The Home Office fee schedule that applies to all UK visa, settlement, nationality and sponsorship applications from 8 October 2026 varies by immigration route, location of application (inside or outside the UK) and, for some work routes, the length of permission requested. Fees are normally charged per applicant; dependants usually submit separate applications and pay the relevant fee.
Recent fee changes (8 April 2026)
- Visit visa (6 months) – £127 → £135
- Skilled Worker (up to 3 years) – £769 → £819 (outside UK), £885 → £943 (inside UK)
- Student / Child Student – £524 → £558
- Family‑route entry‑clearance – £1,938 → £2,064
- Indefinite leave to remain – £3,029 → £3,226
- Naturalisation – £1,605 → £1,709
- Registration of a child as a British citizen – £1,214 → £1,000
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – £16 → £20
- Sponsor licence – £611 (small/charitable) / £1,682 (large)
Priority Visa (£500) and Super‑Priority Visa (£1,000) fees remained unchanged, as did Certificate of Sponsorship fees (£525 for most sponsored‑worker routes, £55 for lower‑fee categories).
1. Core visa application fees (outside the UK)
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Visit visa – up to 6 months | £135 |
| Visit visa – up to 2 years | £506 |
| Visit visa – up to 5 years | £903 |
| Visit visa – up to 10 years | £1,128 |
| Visiting academic (6‑12 months) | £234 |
| Private medical treatment (6‑11 months) | £234 |
| Direct Airside Transit Visa | £41.50 |
| Visitor in Transit Visa | £74.50 |
| Electronic Travel Authorisation | £20 |
| Hong Kong BN(O) – 30 months | £206 |
| Hong Kong BN(O) – 5 years | £285 |
| Family‑route entry clearance / route to settlement | £2,064 |
| Adult Dependent Relative entry clearance | £3,635 |
| Refugee dependant relative | £452 |
| Indefinite leave to enter (Armed Forces) | £3,226 |
| Indefinite leave to enter (Domestic Abuse victim) | £3,226 |
| Administrative review | £80 |
The “route to settlement” fee is the standard overseas fee for many family‑route applications; eligibility remains route‑specific.
2. Work‑related fees (outside the UK)
| Route | Fee (main applicant) |
|---|---|
| Innovator Founder (incl. dependant) | £1,357 |
| Innovator Founder endorsement (to endorsing body) | £1,000 (ex‑VAT) |
| Innovator Founder contact‑point meeting | £500 (ex‑VAT) |
| Global Talent – approval‑letter stage | £561 |
| Global Talent – visa (approval letter required) | £205 |
| Global Talent – visa (no approval letter) | £766 |
| Global Talent dependant | £766 |
| Skilled Worker – up to 3 years | £819 |
| Skilled Worker – > 3 years | £1,618 |
| Skilled Worker – Immigration Salary List (up to 3 years) | £628 |
| Skilled Worker – Immigration Salary List (> 3 years) | £1,235 |
| Health and Care Worker – up to 3 years | £324 |
| Health and Care Worker – > 3 years | £628 |
| T2 Minister of Religion | £819 |
| International Sportsperson – up to 12 months | £340 |
| International Sportsperson – > 12 months | £819 |
| Temporary Work routes, Youth Mobility Scheme, India Young Professionals Scheme | £340 |
| Global Business Mobility – Senior/Specialist (up to 3 years) | £819 |
| Global Business Mobility – Senior/Specialist (> 3 years) | £1,618 |
| Other Global Business Mobility routes | £340 |
| Scale‑up Worker | £937 |
| High‑Potential Individual | £880 |
All fees are per applicant. Endorsement and contact‑point charges for Innovator Founder are paid to the endorsing body and shown exclusive of VAT.
3. Work‑related fees (inside the UK)
| Route | Fee |
|---|---|
| Innovator Founder (incl. dependant) | £1,693 |
| Global Talent – approval‑letter stage | £561 |
| Global Talent – visa (approval letter required) | £205 |
| Global Talent – visa (no approval letter) | £766 |
| Global Talent dependant | £766 |
| Graduate route | £937 |
| Skilled Worker – up to 3 years | £943 |
| Skilled Worker – > 3 years | £1,865 |
| Skilled Worker – Immigration Salary List (up to 3 years) | £628 |
| Skilled Worker – Immigration Salary List (> 3 years) | £1,235 |
| Health and Care Worker – up to 3 years | £324 |
| Health and Care Worker – > 3 years | £628 |
| T2 Minister of Religion | £943 |
| International Sportsperson – up to 12 months | £340 |
| International Sportsperson – > 12 months | £943 |
| Temporary Work routes & Youth Mobility Scheme | £340 |
| Global Business Mobility – Senior/Specialist (up to 3 years) | £943 |
| Global Business Mobility – Senior/Specialist (> 3 years) | £1,865 |
| Other Global Business Mobility routes | £340 |
| Scale‑up Worker | £937 |
| High‑Potential Individual | £880 |
Not every route permits switching or an in‑country application; the table lists fees only.
