UK Visa Cost From Nigeria 2026: Full Fees, VFS Lagos and Abuja, TB Test

TL;DR

A three-year UK Skilled Worker visa from Nigeria costs approximately £3,900 to £4,200 for a main applicant, with the VFS Global service fee and mandatory tuberculosis test certificate adding £200 to £300 on top of the Home Office £719 fee and £3,105 IHS. VFS operates accepting centres in Lagos and Abuja, biometric appointments are usually available within two weeks, and standard processing runs three to eight weeks. Nigeria-specific refusal patterns concentrate on financial sponsorship evidence and document authenticity, which the section below covers in detail with a worked household budget.

Last reviewed: 31 May 2026

Application centre network - VFS Lagos and Abuja

UK Visas and Immigration outsources biometric capture and document scanning in Nigeria to VFS Global. Two accepting centres operate: the Lagos centre at Manor House on Adeola Hopewell Street in Victoria Island and the Abuja centre on Aguiyi Ironsi Street in Maitama. Both centres process applications for the full range of UK visa categories including Skilled Worker, Student, Visitor, Family and Settlement routes. The VFS Global Nigeria service fee runs at approximately £40 for the standard application, with optional add-ons for priority lounge access, courier return and out-of-hours biometric capture that can add £75 to £200. Applicants should consult the country-comparison view on UK visa fees by country and model the household total using the UK visa fee calculator before booking the biometric slot.

The Home Office fee schedule treats Nigeria identically to every other country: a Skilled Worker outside-UK application up to three years costs £719, more than three years costs £1,420, and the inside-UK premium does not apply because the applicant is filing from Nigeria. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year for adults and £776 per year for under-18 dependants, paid upfront with the application under the Immigration (Health Charge) Order 2015 as amended in February 2024. The country-layer extras (VFS service fee, TB test, biometric premium) sit on top of these Home Office figures.

TB test requirement - Nigeria is on the gov.uk listed countries

Nigeria appears on the Home Office list of countries from which applicants must present a tuberculosis test certificate for any UK visa of more than six months. The current list of listed countries is published on gov.uk and Nigeria has been on it consistently since the policy was introduced. The certificate must come from an approved clinic; the IOM-affiliated clinics in Lagos and Abuja are the primary route, with typical costs of £80 to £100 per person. Each applicant including dependants takes a separate test, and the certificate is valid for six months from issue. Children under 11 are tested clinically rather than by chest X-ray and may take longer to issue.

The certificate must be presented at the VFS centre at the biometric appointment along with the printed online application form, passport and supporting documents. Applications without the certificate are rejected at the front desk and re-booking incurs a fresh VFS service fee. Booking the TB test ahead of the VFS appointment is the standard sequence: clinic slots fill quickly during peak Skilled Worker hiring cycles (September to November and February to April) and waiting times for the certificate can stretch to two to three weeks in busy months.

Expected processing time and refusal rates

Home Office published processing times for Skilled Worker applications from Nigeria typically run three to eight weeks from biometric submission for standard service. Priority service (£500 add-on) compresses the decision to five working days from biometric, and super priority (£1,000 add-on) to next working day, both subject to slot availability at the Lagos or Abuja centre. Visitor visa applications usually decide within three weeks, and Student visas in two to three weeks during term-start months.

Refusal rates for Skilled Worker applications from Nigeria have historically run higher than the OECD-country average. The gov.uk Immigration System Statistics quarterly release breaks down grants and refusals by nationality and visa category, and the Nigeria-specific tables show a refusal rate that has moved between roughly 8% and 16% in recent years for the Skilled Worker route, against a global average closer to 5%. The gap reflects three main factors: a higher proportion of applications from first-time visa applicants without a UK travel history, a higher proportion of self-funded rather than employer-sponsored maintenance certifications, and historical issues with document authenticity in the supporting evidence pack.

Common Nigerian refusal patterns - financial sponsorship and document authenticity

The most common Skilled Worker refusal grounds for Nigerian applicants concentrate in three areas. The first is maintenance funds: applicants whose sponsor does not certify maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship must show £1,270 held in a personal account for 28 consecutive days before the application date, plus £285 for a partner and £315 plus £200 for each child. Bank statements that show the funds appearing late in the 28-day window, or that show the account dropping below the threshold at any point, lead to refusal under Appendix Finance of the Immigration Rules.

