UK Visa Fees and Immigration Health Surcharge 2026: Full Table

UK visa costs have two main parts: the application fee and, for most stays over 6 months, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). As of October 2026, the IHS is £1,035 a year for most people and £776 a year for students and under-18s. The table below lists the main application fees from the Home Office fees table dated 8 October 2026. No fees changed on that date; the last general rise was on 8 April 2026.

Key points

• Application fees range from £20 (ETA) to £3,226 (ILR).
• IHS is paid upfront for the whole visa length: £1,035 per year standard, £776 for students and under-18s.
• Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependants do not pay the IHS.
• Citizenship costs £1,839 including the ceremony.
• Expect the next fee changes in April 2027; check GOV.UK before paying.

Main UK visa fees (as of October 2026)

Work visas

Route	Outside UK	Inside UK
Skilled Worker, up to 3 years	£819	£943
Skilled Worker, over 3 years	£1,618	£1,865
Skilled Worker, job on the Immigration Salary List, up to 3 years	£628	£628
Skilled Worker, job on the Immigration Salary List, over 3 years	£1,235	£1,235
Health and Care Worker, up to 3 years	£324	£324
Health and Care Worker, over 3 years	£628	£628
Global Talent (total, endorsement route: £561 + £205)	£766	£766
High Potential Individual	£880	£880
Scale-up	£937	£937
Innovator Founder	£1,357	£1,693
Youth Mobility Scheme	£340	£340

Sources: fees table, Skilled Worker costs.

Skilled Worker applicants from outside the UK usually also need £1,270 in savings held for 28 days, unless their sponsor certifies maintenance or they have been in the UK for 12 months. For employer-side costs (licence, certificate of sponsorship and Immigration Skills Charge), see our guide to sponsoring a Skilled Worker.

Study and post-study

Route	Fee
Student (main applicant and dependants)	£558
Child Student	£558
Graduate (inside UK only)	£937

The Graduate visa is 2 years for applications made on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027 (3 years for PhD graduates). Students must also show maintenance funds. See the UK student visa guide and the Graduate route deadline post.

Family

Route	Fee
Partner or family route to settlement, applying from outside the UK	£2,064
Adult dependent relative, outside the UK	£3,635

For in-country partner extension fees, check the GOV.UK fees table for the exact row that applies to your application. Fee waivers are available on some family applications if you cannot afford the fee. See our UK spouse visa guide.

Settlement and citizenship

Application	Fee
Indefinite leave to remain (each person)	£3,226
Naturalisation application	£1,709
Citizenship ceremony	£130
Naturalisation total	£1,839
Registration as a British citizen, adult	£1,540 (+ £130 ceremony)
Registration as a British citizen, child	£1,000
Life in the UK test	£50

ILR rose from £3,029 and naturalisation from £1,605 on 8 April 2026. The child registration fee fell from £1,214 to £1,000.

Visitors and travel

Application	Fee
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA)	£20
Standard Visitor, up to 6 months	£135
Long-term visitor, 2 years	£506
Long-term visitor, 5 years	£903
Long-term visitor, 10 years	£1,128
Visitor extension (inside UK)	£1,172

See our guides to the UK ETA and visitor visas.

Optional services

Service	Fee
Priority visa service	£500
Super priority visa service	£1,000

Availability depends on the route and where you apply.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The IHS gives you access to the NHS on broadly the same basis as UK residents. It is paid as part of your application, for the full length of the visa.

Applicant	IHS per year (as of October 2026)
Students and their dependants	£776
Under 18	£776
Youth Mobility Scheme	£776
Everyone else (including Skilled Worker, Graduate, partner)	£1,035
Health and Care Worker visa holders and dependants	Exempt
Applying from outside the UK for 6 months or less	No IHS

Source: GOV.UK IHS page.

How part-years are charged

Visa length	IHS charged
6 months or less, applying from inside the UK	Half a year
More than 6 months, up to 1 year	One full year
More than 1 year, up to 18 months	One year plus half a year
More than 18 months, under 2 years	Two full years

Adult dependants generally pay the same IHS rate as the main applicant.

Worked examples

These use the October 2026 figures. Your visa length will be set by your sponsor, course or route, so your total may differ.

Skilled Worker, 2-year visa, applying from outside the UK, job not on the Immigration Salary List

• Application fee: £819
• IHS: 2 × £1,035 = £2,070
• Total: £2,889 (plus £1,270 savings unless the sponsor certifies maintenance). This matches the example on GOV.UK.

Student, 16-month visa

• Application fee: £558
• IHS: £776 + £388 (one year plus half a year) = £1,164
• Total: £1,722, plus maintenance funds shown on the Student visa money page

Family of three on a Skilled Worker visa (main applicant, partner, child), 3 years, outside UK

• Application fees: 3 × £819 = £2,457
• IHS: main applicant and partner 2 × (3 × £1,035) = £6,210; child 3 × £776 = £2,328
• Total: £10,995, before savings requirements

Tips to avoid paying more than you need

• Use official sites only. The ETA costs £20 on the official app and GOV.UK. Copycat sites charge more.
• Check whether your job is on the Immigration Salary List, which has lower Skilled Worker fees.
• Check for an IHS exemption, for example on the Health and Care Worker visa.
• Time your application around fee changes. Fees usually rise in April. If you are ready to apply, applying before a rise saves money.
• Ask about fee waivers on family and human rights applications if you cannot afford the fee.

What to do next

1. Find your route in the tables above, then open the route’s own GOV.UK “how much it costs” page to confirm.
2. Work out the IHS for your exact visa length using the part-year rules.
3. Budget for extra costs: English tests, TB tests, translations and priority services.
4. Check the UK country hub for route guides and /updates/ for any fee change.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Figures are taken from the Home Office fees table dated 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK route pages.