| ETA for visits | £20 |
| Health surcharge | £1,035 a year, £776 for under-18s and students |
| Skilled Worker, 2 years | £2,889 including the surcharge (GOV.UK example) |
| Indefinite leave to remain | £3,226 per person |
| Naturalisation | £1,839 including the ceremony |
| As of | November 2026 |
Application fees by visa
Fees for an application from outside the UK, per person. Different amounts can apply inside the UK.
| Visa | Fee | Other costs |
|---|---|---|
| ETA (visits, including business) | £20 | no health surcharge |
| Standard Visitor visa (for nationals who need one) | £135 for up to 6 months | no health surcharge |
| Skilled Worker | £819 up to 3 years, £1,618 above | health surcharge, employer costs |
| Senior or Specialist Worker | £819 up to 3 years, £1,618 above | health surcharge, employer costs |
| UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker, Graduate Trainee | £340 | health surcharge, sponsor costs |
| Scale-up | £937 | health surcharge |
| Global Talent | £766 | health surcharge |
| High Potential Individual | £880 | £252 Ecctis, health surcharge |
| Innovator Founder | £1,357 | £1,000 endorsement, £500 per checkpoint, health surcharge |
| Family visa (partner, child) | £2,064 | health surcharge |
GOV.UK, as of November 2026
The health surcharge: the biggest item
Apply for a visa of more than six months and you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, upfront for the whole length of the visa. It is £1,035 a year for adults and £776 a year for children under 18, students and Youth Mobility visas. For a three-year visa that comes to £3,105 per adult.
No surcharge is due on visitor visas, the ETA or applications for indefinite leave to remain. If you hold an S1 form registered with the NHS Business Services Authority, you may be able to get a refund; that typically concerns pensioners and some posted workers from EU countries.
Worked examples for one person
| Case | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, 2 years | £819 visa plus 2 × £1,035 surcharge | £2,889, as in GOV.UK's own example |
| Skilled Worker, 3 years | £819 visa plus 3 × £1,035 surcharge | £3,924 |
| UK Expansion Worker, 1 year | £340 visa plus £1,035 surcharge | £1,375 |
| High Potential Individual, 2 years | £880 visa plus £252 Ecctis plus £2,070 surcharge | £3,202 |
| Global Talent, 5 years | £766 visa plus 5 × £1,035 surcharge | £5,941 |
Our arithmetic on the GOV.UK amounts, as of November 2026; excluding savings requirements and family members
What the employer pays
On sponsored visas the bigger bill often lands with the employer. The sponsor licence costs £611 for small companies and £1,682 for medium and large ones. Each certificate of sponsorship for a worker costs £525. On top of that, the Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker routes carry the Immigration Skills Charge: £480 for small and £1,320 for medium and large sponsors for the first twelve months, then half that for each further six months. The employer may not pass these costs on to the employee. Details on our sponsor licence page.
Proof of funds
On most work visas you must show £1,270 that has been in your account for 28 days, unless your employer confirms it will cover your first month. For family members add £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each further child. It is not a fee, but it is money you have to be able to show.
The road to a British passport
| Step | Cost |
|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain | £3,226 per person, no health surcharge |
| Life in the UK Test | £50 |
| Naturalisation | £1,709 application plus £130 ceremony, £1,839 in total |
| Registering a child with a British parent | £1,000 |
| British passport (adult, online in the UK) | £102 |
GOV.UK, as of November 2026
How long it takes
Most ETAs are decided within a day, and at the latest within three working days. Global Business Mobility work visas are usually decided in three weeks from outside the UK and eight weeks inside it. You can apply no earlier than three months before your start date. Before that, the employer needs its sponsor licence, which UKVI usually decides within eight weeks.
For indefinite leave to remain, £500 buys a decision in five working days and £1,000 an even faster one. Naturalisation is usually decided within six months.
The expensive mistakes
The fees are fixed; the expensive mistakes are not. A visa that ends after two years, a licence that gets downgraded, a health surcharge paid for years you never use. Which route suits you is covered in our guide to choosing the right visa; all the work visas are compared in our overview of UK work visas.
Frequently asked questions
What does a UK visa cost for an EU citizen?
For holidays and business trips, just the £20 ETA. To work, between £340 and £1,618 in fees depending on the visa, plus £1,035 health surcharge per year.
Do I have to pay the health surcharge in one go?
Yes, for the full length of the visa, when you apply.
Does my employer pay for my visa?
The licence, the certificate of sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge must be paid by the employer. The visa fee and the health surcharge it may cover, but does not have to.
What does it cost all the way to a British passport?
After the visa: £3,226 for indefinite leave to remain, £50 for the Life in the UK Test and £1,839 for naturalisation, per person.
Do I get the health surcharge back if I leave early?
No. It is refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn before a decision. If you leave the UK before the visa ends, or never come after it is granted, you get nothing back. So match the length of the visa to your plan.
Sources: GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA); GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor; GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa; GOV.UK: Senior or Specialist Worker visa; GOV.UK: UK Expansion Worker visa; GOV.UK: Scale-up Worker visa; GOV.UK: Global Talent visa; GOV.UK: High Potential Individual visa; GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visa; GOV.UK: Family visas; GOV.UK: Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application; GOV.UK: UK visa sponsorship for employers; GOV.UK: Indefinite leave to remain with a Skilled Worker visa; GOV.UK: Life in the UK Test; GOV.UK: Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain; GOV.UK: Apply for citizenship if you have a British parent; GOV.UK: Renew or replace your adult passport