4. Legacy and closed‑route fees
- Start‑up (outside UK) – £495; (inside UK) – £666
- Tier 1 Entrepreneur (outside) – £1,357; (inside) – £1,693
- Tier 1 Investor (any location) – £2,000
- Representative of an Overseas Business (outside) – £819; (inside) – £943
These apply only to limited legacy cases; the routes are not open to new main applicants.
5. Study‑related fees
- Student visa (any location) – £558
- Child Student visa – £558
- Short‑term English language student (outside UK) – £228
6. Other UK‑based application fees
- Visitor extension – £1,172
- Leave to remain – other – £1,407
- Hong Kong BN(O) – 30 months – £206; 5 years – £285
- Application rejected as invalid – administration charge retained – £30
- Indefinite leave to remain – £3,226
- Certificate of travel – adult £320, child £161
- Convention travel document – adult £102, child £66.50
- Administrative review – £80
- Life in the UK test – £50
7. British nationality fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Naturalisation as a British citizen | £1,709 |
| Naturalisation (British overseas territories citizen) | £1,140 |
| Registration as a British citizen – adult | £1,540 |
| Registration as a British citizen – child | £1,000 |
| Registration for Irish citizens – adult | £723 |
| Registration for Irish citizens – child | £607 |
| Citizenship ceremony | £130 |
| Oath/pledge outside ceremony | £5 |
| Other nationality registration – adult | £1,027 |
| Other nationality registration – child | £863 |
| Renunciation of nationality | £513 |
| Certificate of entitlement to right of abode | £589 |
| Nationality review | £513 |
| Status / non‑acquisition letter | £489 |
| Certificate correction, certified copy or re‑issue | £456 |
Fee waivers may be available for some child registrations.
8. Sponsor licence and related fees
- Large sponsor licence – £1,682
- Small/charitable sponsor licence – £611
- Student sponsor licence – £611
- Temporary Worker sponsor licence – £611
- Priority service for sponsor licence – £750
- Expedited sponsorship‑management request – £350
- Sponsor licence upgrade (existing licence) – £1,071
- Scale‑up endorsing‑body pathway (ex‑VAT) – £1,500
- Student sponsor basic compliance assessment – £574
- Sponsor action plan – £1,579
Certificates of Sponsorship
- Skilled Worker, Minister of Religion, GBM Senior/Specialist – £525
- Temporary Work, other GBM, Scale‑up – £55
- International Sportsperson (> 12 months) – £525; (≤ 12 months) – £55
9. Optional premium services
- Priority Visa (settlement or non‑settlement, outside UK) – £500
- Super‑Priority Visa (outside UK) – £1,000
- Priority service (inside UK) – £500
- Super‑Priority service (inside UK) – £1,000
- “User Pays” visa application service – £76.50
- Mobile biometric enrolment (per hour, per contractor) – £650
Availability depends on the specific application type, identity‑verification process and location. These fees do not affect the substantive merits of the application.
10. Additional mandatory charges
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
- Standard rate: £1,035 per year
- Reduced rate: £776 per year for students, Youth Mobility Scheme applicants and anyone under 18 at the time of application.
The IHS is calculated based on the length of permission sought and is payable in addition to the visa fee, except where specific exemptions apply.
Immigration Skills Charge (ISC)
Paid by the sponsoring employer for Skilled Worker or Global Business Mobility Senior/Specialist routes.
| Sponsor size | First 12 months | Each additional 6 months |
|---|---|---|
| Small/charitable | £480 | £240 |
| Medium/large | £1,320 | £660 |
The employer, not the worker, is responsible for the ISC, subject to exemptions.
11. Fee waivers and refunds
- Fee waivers are available for certain human‑rights and other specified applications where an affordability or rights‑based test is met. The waiver decision must be obtained before submitting the substantive application.
- Refunds: Standard visa fees are generally not refunded on refusal. If an application is rejected as invalid, the Home Office refunds the fee minus a £30 administration charge. Withdrawal refunds depend on how far the process has progressed (e.g., biometric enrolment stage). The IHS is normally refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn before a decision. Priority‑service refunds follow separate rules.
12. Quick FAQ summary
- Effective date of current fees: 8 October 2026.
- Do dependants pay separate fees? Yes, in most routes each dependant files a separate application and pays the applicable fee.
- Is the IHS included in the visa fee? No; it is a separate charge calculated on the basis of category and duration.
- Can I obtain a fee waiver? Possible for specified human‑rights and other categories, subject to a pre‑application test.
- Will a refused visa fee be refunded? Usually not, except for invalid applications (minus £30) and the IHS, which is typically refunded.
- Are Priority/Super‑Priority fees additional? Yes; they are optional extra charges for faster processing where available.
- What does an employer pay when sponsoring a worker? Sponsor licence fee, Certificate of Sponsorship fee, and the Immigration Skills Charge (amount varies by sponsor size and route).
- Why might overseas payments differ from sterling amounts? Payments may be taken in local currency using Home Office conversion rates, and additional provider or visa‑centre charges may apply.
Source article: immigrationbarrister.co.uk
