The United Kingdom will raise visa fees for individuals seeking to visit, study, work, or live in the country, the Home Office announced. The increases, taking effect from April 8, 2026, form part of a broader effort to reduce immigration and tighten rules for migrants and asylum seekers.
Under the new fee structure, short-stay visit visas of up to six months will rise from £127 to £135, while two-year visit visas will increase by £31 to £506. Longer-term visit visas will also see higher fees: five-year visas now cost £903, up £55, and ten-year visas rise by £69 to £1,128. Applications leading to British citizenship will increase from £1,605 to £1,709.
Settlement visas, which allow foreign nationals to live and work in the UK with the potential for indefinite leave to remain, will also see increases. The standard settlement visa rises from £1,938 to £2,064, while care visas for relatives increase by £222 to £3,635. Refugee-dependent relatives’ settlement visas will rise by £28 to £452.
Work visa fees will also increase. Sed worker applications for stays of up to three years made outside the UK will rise from £769 to £819, with similar increases for longer-term work permits and for dependants. Student visa fees are also affected, with the standard student visa rising by £34 to £558, and the graduate route visa increasing from £880 to £937 for applicants and their dependants.
The government plans to complement the fee increases with stricter policies for asylum seekers and migrants. Failed asylum seekers may receive up to £10,000 to voluntarily leave the country, and taxpayer-funded housing will be withdrawn for migrants found working illegally. An “emergency brake” on student visas has also been introduced for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan following a surge in applications.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measures aim to manage immigration sustainably while ensuring compliance with the country’s rules.
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