UK increases visa, residency and citizenship fees ahead of April deadline

The UK Home Office has announced radical increases in fees for visa, residency and citizenship applications, with the new fees coming into force from 8 April 2026, in a move that will directly impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to enter the UK.

The revised fee structure, published by the Home Office, shows that almost all categories of applications, from short-term visit visas to permanent residency and naturalisation, will increase or remain unchanged, with only one reduction recorded.

Under the new regime, the cost of a standard visa for short-term visits, up to six months, will increase from £127 to £135.

Long-term visit visas will also see increases, with the two-year visa rising from £475 to £506, the five-year visa from £848 to £903 and the 10-year visa from £1,059 to £1,128.

Transit visas are not exempt, as airport-side direct transit visas increase from £39 to £41.50, while landside transit visas increase from £70 to £74.50.

The adjustments come at a time when Nigeria remains a major source of UK visa applicants, with significant numbers applying each year for tourism, education and work opportunities.

Students and potential migrants will also face higher costs, as the student visa fee has been increased from £524 to £558, with the same increase applied to visas for under-age students.

Short-term English language study visas will now cost £228, up from £214.

For workers, the widely used skilled worker visa will rise from £769 to £819 for stays of up to three years and from £1,519 to £1,618 for longer periods.

Read also: Visa fee for UK visitors increases to N249,000, other changes

Applicants in the Immigration Salary List category will also see increases in both the short- and long-term bands.

Health and welfare visas, often used by Nigerian medical professionals, will rise modestly, from £304 to £324 for up to three years and from £590 to £628 for longer stays.

Other work routes, including Founder Innovator, Start-up, Scale-up and Graduate visas, will also see upward adjustments, while the High Potential Individual visa will remain unchanged at £880.

The cost of liquidation claims has also increased significantly. The settlement route will now cost £2,064, up from £1,938, while indefinite leave to remain, commonly referred to as permanent residency, will rise from £3,029 to £3,226.

Dependent relatives applying under the settlement arrangements will pay up to £3,635, up from £3,413 previously.

Domestic applications, such as visitor extensions and other categories of residence permits, have also been revised upwards.

For nationality and citizenship processes, the fee for naturalizing as a British citizen has been increased from £1,605 to £1,709.

Registering an adult as a British citizen will now cost £1,540, up from £1,446.

However, in a rare deviation from the general upward trend, the cost of registering a child as a British citizen has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000, a decrease of £214.

Other nationality-related services, including waivers, status letters and nationality reviews, also saw moderate increases.

Observers say rising costs could put further financial pressure on families seeking education opportunities, professionals seeking work abroad and individuals aiming for long-term accommodation. [BusinessDay]

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