UK hikes visa fees: What it means for visitors, students and workers

The UK Home Office has increased visa and immigration fees across categories from April 8, 2026, with changes affecting visitor, study and work visa applicants globally, including those applying from India.

The revised fee structure, published on the UK government website, shows higher charges across key visa types. For instance, a short-term visit visa of up to six months has increased from £127 to £135, while long-term visas of up to 10 years now cost £1,128.

The changes are part of a broader revision of immigration and nationality fees, with most categories seeing an increase of around 6–7%.

Government cites digital push, service delivery

The British High Commission in India said the fee revision is aimed at improving the visa system. In a public statement, it said, “UK visa costs are changing from 8 April 2026. We are making improvements to deliver a more streamlined, digital immigration system and the global increase in visa fees will help ensure we continue to offer customers a strong, secure and efficient visa service.”

The statement indicates that the fee increase is linked to efforts to modernise processing systems and maintain service standards.

UK Visa Fee Changes

Visa Category	Old Fee	New Fee
Visit Visa (up to 6 months)	£127	£135
Visit Visa (up to 2 years)	£475	£506
Visit Visa (up to 5 years)	£848	£903
Visit Visa (up to 10 years)	£1059	£1128
Study Visa	£524	£558
Work Visa (Skilled, ≤3 years)	£769	£819