The United Kingdom is set to increase visa application fees for applicants outside the country, with new charges taking effect from April 8, 2026, as part of a broader adjustment to immigration related costs.
The changes affect a wide range of visa types, including visit, study, transit, and settlement routes, reflecting what authorities describe as routine adjustments to match administrative and service delivery costs.
Key Changes to Visit Visas
Short-term visit visas of up to six months will rise from £127 to £135. Longer-duration options are also increasing, with two-year visas now priced at £506, five-year visas at £903, and ten-year visas at £1,128.
Special categories are also affected. Visiting academic visas for stays of six to 12 months will increase to £234, while private medical treatment visas for the same duration will match that fee.
Transit visa costs will see smaller adjustments, with airside transit visas rising to £41.50 and landside transit visas increasing to £74.50. Fees for crew members joining ships or aircraft will also move up to £74.50.
Settlement and Long-Term Routes See Bigger Increases
More significant changes are seen in settlement pathways. Applications for settlement will rise from £1,938 to £2,064, while dependent relatives under this route will now pay £3,635.
Fees for indefinite leave to enter for members of the armed forces and their dependants will increase to £3,226, with the same rate applying to certain domestic abuse-related immigration provisions.
For applicants under the Hong Kong British National Overseas route, the 30-month visa will increase to £206, while the five-year option will rise to £285.
ETA and Other Charges
The electronic travel authorization will increase by 25 percent, moving from £16 to £20.
Some administrative services remain unchanged, including administrative review fees, which stay at £80, alongside selected consular support services and document processing charges.
Impact on Nigerian Applicants and Students
The fee adjustments come at a time when migration patterns involving Nigeria are evolving. Data from the UK Home Office shows that 30,204 study visas were issued to Nigerian students in the year ending December 2025, a sharp increase from the previous year.
Nigeria remains one of the fastest-growing sources of international students to the UK, highlighting its importance in the country’s education sector.
At the same time, overall study visa numbers have declined. In the year ending June 2025, the UK granted 431,725 sponsored study visas, a notable drop from the previous year and from the peak recorded in 2023.
Policy Shift in Education Strategy
The UK government is also reshaping its approach to international education, aiming to reach £40 billion in annual education exports by 2030.
The new strategy focuses less on increasing student numbers and more on expanding global access through offshore campuses and international partnerships.
This shift suggests a dual approach: maintaining revenue from international students while reducing reliance on physical migration by delivering UK education abroad.
Overall, the visa fee increase signals tighter cost structures within the UK immigration system, even as the country continues to position itself as a global education hub.
