UK Visa Fee Calculator
Calculate total UK visa costs including application, IHS surcharge, and biometric fees.
UK Visa Fee Calculator
Calculator
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Formula: Total = (Visa Fee + IHS + Biometric + Priority) × Applicants
Worked example — Total cost: £6,614.20 per applicant
Formula
Total = (Visa Fee + IHS + Biometric + Priority) × Applicants
The total UK visa cost includes the base application fee (varies by visa type and duration), the Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035/year for most applicants), biometric enrollment (£19.20), and optional priority processing fees. Multiply by the number of applicants for family applications.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Skilled Worker Visa for 3+ Years
Problem:Calculate the total cost for a skilled worker visa application for 5 years, including IHS and biometric fees.
Solution:Visa application fee: £1,420 IHS (5 years × £1,035): £5,175 Biometric fee: £19.20 Total: £1,420 + £5,175 + £19.20 = £6,614.20
Result:Total cost: £6,614.20 per applicant
Example 2: Family Visitor Visa (2 Adults)
Problem:Calculate the cost for two adults applying for a 2-year standard visitor visa.
Solution:Visa fee per person: £400 No IHS required (visitor visa < 6 months per visit) Biometric fee per person: £19.20 Per person: £400 + £19.20 = £419.20 Total for 2 applicants: £419.20 × 2 = £838.40
Result:Total cost for 2 applicants: £838.40
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and who pays it?
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory fee paid by most non-EEA nationals applying for a UK visa lasting more than six months. Introduced in April 2015, the IHS grants access to the National Health Service (NHS) during your stay. As of 2024, the standard rate is £1,035 per year per applicant, with a discounted rate of £776 for students and Youth Mobility Scheme applicants. You must pay the full IHS upfront for the entire duration of your visa before your application is processed. If your visa is refused, the IHS payment is automatically refunded.
Are UK visa fees refundable if my application is denied?
The UK visa application fee itself is generally non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your application. However, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is refunded automatically if your visa application is refused. Priority and super-priority service fees are also non-refundable once the service has been provided. Biometric enrollment fees paid at a visa application centre are non-refundable. If you withdraw your application before a decision is made, you may be eligible for a partial refund of the visa fee in some circumstances, but this is handled on a case-by-case basis by UK Visas and Immigration.
What is the difference between priority and super-priority visa processing?
Priority visa processing provides a decision within five working days of your biometric appointment, while super-priority processing aims for a decision by the end of the next working day. Standard processing times vary by visa type but typically take between three to eight weeks. Priority service costs approximately £500, while super-priority costs around £1,000 on top of the standard visa fee. Not all visa types are eligible for priority services, and availability can be limited during peak periods. Even with priority processing, complex cases may take longer, and using priority service does not guarantee approval.
Do children pay the same UK visa fees as adults?
In most cases, children pay the same visa application fee as adults for the same visa category. Each child requires their own separate visa application with the full associated fee. The Immigration Health Surcharge also applies to children at the same rate, though student-age children on Tier 4 visas may qualify for the discounted student IHS rate. Biometric fees apply equally to children aged five and over. Some family visa routes may have specific provisions for dependants. When budgeting for family visa applications, multiply the per-person total by the number of family members to calculate the complete cost.
How often do UK visa fees change?
UK visa fees are typically reviewed and updated at least once per year, usually in April when the new financial year begins. The Home Office publishes updated fee schedules in advance through Immigration Rules changes laid before Parliament. In recent years, fees have generally increased annually, sometimes significantly. The IHS has seen major increases, rising from £400 per year when introduced in 2015 to £1,035 per year by 2024. It is advisable to check the official UK Government website (gov.uk) for the most current fee schedule before submitting your application, as fees can change between the time you start preparing and when you actually apply.
Why does the surcharge round part-years up to a whole year?
This tool multiplies the annual surcharge rate by the number of years rounded up, so a two-and-a-half year grant is costed as three. That is deliberately conservative and gives you an upper bound for budgeting. The published schedule can price part-periods in smaller increments, and the years counted follow the permission granted rather than the course or contract length, so check the current schedule against the exact dates on your decision before treating the figure as final.
Why is no health surcharge charged on a standard visitor visa?
The surcharge applies to permission granted for more than six months of residence. A visitor visa authorises short trips, and even the long-validity versions valid for several years only permit visits of up to six months at a time rather than settled residence, so no surcharge is levied. That also means visitors are not covered for routine NHS treatment and are expected to hold their own travel medical insurance, a cost UK Visa Fee Calculator does not include.
What does the biometric enrolment fee actually cover?
Biometric enrolment is the appointment where your fingerprints and a digital facial image are captured and your supporting documents are scanned, producing the identity record tied to your application. The small fee on UK Visa Fee Calculator covers that capture only. Visa application centres sell separate optional extras such as out-of-hours appointments, courier return of your passport, document assistance or premium lounges, and those are billed on top and are not part of the totals shown here.
Why does the Skilled Worker fee jump for grants of three years or more?
The application fee is banded by the length of permission requested rather than charged per year, so asking for more than three years moves you into the higher band. A longer grant costs more at the outset but avoids paying a second application fee at extension, while a shorter grant is cheaper now and more expensive if you renew. The health surcharge, by contrast, scales with the years requested, so it usually dominates the comparison between the two options.
Which application costs fall on the employer rather than the worker?
Sponsorship carries its own charges that sit outside UK Visa Fee Calculator: the sponsor licence application, the fee for assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship, and the Immigration Skills Charge levied for each sponsored worker over the period of sponsorship. The skills charge is a sponsor liability and cannot be recovered from the employee. Whether the employer also covers the applicant's visa fee, surcharge and dependants' costs is a matter of contract, so confirm it in writing before budgeting a move.
References
Reviewed for accuracy by Abdullah, Technical Content Specialist · Editorial policy
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