The second area is document authenticity. The Home Office cross-checks employment letters, qualification certificates and bank statements against the issuing institution where doubt arises. Refusals citing paragraph 9.7.2 of the Immigration Rules (general grounds for refusal where false documents have been presented) carry a ten-year ban from future UK applications, so the consequences of a document-authenticity refusal extend well beyond the single application. Engaging the original issuing institution to verify each document before submission is the most effective mitigation.

The third area is the Certificate of Sponsorship match. The sponsor on the Certificate must hold an A-rated sponsor licence, the role and salary must match the Standard Occupational Classification code on the Certificate, and the start date must fall within three months of the application date. Mismatches between the Certificate details and the application form trigger automatic refusal under Appendix Skilled Worker. The sponsor's HR team should provide a copy of the Certificate to the applicant before submission so the application form can be cross-checked field by field.

Worked example budget - single applicant from Lagos, three-year grant

The realistic cash budget for a single Skilled Worker applicant filing from Lagos on a three-year grant breaks down as follows. All figures in pounds sterling at the 2026 schedule:

Home Office application fee (outside UK, up to 3 years, standard occupation): £719
Immigration Health Surcharge (3 years adult): £3,105
VFS Global service fee (standard tier, Lagos centre): £40
TB test certificate at approved clinic: £90
Biometric enrolment: £19.20
Courier return of passport to Lagos address: £25
Document translation if Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa documents required: £120 typical
Naira to GBP transfer charges and FX margin: £80 to £150 depending on payment method

Total realistic upfront cost: roughly £4,200 for a single applicant on a three-year grant. Adding a spouse (full second adult: £719 fee, £3,105 IHS, £40 VFS, £90 TB, £19.20 biometric) lifts the household total by approximately £3,980. Adding two children at the under-18 IHS rate (£719 fee per child, £2,328 IHS per child, plus VFS, TB and biometric per child) adds roughly £3,200 per child. A family of four therefore lands at approximately £14,500 to £15,200 in upfront Home Office and country-layer charges before any solicitor fees or priority service add-ons.

Adding priority service across a family of four pushes the bill by another £2,000 at the standard priority tier or £4,000 at super priority. Engaging an OISC-regulated adviser at level 2 or above for the application typically adds £800 to £3,500 in professional fees depending on complexity. The all-in family budget therefore sits in the range of £15,000 to £22,000 for a three-year grant, with the bulk of the variation explained by priority service election and professional advice.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the nearest UK visa application centre in Nigeria?

VFS Global operates two UK visa application centres in Nigeria: Lagos (Manor House, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island) and Abuja (Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama). Applicants choose the more convenient centre at the booking stage of the online application. Both centres process the full range of visa categories and offer priority and super-priority appointment slots subject to availability.

Is the TB test mandatory for Nigerians applying for a UK visa?

Yes, for any visa of more than six months. Nigeria is on the Home Office list of countries from which applicants must present a TB test certificate. The certificate must come from an approved clinic (IOM-affiliated clinics in Lagos and Abuja are the standard route) and is valid for six months. Visitor visas of six months or less do not require the certificate.

Why are Nigerian Skilled Worker refusal rates higher than the OECD average?

Three factors explain the gap: a higher proportion of first-time UK applicants without prior visa history, a higher proportion of self-funded rather than sponsor-certified maintenance, and historical concerns about document authenticity in supporting evidence packs. The gov.uk Immigration System Statistics tables publish refusal rates by nationality each quarter. Engaging the issuing institutions to verify documents before submission addresses the document-authenticity concern most directly.

How long does a Skilled Worker visa from Nigeria typically take to process?

Standard processing for Skilled Worker applications from Nigeria runs three to eight weeks from biometric submission at the Lagos or Abuja centre. Priority service (£500 add-on) compresses the decision to five working days from biometric, and super priority (£1,000 add-on) to next working day, subject to slot availability. Processing times vary by season, with longer waits during the September-November and February-April peaks.

Are dependants from Nigeria treated the same as the main applicant for fees?

Dependants pay the same Home Office application fee as the main applicant on the Skilled Worker route. The IHS rate differs: adults pay £1,035 per year and under-18 dependants pay £776 per year. Each dependant also pays a separate VFS service fee, takes a separate TB test (Nigeria is on the listed countries) and enrols biometric data separately. There is no family discount on Home Office fees.

Sources

Disclaimer: The figures on this page are estimates based on the Home Office fee schedule and VFS Global Nigeria price list current at the date shown. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, or the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide immigration advice. For application-specific advice consult a regulated immigration adviser. Verify current fees against gov.uk before applying.