Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is the UK Home Office grant of permanent settlement. The 2026 cost is dominated by one large application fee, on top of which sit smaller test fees, biometric enrolment, an optional premium service, and a refund of any unused Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The total varies sharply by family size and route.
Last reviewed: May 2026
TL;DR: The headline ILR application fee published in the April 2024 schedule was £2,885 per applicant. Add the Life in the UK test (£50), an approved English language test (verify the current fee with your chosen test provider, typically in the low hundreds), biometric enrolment (£19.20), and an optional Priority or Super Priority decision service (verify the current price on GOV.UK). The Immigration Health Surcharge already paid for the years after your ILR grant is refunded automatically.
- Headline ILR application fee in the April 2024 schedule: £2,885 per applicant. Always verify the current figure on GOV.UK before applying.
- Life in the UK test: £50, paid when you book a test slot.
- Approved English language test (Secure English Language Test, B1 CEFR or higher): typically £150 to £200, depending on the test provider.
- Biometric enrolment fee for a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) appointment: £19.20.
- Super Priority Service decision (next working day): an optional premium on top of the application fee. Verify the current price on GOV.UK.
- IHS refund: the Home Office automatically refunds the unused portion of the Immigration Health Surcharge once ILR is granted.
The ILR application fee in 2026
Indefinite Leave to Remain is the standard UK settlement status, granted to people who have completed a qualifying period (usually five years) on a Skilled Worker, family, Global Talent, or other settlement-eligible route. There is a single application fee per applicant and it is paid online at the start of the application.
The April 2024 Home Office fee schedule set the standard ILR fee at £2,885 per applicant. That figure applies whether the application is made from inside the UK on form SET(M), SET(O), SET(LR), or any of the other SET-prefixed routes. The same fee applies to dependent partners and children submitting their own SET(M) or SET(F) at the same time, and to people switching from Pre-Settled Status to Settled Status on the EU route (which uses the EU Settlement Scheme rather than the SET forms and is fee-free).
UK visa fees are reviewed every spring and typically uplifted in April. The 2026 fee should be confirmed against the live GOV.UK fee table before any application is submitted. The fee is non-refundable if the application is refused on the merits, although it is refunded if the application is rejected as invalid before a substantive decision is made.
What the application fee covers (and what it does not)
The headline ILR fee covers consideration of the application by UK Visas and Immigration. It does not include the Life in the UK test, the English language test, the biometric enrolment fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (already paid for the prior leave period), or any premium decision service. Each of these is paid separately and sits on top of the application fee.
The fee is paid by debit or credit card during the online application. Once paid it is held by the Home Office while the application is processed. If the application is withdrawn before a decision is made, partial refunds are not generally available; if the application is rejected as invalid (for example because a mandatory field was left blank) the fee is returned in full and a new application can be submitted.
Life in the UK test fee
Almost every ILR applicant under retirement age must pass the Life in the UK test before submitting the SET form. The test fee is £50, paid at the point of booking on the official GOV.UK Life in the UK test booking site. The test is computer-based, taken at a registered Life in the UK test centre, and lasts 45 minutes with 24 multiple-choice questions. The pass mark is 75 percent (18 out of 24).
If the test is failed, a fresh £50 fee is payable for every retake. There is a seven-day cooling-off period between attempts but no limit on the number of attempts. The pass certificate has no expiry date for ILR purposes; a Life in the UK certificate from a previous citizenship or settlement application can be reused.
Approved English language test fee
Most ILR applicants must also demonstrate English language ability at CEFR level B1 (Intermediate) in speaking and listening. This is satisfied by passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) from a provider on the Home Office list, by holding a degree taught in English from a recognised institution, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country.
SELT fees vary by provider and by test version. Trinity College London charges in the region of £150 for the GESE Grade 5 speaking-and-listening test used most commonly for the B1 ILR requirement. IELTS Life Skills (B1) and LanguageCert SELT are also approved options, with fees typically in the £150 to £200 range. The full provider list and current fees are published at GOV.UK: prove your English language abilities with a SELT.
Applicants who already met the same B1 requirement for a previous leave grant (for example, a Skilled Worker visa extension that required B1) do not need to retake the test for ILR provided the original certificate is still on file with UKVI. Applicants exempt on grounds of nationality or qualification pay no fee.
Biometric enrolment fee
Every inside-UK ILR application includes a biometric enrolment step, where fingerprints and a digital photograph are captured at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) appointment run by Sopra Steria. The biometric enrolment fee is £19.20. This is a fixed charge regardless of route or applicant age and is paid at the point of booking the UKVCAS appointment.
Standard UKVCAS appointments at the Home Office core sites (London Croydon, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast) carry no further charge beyond the £19.20. Enhanced services at the same sites (out-of-hours appointments, on-site scanning of supporting documents, walk-in slots at premium service points) carry additional charges that can range from a small handling fee to several hundred pounds. These are optional and are not required for the application to be valid; standard slots, when available, cost only the £19.20 biometric enrolment fee.
Premium decision service (optional)
Two faster decision services are offered on top of the standard ILR application:
- Priority Service: a working-week target for a decision, charged on top of the headline application fee. The Home Office reviews this fee periodically; verify the current figure on GOV.UK before paying.
