UK Visa fee update: New rates for UK travelers!

The British government has declared an increase in the UK Visa fee. UK tourist visas for less than six months will now cost ₹1,543 (£15) more. Similarly, UK student visas will see a rise of ₹13,070 (£127) for travelers globally, including Indians.

UK visa fees hiked: The government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had decided to implement the hike on student visas and visitor or tourist visas from October 4. The British government had announced that UK tourist visas for less than six months would cost ₹1,543 (£15) more. UK student visas would be ₹13,070 (£127) more expensive for travelers worldwide, including Indians.

UK student tourist visa fees increased

The UK Home Office had previously indicated a 15% increase in the cost of most work and tourist visas in the UK and at least a 20% increase in the price of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship in the UK. The increase in fees applies to the following visa categories –

• Health and care visa
• Application for registration and naturalization as a British citizen
• Fees for visit visas for six months, two, five and 10 years
• This increase also applies to most fees for entry clearance and some applications for leave to remain in the UK
• Those for work and study
• Entry fee for indefinite leave and fee for indefinite leave
• Payments in respect of sponsorship certificate and confirmation of acceptance for study

How much students will pay now

The UK Home Office has informed that the fee for applying for a UK student visa from outside the UK will increase to ₹50,428 (£490).

How much tourist will pay now

The UK Home Office has informed that the changes mean that the cost of a UK visit visa for a stay of less than six months will increase to ₹11,835 (£115).

How much work visa people will pay now

As Freeth pointed out in an earlier Mint article, if you’re migrating to the UK with a skilled worker visa (where a certificate of sponsorship is issued for three years or less), you’ll need to pay ₹77,147 ( £718). Currently, the fee for this visa category is £625.

Why is the UK implementing a visa fee increase?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in July that fees and health surcharges paid by visa applicants to the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) would be increased to meet the country’s public sector pay rise. It will be increased significantly.

Visa application fees are set to witness a notable increase, which is expected to generate over £1 billion in revenue. This substantial rise in visa application fees, along with similar adjustments for IHS, is attributed to the fact that these charges haven’t seen recent increments. The rationale behind the UK visa fee hike is also due to the increased costs since the last revision.