UK Visa Fees 2026: Complete Price List by Visa Type

UK visa fees rose on 8 April 2026 as part of the annual fee review. ETA £16 → £20, other routes adjusted in line with the Home Office published schedule. Key 2026 figures: Standard Visitor Visa £127, Skilled Worker £719-£1,420, Student £524-£524, Family Visa £1,938 out of country / £1,321 in-country, plus Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of £1,035/year (£776 for students and Youth Mobility Scheme). Priority service £500 for 5-day decision, Super Priority £1,000 for next-day. This guide is the complete 2026 price list by visa type, with the full cost of a typical application including biometrics, IHS, and optional services.

The core fees by visa type (2026-27)

Short-stay and transit

• Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): £20 (from 8 April 2026, up from £16). Valid 2 years, multiple visits up to 6 months each.
• Standard Visitor Visa (short-term): £127 for 6 months
• Standard Visitor Visa (2-year): £475
• Standard Visitor Visa (5-year): £900
• Standard Visitor Visa (10-year): £1,088
• Transit Visa (Direct Airside): £39
• Transit Visa (Visitor in Transit): £70
• Marriage Visitor Visa: £127

Work visas

• Skilled Worker (up to 3 years, from outside UK): £719 standard rate, lower for Immigration Salary List roles
• Skilled Worker (over 3 years, from outside UK): £1,420 standard rate
• Skilled Worker (up to 3 years, in-country extension): £827
• Health and Care Worker visa: £284 (reduced rate, IHS exempt)
• Global Talent (endorsement stage): £561
• Global Talent (visa stage): £205
• Scale-up Visa: £892
• Innovator Founder Visa: £1,191
• Youth Mobility Scheme: £298

Family visas

• Family Visa (spouse/partner, out of country): £1,938
• Family Visa (spouse/partner, in-country extension): £1,321
• Adult Dependent Relative Visa: £3,923
• EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit: free

Study visas

• Student Visa (out of country): £524
• Student Visa (in-country extension): £524
• Child Student Visa: £524
• Graduate Visa (post-study): £822
• Short-term Study (6-11 months English language): £200

Settlement and citizenship

• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR): £3,029
• Naturalisation as British citizen: £1,735 (includes £80 citizenship ceremony fee)
• Registration of child as British citizen: £1,351
• British Overseas Citizenship: £1,100

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

Most UK visas require payment of IHS in addition to the application fee. The surcharge covers NHS access during the visa period.

• Standard IHS (2026): £1,035 per year of visa validity
• Student, Youth Mobility, and dependant under 18: £776 per year
• Children under 3 (some visas): £776 per year
• Exempt: Health and Care Worker visa holders and dependants (fully exempt from IHS)

A 5-year Skilled Worker visa: £1,420 application fee + (£1,035 × 5) IHS = £1,420 + £5,175 = £6,595 per person. Dependants each pay their own application fee and IHS, typically doubling the cost for a couple.

Priority services

Priority processing is optional add-on for most visa routes (not available for ETA):

• Priority Service: £500 — decision within 5 working days (normal route: up to 3 weeks for Visitor, up to 8 weeks for Skilled Worker)
• Super Priority Service: £1,000 — decision by the next working day; available for many routes but not all
• Priority appointment booking (UKVCAS/TLScontact): £125-£250 depending on service centre — fast-track biometric appointment booking

Priority services are refundable only if the biometric or application stage has not yet commenced. Once processing starts, the fee is non-refundable even if the visa is refused.

Biometric and application centre fees

Most UK visa applications require biometric enrolment at a visa application centre (TLScontact outside the UK, UKVCAS inside the UK). Fees vary:

• Standard biometric enrolment (TLScontact): typically £60-£100 depending on country
• In-country biometric (UKVCAS): free for standard; £59 for premium (faster appointment + document scanning)
• Mobile biometric appointment (home/office): £179-£299
• Keep your documents service: £35 (bring originals to the appointment instead of posting to UKVI)

The full cost: a typical Skilled Worker application

A US national applying for a 3-year Skilled Worker visa in London in 2026:

• Application fee: £719
• IHS: £1,035 × 3 years = £3,105
• Certificate of Sponsorship (paid by employer): £525
• Biometric enrolment (TLScontact): £80
• Priority service (optional): £500
• UK English language test (IELTS or equivalent, if required): £200
• Total out-of-pocket to the applicant: £4,604 (assuming employer pays CoS and English test waived)

For a couple applying together (both needing visas), roughly double. For a family of four, approximately £18,000 in first-year immigration costs. These are typical real-world totals — UK visa economics is substantially more expensive than the headline fee suggests.

