New Delhi, March 20 -- The United Kingdom on Thursday raised immigration and visa fees by 6 to 25 per cent, with the new charges set to take effect from April 8, 2026. The changes, announced by the UK Home Office, will make it more expensive for applicants across visitor, student, work, settlement and citizenship routes, including Indians planning to travel, study, work or settle in the country. Most immigration and nationality fees are going up by 6 or 7 per cent. The steepest rise is in the Electronic Travel Authorisation fee, which will increase by 25 per cent from £16 to £20. Passport fees are also being raised separately, with most charges increasing by 8 per cent.
What are the key UK visa fee changes from April 8?
For short-term visitors, the fee for a six-month visa will go up from £127 to £135, or about Rs 17,000. Student and Child Student visa fees will rise from £524 to £558. Work visa charges are also being revised across categories. A Skilled Worker visa for overseas applicants for up to three years will rise from £769 to £819, while the fee for more than three years will go up from £1,519 to £1,618. For applicants already in the UK, the fee for up to three years will increase from £885 to £943, and for more than three years from £1,751 to £1,865. The Health and Care visa will also cost more. Fees for applications of up to three years will rise from £304 to £324, while those for more than three years will increase from £590 to £628. Temporary work routes are also being affected. The fee for these visas, including the India Young Professionals Scheme visa, will rise from £319 to £340. Settlement and citizenship applications are also becoming more expensive. The fee for indefinite leave to remain will go up from £3,029 to £3,226, while naturalisation as a British citizen will rise from £1,605 to £1,709. One exception is child citizenship registration. That fee will fall from £1,214 to £1,000, a reduction of about 18 per cent.
How will this affect applicants and sponsors?
The revised fee schedule means higher upfront costs for a wide range of people, from tourists and students to workers and families applying for settlement or citizenship. For Indian applicants in particular, the increase comes across nearly every major route into the UK, whether for a short visit, university study, a Skilled Worker job or a long-term move. It also adds to costs for sponsors. Employers hiring overseas workers and organisations handling sponsorship will have to account for the higher licence fees from April 8, even though the Certificate of Sponsorship fee itself is unchanged.
Key changesVisitor visa, up to 6 months: £127 to £135Student and Child Student visa:£524 to £558Skilled Worker, overseas, up to 3 years: £769 to £819Skilled Worker, overseas, over 3 years: £1,519 to £1,618Skilled Worker, in-country, up to 3 years: £885 to £943Skilled Worker, in-country, over 3 years: £1,751 to £1,865Health and Care visa, up to 3 years: £304 to £324Health and Care visa, over 3 years: £590 to £628Temporary work routes, including India Young Professionals Scheme: £319 to £340Indefinite leave to remain: £3,029 to £3,226Naturalisation: £1,605 to £1,709Child citizenship registration: £1,214 to £1,000ETA: £16 to £20
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.