The United Kingdom
government has announced a sweeping increase in visa, residency, and
citizenship application fees, set to take effect on April 8, 2026. The hike
will impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study,
work, or settle in the country.
The updated fee schedule,
published by the UK Home Office and reviewed by PUNCH Online on Thursday, shows
increases across nearly all visa categories—whether applied for inside or
outside the UK. Affected categories include visit visas, student visas, work
visas, settlement applications, and citizenship fees.
The increase comes just
under two weeks before implementation, at a time when Nigeria remains one of
the largest sources of UK visa applicants, with hundreds of thousands of
Nigerians applying annually for visit, study, and work visas.
Under the new structure,
the short-term visit visa will rise from £127 to £135, while the student visa
will increase from £524 to £558. Nigerians applying for permanent residency
will pay £3,226—up from £3,029—and those seeking naturalisation as British
citizens will see fees climb from £1,605 to £1,709.
In a rare exception to
the upward trend, the fee for registering a child as a British citizen has been
reduced from £1,214 to £1,000—a cut of £214. All other fees have either
increased or remained unchanged. Some visa categories, including the Tier 1
(Investor) visa and the High Potential Individual visa, will stay at £2,000 and
£880 respectively.
Below
is the full breakdown of the updated UK visa and immigration fees relevant to
Nigerians:
VISIT
VISAS
Short-term (up to 6
months): Old: £127, New: £135
Long-term (up to 2
years): Old: £475, New: £506
Long-term (up to 5
years): Old: £848, New: £903
Long-term (up to 10 years):
Old: £1,059, New: £1,128
Visiting academic (more
than 6 months, up to 12 months): Old: £220, New: £234
Private medical treatment
(more than 6 months, up to 11 months): Old: £220, New: £234
Direct airside transit
visa: Old: £39, New: £41.50
Landside transit visit
visa: Old: £70, New: £74.50
STUDENT
VISAS
Student (main applicant
and dependants): Old: £524, New: £558
Child Student: Old: £524,
New: £558
Short-term student
(English language, over 6 months up to 11 months): Old: £214, New: £228
WORK
VISAS
Skilled Worker – up to 3
years: Old: £769, New: £819
Skilled Worker – over 3 years:
Old: £1,519, New: £1,618
Skilled Worker
(Immigration Salary List) – up to 3 years: Old: £590, New: £628
Skilled Worker
(Immigration Salary List) – over 3 years: Old: £1,160, New: £1,235
Skilled Worker – Health
and Care Visa – up to 3 years: Old: £304, New: £324
Skilled Worker – Health
and Care Visa – over 3 years: Old: £590, New: £628
Innovator Founder: Old:
£1,274, New: £1,357
Start-up: Old: £465, New:
£495
Scale-up: Old: £880, New:
£937
High Potential
Individual: Old: £880, New: £880 (unchanged)
Graduate Route: Old:
£880, New: £937
T2 Minister of Religion:
Old: £769, New: £819
International
Sportsperson – up to 12 months: Old: £319, New: £340
International Sportsperson
– over 12 months: Old: £769, New: £819
Temporary Work (Seasonal
Worker, Religious Worker, Charity Worker, Creative Worker, International
Agreement, Government Authorised Exchange, Youth Mobility Scheme, India Young
Professionals Scheme): Old: £319, New: £340
Representative of an
overseas business: Old: £769, New: £819
Global Business Mobility
– Senior or Specialist Worker (up to 3 years): Old: £769, New: £819
Global Business Mobility
– Senior or Specialist Worker (over 3 years): Old: £1,519, New: £1,618
Global Business Mobility
– Graduate Trainee: Old: £319, New: £340
Global Business Mobility
– Service Supplier: Old: £319, New: £340
Global Business Mobility –
UK Expansion Worker: Old: £319, New: £340
Global Business Mobility
– Secondment Worker: Old: £319, New: £340
SETTLEMENT
AND INDEFINITE LEAVE
Route to Settlement: Old:
£1,938, New: £2,064
Route to Settlement –
other dependant relative: Old: £3,413, New: £3,635
Route to Settlement –
refugee dependant relative: Old: £424, New: £452
Indefinite leave to remain:
Old: £3,029, New: £3,226
Visitor Extension (in-country):
Old: £1,100, New: £1,172
Leave to remain – Other:
Old: £1,321, New: £1,407
TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS
Certificate of travel
(adult): Old: £300, New: £320
Certificate of travel
(child): Old: £151, New: £161
Convention travel
document (adult): Old: £94.50, New: £102
Convention travel
document (child): Old: £61.50, New: £66.50
NATIONALITY
AND CITIZENSHIP
Naturalisation (British
citizenship): Old: £1,605, New: £1,709
Registration as British
citizen – adult: Old: £1,446, New: £1,540
Registration as British
citizen – child: Old: £1,214, New: £1,000 (reduced)
Renunciation of
nationality: Old: £482, New: £513
Nationality review: Old:
£482, New: £513
Status Letter (Nationality):
Old: £459, New: £489
Non-acquisition Letter
(Nationality): Old: £459, New: £489