The United Kingdom government has announced an upward review of fees for visa, residency and citizenship applications, with the new rates set to take effect from April 8, 2026.
The revised charges, released by the UK Home Office, cut across almost all application categories processed within and outside the UK, including visit, study, work, settlement and naturalisation routes.
Nigerians, who ranked among the highest applicants for UK visas, are expected to feel the impact of the increases.
Under the new structure, the cost of a short-term visit visa of up to six months will rise from £127 to £135, while student visa fees will increase from £524 to £558.
Similarly, the fee for indefinite leave to remain will climb from £3,029 to £3,226, while the cost of naturalisation as a British citizen will move from £1,605 to £1,709.
Further breakdown of the revised fees shows that long-term visit visas will also attract higher charges. Applications for visas valid for up to two years will increase from £475 to £506, five-year visas from £848 to £903, and 10-year visas from £1,059 to £1,128.
Academic visitors staying beyond six months but not exceeding one year, as well as those seeking visas for private medical treatment within the same duration, will now pay £234, up from £220.
Transit visa fees have also been adjusted, with airside transit rising from £39 to £41.50, while landside transit will increase from £70 to £74.50.
For students, both main applicants and dependants, including child students, will now pay £558, up from £524. Short-term English language study visas exceeding six months will rise from £214 to £228.
Work-related visas have also been affected. Skilled Worker visa applicants for up to three years will pay £819, up from £769, while those applying for longer durations will see fees increase from £1,519 to £1,618.
Applicants under the Immigration Salary List category will also face higher costs, alongside those applying for Health and Care visas, Innovator Founder, Start-up, and Scale-up routes.
However, the fee for the High Potential Individual visa remains unchanged at £880.
Other categories, including the Graduate Route, Temporary Work, Global Business Mobility pathways, and international sportsperson visas, have all recorded moderate increases.
In the settlement category, the cost of applications will rise across various routes. The standard route to settlement will increase from £1,938 to £2,064, while applications involving dependent relatives will also attract higher fees. Indefinite leave to remain will now cost £3,226.
Travel document fees have also been revised upward, affecting both adults and children applying for certificates of travel and convention travel documents.
For nationality-related services, naturalisation fees have increased to £1,709, while registration as a British citizen for adults will now cost £1,540.
However, the fee for child registration has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000.
Other services, including renunciation and nationality review, will now cost £513, while status and non-acquisition letters will be charged at £489.
The UK government said the adjustments are expected to raise the overall cost burden for individuals, families and organisations seeking to travel, study, work or establish permanent residence in the country.