and a limit on how many applicants are offered it.
| Service | Where applied | Typical decision time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard service | Outside UK | Visit, work and study: about 3 weeks; family and settlement: up to 12 weeks | Included |
| Priority service | Outside UK | Family and settlement: up to 30 working days (about 6 weeks) | £500 |
| Standard service | Inside UK | Varies by route | Included |
| Priority service | Inside UK | Usually within 5 working days | £500 |
| Super priority service | Inside UK | Usually by the end of the next working day (2 working days if your appointment is on a weekend or bank holiday) | £1,000 |
The priority fee of £500 and the super priority fee of £1,000 are charged per person, so each family member applying at the same time pays the same again. Standard processing remains free.
When priority service is likely to be useful
- The applicant needs to begin a new role by a specific start date on a Skilled Worker Visa.
- Your current leave is nearing its end and the applicant needs to travel before a decision is reached.
- The applicant has a wedding, birth, or other fixed-date event that the standard timeline would miss.
- The standard processing window creates practical complications for the circumstances.
When priority service is less likely to be appropriate
- The application timeline has several weeks or months of buffer.
- Your case is complex or the evidence is borderline; priority service affects processing speed, not the outcome of the decision.
- Priority is not offered for that route or country, or the limit on faster decisions has already been reached.
Availability
Priority services are not available for every route or in every country, and there is a limit on how many applicants are offered a faster decision at any one time. If the option is not offered, the standard service still applies at no extra cost. When applying inside the UK, family visa applicants are generally offered only the next-working-day super priority service, not the 5-working-day priority service. There is no next-working-day super priority service for family or settlement applications made from outside the UK. Check the booking page for the country of application before factoring a priority fee into your budget.
What other Home Office and ancillary fees apply?
Beyond the application fee, Immigration Health Surcharge, and any priority service, several smaller charges apply to most visa applications. These are set by the relevant service providers rather than the Home Office itself.
| Fee type | What it covers | Cost (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application centre (VAC) fees | Appointment and optional add-on services set by the commercial partner (e.g. TLScontact, VFS). See an example service list. | Varies |
| UKVCAS document scanning | Self-upload (no charge) or assisted scanning (chargeable) | £0 to £75 |
| Premium UKVCAS appointments | Same-day or out-of-hours appointment slots | £75 to £250 |
| SELT (English language test) | IELTS, LanguageCert, PTE, or Trinity College London | £150 to £230 |
| Life in the UK Test | Required at ILR and naturalisation stages | £50 |
| Ecctis English Language Proficiency Statement | Overseas degree English language verification | £140 to £300 |
| Tuberculosis (TB) test | Required for applicants from listed countries | £90 to £200 |
| Document translation (per page) | Certified translator charge | £20 to £50 per page |
| Certified copies / notarisation | Document authentication | £10 to £50 per document |
| Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) replacement | Lost or stolen BRP | £19 |
Ancillary costs typically add £200 to £500 to most family route applications, depending on document volume, translation requirements, and whether an English language test is needed at that stage.
Total cost examples by route
What you actually pay, end to end, once application fee, IHS (with 6-month rounding), tests, biometrics and translations are combined. All figures use the April 2026 Home Office fee schedule. Verify against GOV.UK before submission, fees can move through Statements of Changes at short notice.
The Health and Care Worker route saves the same family roughly £22,070 over 5 years compared to standard Skilled Worker, almost entirely from the IHS waiver. Eligibility hinges on the SOC code and the employer being on the Health and Care register. Worth confirming before the standard route is chosen.
These totals exclude priority service fees, professional advisory fees, complex evidence translations, and unforeseen costs (repeat biometrics, Ecctis assessments, UKVCAS premium slots). A realistic budget for the full spouse-to-citizenship journey is £15,500 to £18,500 in Home Office and ancillary costs. Plan with the higher end of the range, not the floor.
Glossary of fee terms
Frequently asked questions about UK visa fees
Talk to a regulated immigration adviser
The Whytecroft Ford Immigration Team advises applicants and sponsors at every stage of a UK visa, settlement or nationality matter. Every file runs on a written engagement letter, with a named handler and a named supervisor.