The UK raises visa fees: how much will you now pay?

The UK Home Office has announced an increase in consular fees for a number of visa categories, including student, visitor, and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permits. The new rates take effect on 9 April 2025. The size of the increase varies depending on the visa type, with student and visitor documents affected most noticeably.

The cost of a student visa (for both the main applicant and accompanying relatives) will rise by 7% — from the current £490 to £524. The same amount applies to the Child Student category. As a reminder, a major increase already took place in October 2023, when the student visa fee rose by more than a third.

For short-term study visas issued for English language courses lasting six to 11 months, fees will rise from £200 to £214 (a 7% increase). A six-month visitor visa will become 10% more expensive: the new fee will be £127, up from £115. Long-term visit visas for two, five, and ten years will also increase in price, to £475, £848, and £1,059 respectively. Meanwhile, the fee for direct airside transit will rise to £39, and for landside transit, to £70.

The cost of the ETA — the electronic authorisation required for citizens of countries that typically do not need a visa to travel to the UK — will also increase. It will now cost £16, a 60% rise on the previous fee. British authorities had already flagged this back in January, and in spring 2025 this requirement is set to extend to EU citizens as well (due to take effect on 2 April 2025).

Emma English, Chief Executive of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), voiced concern about the impact of these changes. According to her, the shift to requiring passports instead of ID cards for international school groups has already led to a decline in the number of trips. The additional ETA fee increase creates new obstacles and further complicates the industry's work. English notes that young travellers matter not just for revenue, but as the foundation of long-term cross-cultural ties.

The changes will also affect work categories. For example, a Skilled Worker visa valid for up to three years will now cost £769 (up from £719), and for terms longer than three years, £1,519 (previously £1,420). The fee for an Innovator Founder visa will rise to £1,274, £83 more than the current rate. The Tier 1 Investor permit will increase by £116, reaching £2,000.

Fees for a number of immigration scenarios are also being revised. For instance, applying for family reunification under the Settlement route will now cost £3,413 (up from £3,250), while Indefinite Leave to Enter, issued for members of the British Armed Forces, will cost £3,029 instead of £2,885. Meanwhile, fees for expedited services — priority and super priority processing — will remain unchanged for now, at £500 and £1,000 respectively.

Below is a summary table of the changes:

Prospective tourists, students, and work visa applicants should therefore factor in these increased costs in advance and plan their applications with the new requirements in mind.