In this section: Your bills
Visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge
Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.
Indefinite leave to remain is £3,226 since 8 April 2026, up from £3,029 a year ago. Most immigration fees are set well above the cost of processing the application, as the law allows, to fund the wider immigration system. The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid on top for each year of a visa.
Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration).
Key figures
- £3,226Indefinite leave to remain up on a year earlier: +£197 (+6.5%) vs 29 September 2025
- £1,709British citizenship by naturalisation up on a year earlier: +£104 (+6.5%) vs 29 September 2025
- £819A Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years up on a year earlier: +£50 (+6.5%) vs 29 September 2025
- £1,035Immigration Health Surcharge, a year unchanged on a year earlier: no change vs 29 September 2025
- 335%Immigration fee income as a share of processing cost 100% would mean fees exactly cover cost
Sources: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration), Collected by the Home Office; passed to the health departments of the four UK nations.
What is the short version?
- Most fees rose about 6.5% this year. Settlement went from £3,029 to £3,226.
- Visitors pay below cost. A standard visitor visa is £135, priced to keep the UK attractive to visitors.
- The path to citizenship is paid in stages. A family visa from outside the UK is £2,064, settlement £3,226 and naturalisation £1,709, each on top of the last.
- The surcharge is paid up front for every year of the visa, on top of income tax and National Insurance once working.
How much are the fees now?
In force since 8 April 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
In force since 8 April 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
In force since 8 April 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
In force since 8 April 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
| Fee | Now | A year ago | Year on year | Since | Meant to cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months)Details for Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months) | £135 | £127 | +£8 (+6.3%) | 8 April 2026 | Below cost |
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Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years, applying from outside the UKDetails for Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years, applying from outside the UK | £819 | £769 | +£50 (+6.5%) | 8 April 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
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Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years, applying from outside the UKDetails for Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years, applying from outside the UK | £1,618 | £1,519 | +£99 (+6.5%) | 8 April 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
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Family visa (Route to Settlement, e.g. spouse or partner) - applying from outside the UKDetails for Family visa (Route to Settlement, e.g. spouse or partner) - applying from outside the UK | £2,064 | £1,938 | +£126 (+6.5%) | 8 April 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
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Indefinite leave to remain (settlement)Details for Indefinite leave to remain (settlement) | £3,226 | £3,029 | +£197 (+6.5%) | 8 April 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
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British citizenship by naturalisation (application fee; £130 ceremony fee on top)Details for British citizenship by naturalisation (application fee; £130 ceremony fee on top) | £1,709 | £1,605 | +£104 (+6.5%) | 8 April 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
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Immigration Health Surcharge - adult, per year of visaDetails for Immigration Health Surcharge - adult, per year of visa | £1,035 | £1,035 | no change | 6 February 2024 | Not published |
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Immigration Health Surcharge - students and their dependants, Youth Mobility, under-18s, per yearDetails for Immigration Health Surcharge - students and their dependants, Youth Mobility, under-18s, per year | £776 | £776 | no change | 6 February 2024 | Not published |
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Checked 22 September 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
How have the fees moved?
The numbers behind this chart
| From | Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months) | Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years, applying from outside the UK | Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years, applying from outside the UK | Family visa (Route to Settlement, e.g. spouse or partner) - applying from outside the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-04-09Details for 2025-04-09 | £127 | £769 | £1,519 | £1,938 |
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2026-04-08Details for 2026-04-08 | £135 | £819 | £1,618 | £2,064 |
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2026-09-29Details for 2026-09-29 | £135 | £819 | £1,618 | £2,064 |
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Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration), Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration), Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration), Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration).
| Fee | Then | Now | Fee change | Prices change | Then, in today’s prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months) (since 2025)Details for Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months) (since 2025) | £127 | £135 | +6.3% | +4.1% | £132.26 |
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Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years, applying from outside the UK (since 2025)Details for Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years, applying from outside the UK (since 2025) | £769 | £819 | +6.5% | +4.1% | £800.83 |
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Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years, applying from outside the UK (since 2025)Details for Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years, applying from outside the UK (since 2025) | £1,519 | £1,618 | +6.5% | +4.1% | £1,581.88 |
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Family visa (Route to Settlement, e.g. spouse or partner) - applying from outside the UK (since 2025)Details for Family visa (Route to Settlement, e.g. spouse or partner) - applying from outside the UK (since 2025) | £1,938 | £2,064 | +6.5% | +4.1% | £2,018.22 |
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Indefinite leave to remain (settlement) (since 2025)Details for Indefinite leave to remain (settlement) (since 2025) | £3,029 | £3,226 | +6.5% | +4.1% | £3,154.38 |
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British citizenship by naturalisation (application fee; £130 ceremony fee on top) (since 2025)Details for British citizenship by naturalisation (application fee; £130 ceremony fee on top) (since 2025) | £1,605 | £1,709 | +6.5% | +4.1% | £1,671.44 |
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Prices from CPIH, as of 1 August 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics.