Who actually pays: employer vs applicant

The UK Skilled Worker rules prohibit employers from passing certain fees to employees:

• Certificate of Sponsorship fee (£525): must be paid by the employer; cannot be recouped from the employee. Any clawback clause in employment contracts is unenforceable.
• Immigration Skills Charge (employer fee): £1,000/year for large sponsors, £364/year for small sponsors. Must be paid by the employer.
• Application fee and IHS: can be paid by the employee or the employer, contractually. Most well-funded employers cover both for senior hires; smaller firms typically ask the employee to pay.
• Priority services: employer or employee choice.

If you're negotiating a UK job offer, clarify the visa cost arrangement in writing. A £5,000-£10,000 difference between "employer pays everything" and "employee pays everything" is common and material to the offer economics.

Common hidden costs

• Document translation and apostille: £30-£100 per document. Degrees, marriage certificates, birth certificates may all need certified translation into English.
• Criminal record checks (ACRO): £58 standard, £86 premium for UK applicants. Similar costs for overseas equivalents (FBI in the US, country-specific elsewhere).
• English language test (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.): £200 typically, refreshable every 2 years if retesting needed.
• TB screening (from certain countries): £50-£200 at approved clinics.
• Legal fees (if using an immigration solicitor): £500-£3,000 depending on complexity.

2026 fee changes at a glance

The annual April fee review brought several specific changes this year. Key adjustments effective 8 April 2026:

• ETA: £16 → £20 (+25%)
• Standard Visitor Visa: £115 → £127 (+10%)
• Skilled Worker (standard rate): £625 → £719 (+15%)
• Immigration Health Surcharge: unchanged at £1,035/year (held steady after major 2024 increase from £624)
• ILR application: £2,885 → £3,029 (+5%)
• Naturalisation: £1,580 → £1,735 (+10%)

The pattern: work visa fees up sharply, Visitor/ETA up moderately, IHS flat because of the 2024 jump. Applications submitted before 8 April 2026 paid the previous rates. Applicants scheduling biometric appointments near the fee-change date typically want to submit before the increase if possible.

Fee refunds and appeals

Most UK visa fees are non-refundable once the application is submitted and processing has begun. Limited refund scenarios:

• Application fee refundable if the applicant withdraws before biometrics are taken (rare)
• IHS is refundable if the application is refused, withdrawn, or if the applicant leaves the UK before the visa's end date
• Priority service fee refundable only if the biometric or processing stage hasn't commenced
• No refund for refused applications — the application fee stays with UKVI regardless of outcome

Appeals against refusal have separate fees. Administrative review (closed for most routes from 2026): £80 written / £140 oral hearing at the First-tier Tribunal where appeal rights exist.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the ETA fee increase on 8 April 2026?

Annual fee review by the Home Office. The ETA fee went from £16 to £20 — a £4 increase. All fees across the UK visa system are reviewed each April, typically rising in line with cost recovery and inflation.

Can I pay UK visa fees in instalments?

No. Application fees and IHS are paid in full at the time of application. The only exception is some employer-paid scenarios where the employer advances the costs and recovers them through payroll over time — but this is between employee and employer, not between applicant and UKVI.

Are priority services worth the money?

Depends on your timeline. If you need a decision within 5 working days for a job start, Priority (£500) is reasonable insurance. If you're applying 3 months before needing the visa, standard processing is almost always fine. Super Priority (£1,000) is rarely worth it unless truly urgent.

What's the cheapest UK visa route?

ETA at £20 for short visits, for nationalities eligible. For longer stays, Youth Mobility Scheme (£298) if you qualify by nationality and age (18-30 or 18-35 depending on country). For work routes, Health and Care Worker visa at £284 with IHS exempt is the cheapest sponsored route. Most routes cost £500+.

Do UK visa fees include NHS access?

Only via the Immigration Health Surcharge. The application fee itself doesn't include NHS access — you pay IHS separately at £1,035/year to get NHS access during your visa period. Health and Care Worker visa holders are IHS-exempt and access NHS at no additional charge.

Can I get a discount on UK visa fees?

Reduced rates apply to specific categories: Immigration Salary List roles (lower Skilled Worker fees), Health and Care Worker visa (reduced fee + IHS exemption), Youth Mobility Scheme (reduced IHS). There's no general hardship discount — UKVI fees are effectively fixed.

Are UK visa fees higher than other countries?

Among the highest in the developed world. For comparison: US tourist visa B1/B2 is $185, Canada Visitor Visa CAD $100. UK Standard Visitor at £127 is higher, and the Skilled Worker + IHS totals are significantly more expensive than US, Australian, or Canadian equivalents. The UK model recovers more of the actual processing cost plus contributes to NHS funding via IHS.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Visa fees — gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table
• UKVI, Immigration Health Surcharge — gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
• Home Office, Fees for visa and immigration services 2026
• GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa fees — gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
• GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) — gov.uk/eta
• UK-based Immigration Services (Commissioner's Order 2013) — fee schedule compliance
• Home Office, Priority Visa and Super Priority Visa services