UK visa fees rise from April 8: What visitors, students and workers now pay

Planning to study, work or travel to the UK? From April 8, visa and immigration fees have increased across most categories, including for Indian applicants

Planning to study or work in the United Kingdom? From April 8, you will have to pay higher visa and immigration fees, with increases across visitor, student, work, settlement and citizenship routes, including for Indians planning to travel, study, work or settle in the country.

 

The changes, announced by the UK Home Office in March, raise most immigration and nationality fees by 6 to 7 per cent. The steepest increase is in the Electronic Travel Authorisation fee, which has gone up by 25 per cent from £16 to £20. Passport fees are also rising separately, with most charges up by 8 per cent.

   

The revision reflects a continued shift towards a system where applicants and employers bear a larger share of immigration costs. It follows earlier increases in the Immigration Skills Charge in 2025 and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

 

What are the key UK visa fee changes from April 8?

 

For short-term visitors, the fee for a six-month visa has increased from £127 to £135, or about Rs 17,000. Student and Child Student visa fees have gone up from £524 to £558.

 

Work visa charges have also been revised across categories. A Skilled Worker visa for overseas applicants for up to three years has increased from £769 to £819, while the fee for more than three years has gone up from £1,519 to £1,618. For applicants already in the UK, the fee for up to three years has risen from £885 to £943, and for more than three years from £1,751 to £1,865.

 

The Health and Care visa now costs more as well. Fees for applications of up to three years have increased from £304 to £324, while those for more than three years have gone up from £590 to £628.

 

Temporary work routes are also affected. The fee for these visas, including the India Young Professionals Scheme visa, has increased from £319 to £340.

 

Settlement and citizenship applications have also become more expensive. The fee for indefinite leave to remain has risen from £3,029 to £3,226, while naturalisation as a British citizen has increased from £1,605 to £1,709.

 

One exception is child citizenship registration. That fee has fallen from £1,214 to £1,000, a reduction of about 18 per cent.

 

How will the fee hike 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, the increase applies 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 need to account for higher licence fees from April 8, even though the Certificate of Sponsorship fee itself remains unchanged.

 

UK visa fee hike: Key changes

 

Visitor visa, up to 6 months: £127 to £135

Student and Child Student visa: £524 to £558

Skilled Worker, overseas, up to 3 years: £769 to £819

Skilled Worker, overseas, over 3 years: £1,519 to £1,618

Skilled Worker, in-country, up to 3 years: £885 to £943

Skilled Worker, in-country, over 3 years: £1,751 to £1,865

Health and Care visa, up to 3 years: £304 to £324

Health and Care visa, over 3 years: £590 to £628

Temporary work routes, including India Young Professionals Scheme: £319 to £340

Indefinite leave to remain: £3,029 to £3,226

Naturalisation: £1,605 to £1,709

Child citizenship registration: £1,214 to £1,000

ETA: £16 to £20

 

“The changes reflect updated costs in line with inflation and the need to ensure a sustainable immigration system,” the Home Office said. 

Will UK Visa fee hike impact Indians?

 

Not likely, according to Saurabh Arora, founder and chief executive officer at University Living.

 

“These revisions are incremental and, by themselves, are unlikely to drive decision-making for Indian students,” he said.

 

He explained that the broader financial picture remains largely unchanged. According to University Living’s Indian Student Mobility Report 2023–24, the average annual cost of studying in the UK stands at £35,426, including £20,468 in tuition fees, £7,633 for accommodation, and £7,321 for other living expenses. Within this overall cost structure, visa fees remain a relatively small component.

 

“While fee revisions add to the total cost of studying abroad, decisions continue to be driven by factors such as academic quality, post-study opportunities, and long-term career outcomes. The UK remains a key destination for Indian students, with cost changes being one of several considerations rather than a determining factor,” Arora said.