What are the fees meant to cover?
Section 68(9) of the Immigration Act 2014 allows immigration fees to take into account the costs of the wider immigration and nationality system, not just the application. In 2025-26 immigration fee income was £3,574m against processing costs of £1,068m, 335% of cost, according to the Home Office.
Some routes, such as the visitor visa, are priced below the unit cost to keep the UK attractive to visitors; settlement and citizenship are priced several times above it.
The Immigration Health Surcharge is not a fee for an application. It is a charge for access to the NHS, collected by the Home Office and passed to the health departments of the four nations.
- Application fee £819
- Immigration Health Surcharge, 3 years at £1,035 £3,105
- Paid up front £3,924
For one adult. The surcharge is charged for each year of the visa and paid with the application. Employer charges are on top.
Show as a table
| Part | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | £819 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 3 years at £1,035 | £3,105 |
| Total: Paid up front | £3,924 |
Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration), Collected by the Home Office; passed to the health departments of the four UK nations.
- Standard visitor visa (up to 6 months): Set above cost by policy. EM to SI 2026/311: s68(9) Immigration Act 2014 sets 'the factors that the Secretary of State is permitted to take into account when setting fees. These include the cost of exercising the relevant function, the benefits that accrue to an individual as the result of a successful application, and the costs of exercising any other function in relation to immigration or nationality ... includes the setting of fees above a cost recovery level'. Home Office ARA 2025-26: UKVI fee income £3,574m vs full cost £1,068m (335% recovery), 'with the additional income from fees contributing to the operation of the wider Migration and Borders system'. Home Office estimated unit cost
- Immigration Health Surcharge - adult, per year of visa: Health charge paid up front. The cost basis of the rate was not verified on an official page in this pass. No change in April 2026.
| Body | Year | Fee income | Cost | Surplus or deficit | Share of cost recovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Visas and immigration (UKVI)Details for Visas and immigration (UKVI) | 2025–26 | £3.6bn | £1.1bn | £2.5bn | 335% |
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- Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, as amended by SI 2026/311 (in force 8 April 2026); maxima in the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2016; powers in ss68-69 Immigration Act 2014
- Immigration (Health Charge) Order 2015, as amended by the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2024 (SI 2024/55)
- Immigration (Health Charge) Order 2015, as amended by SI 2024/55
Who receives the money?
Visa and immigration fees
Paid to a named body the Home Office. Most fees are set above the cost of processing, by law, to fund the wider immigration system.
Immigration Health Surcharge
Paid to a named body the health departments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, after collection by the Home Office.
Legal position as of 22 September 2026. Source: legislation.gov.uk. Checked by hand 22 September 2026.
Are the fees fair?
The case for the current fees
- Those who benefit from the immigration system pay for it, rather than general taxpayers.
- The health surcharge reflects the cost of NHS care for people who have not paid into it for long.
- Visitor visas are priced below cost to support tourism and business.
The case against
- Settlement and citizenship fees are several times what they cost, falling on people already paying tax here.
- Fees are paid again at each stage, from visa to extension to settlement to citizenship.
- The surcharge is paid in addition to income tax and National Insurance for the same NHS.
Common questions
- How much is indefinite leave to remain?
- £3,226 from 8 April 2026.
- How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?
- £1,035 a year for most adults, £776 for students and children, unchanged since February 2024.
Sources for this page
| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026; Home Office visa fees transparency data (fees and unit cost table, ODS) | Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration) | 22 September 2026 | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| GOV.UK Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application | Collected by the Home Office; passed to the health departments of the four UK nations | 22 September 2026 | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) | Office for National Statistics | 1 August 2026 | monthly | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| legislation.gov.uk and official guidance, provision by provision | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk) |
Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under CC BY 4.0.