- Super Priority Service: a next-working-day decision for in-UK applications submitted by 14:00, charged on top of the headline application fee. Verify the current figure on GOV.UK before paying.
Both services are sold during the online application and are available subject to capacity (slots can be limited at peak periods, particularly in March and April when many leave periods expire). The exact current prices and processing-time targets are published at GOV.UK: get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application. Adding a premium service does not change the substantive assessment of the application; it only accelerates the decision date.
The Immigration Health Surcharge: refund on ILR grant
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is paid up front for the full intended period of leave when each visa is applied for. The standard adult IHS rate set in February 2024 is £1,035 per year, with a reduced rate of £776 per year for students, Youth Mobility participants, and most dependent children. A five-year Skilled Worker visa, for example, requires £5,175 in IHS up front (5 x £1,035).
When ILR is granted before the visa expires, the unused portion of the IHS is refunded automatically. The refund is calculated by the Home Office on the basis of the number of full months of leave remaining at the point ILR is decided. The refund is credited back to the original payment card and typically arrives within ten working days of the ILR decision letter.
An applicant who switches to ILR with, say, eight months of paid-up Skilled Worker IHS remaining receives a refund of approximately eight twelfths of one year of IHS. The refund mechanism and any conditions are documented at GOV.UK: healthcare immigration application refunds. Once ILR is granted, settled status carries no further IHS liability; ILR holders access the NHS on the same footing as other UK residents.
Total realistic cost: single applicant versus family of four
The combined cost for one applicant taking the standard, non-premium route at the most recently confirmed fee schedule looks like this:
- ILR application fee: £2,885 at the April 2024 schedule (verify the current 2026 figure on GOV.UK).
- Life in the UK test: £50
- Approved English language test (SELT, B1): verify the current fee with the test provider; typically in the low hundreds of pounds.
- Biometric enrolment fee: £19.20
- Indicative subtotal at the April 2024 schedule: approximately £3,100 plus the SELT cost.
If the applicant pays for the Super Priority Service, add the current premium published on GOV.UK. The IHS refund for any unused months of paid-up surcharge is netted against this total in the weeks following the decision.
For a family of four (one main applicant, one partner, two dependent children) applying together, the headline ILR fee multiplies: four times £2,885 is £11,540 at the April 2024 schedule. The Life in the UK test is required for the two adults but not for children under 18, so add £100 there. The English language test is also adults-only, so add the SELT provider fees for two adults. Biometric enrolment is £19.20 per person, so add £76.80. The family indicative subtotal at standard service comes to approximately £11,800 at the April 2024 schedule, before any priority service is added. Verify each current line item on GOV.UK and with the SELT provider before paying.
These figures are illustrative. They assume both adults are required to take the SELT and Life in the UK test (some applicants are exempt on grounds of nationality, age, or qualifications), that no documents need to be translated, and that no immigration adviser is engaged. Adviser fees for ILR applications typically range from £500 for a basic SET(M) check to several thousand pounds for complex SET(LR) Long Residence cases with potential refusal grounds.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the ILR fee in 2026?
The April 2024 Home Office schedule set the standard Indefinite Leave to Remain application fee at £2,885 per applicant. UK visa fees are typically revised every April; verify the current figure on the GOV.UK visa fees page before submitting your application.
Does the ILR fee include the IHS?
No. The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid up front when each visa is applied for, not at the ILR stage. When ILR is granted before the existing visa expires, the unused portion of the IHS is refunded automatically by the Home Office.
Do children pay the same ILR fee as adults?
Yes. Each applicant pays the full ILR application fee regardless of age. There is no reduced child rate for the SET application fee, although children under 18 are exempt from the Life in the UK test and the English language test, so the per-child total is lower than the adult total.
Can the ILR fee be waived if I cannot afford it?
Fee waivers for the ILR application fee are very limited. The Home Office operates a fee waiver scheme for some family and human-rights applications where the applicant is destitute, at risk of destitution, or there are exceptional circumstances. Most settlement applications on work, study, or family routes are not eligible for a waiver. Detail is at GOV.UK: fee waivers.
What is the difference between Priority and Super Priority Service for ILR?
Priority Service targets a decision within a working week for inside-UK applications. Super Priority Service targets a next-working-day decision for applications submitted by 14:00. Both services carry a premium fee on top of the standard application fee; the current prices are published on GOV.UK and should be checked before paying. Both services are subject to capacity and neither affects the substantive assessment of the application.
What happens if my ILR application is refused?
The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused on the merits. The IHS already paid for the underlying visa is not refunded either, because the leave continues until the visa would otherwise have expired. The refusal letter explains the appeal or administrative review options. Applicants should usually take qualified legal advice before deciding whether to challenge a refusal or to submit a fresh application.
Do I have to attend a biometric appointment for ILR?
Yes. Every inside-UK ILR applicant must enrol biometrics (fingerprints and digital photograph) at a UKVCAS appointment, even if biometrics were previously enrolled for an earlier visa. The biometric enrolment fee is £19.20 per person and is paid when booking the appointment.
