Planning a trip to UK? Visa fees set to rise from April 2025 – details inside
Here’s what tourists, students and workers from UAE and across the world must know
DUBAI: The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced an increase in visa fees across multiple categories, effective from April 9, 2025.
Travellers, students, and workers applying for UK visas will see a rise in costs as part of the government’s efforts to ensure financial sustainability in its migration and border system. The changes also include a significant hike in employer sponsorship fees.
According to the UK Home Office, the new visa pricing structure is designed to reduce taxpayer burden and move towards full cost recovery for immigration services. While most visa categories will see an increase of between 5 and 10 percent, sponsorship fees for employers hiring overseas workers will see a much steeper rise.
UK Visit Visa fees
For short-term visitors, the six-month visit visa fee will increase from £115 to £127, marking a £12 hike. Those applying for long-term visit visas will also pay more:
- Two-year visit visa: £475 (up from £432)
- Five-year visit visa: £848 (up from £771)
- Ten-year visit visa: £1,059 (up from £963)
In addition, the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), required for visa-exempt travellers, will rise from £10 to £16. This change follows an earlier rollout phase in 2023, with the fee increase expected to generate approximately £128.2 million in additional revenue by 2025-2026.
UK Work Visa costs
Workers applying for UK visas will also face higher charges. The Skilled Worker visa fee will increase across different categories:
- Up to three years (applied outside the UK): £769 (up from £719)
- Up to five years (applied outside the UK): £1,519 (up from £1,420)
- Up to three years (applied within the UK): £885 (up from £827)
- Up to five years (applied within the UK): £1,751 (up from £1,636)
For roles on the Shortage Occupation List, the visa cost will rise by 26.3 percent to £470. The Innovator Founder visa, intended for entrepreneurs establishing businesses in the UK, will increase from £1,486 to £1,590.
Employers hiring foreign workers will also see higher sponsorship costs. The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee for Skilled Worker applicants will more than double from £239 to £525. Meanwhile, Worker Certificates of Sponsorship will increase by 120 percent to £525 from the previous £239.
UK Student Visa fees
International students planning to study in the UK will also need to budget for increased fees.
The standard Student visa fee will increase from £490 to £524. Child Student visa applicants will pay the same amount.
Short-term study visas, which apply to English language courses lasting between six and 11 months, will rise from £200 to £214.
For medium and large businesses applying for a sponsor licence to hire overseas employees, the fee will increase from £1,476 to £1,579.
Nationality Application costs
The cost of naturalisation as a British citizen is set to rise from £1,500 to £1,605. For adults applying for British citizenship registration, the fee will increase from £1,351 to £1,446.
Despite these increases, certain premium services will remain unchanged. The Priority Visa service for settlement applications (£500) and the Super Priority Visa service (£1,000) will continue at their current prices.
Impact on UAE travellers
The UK remains a popular destination for UAE residents, including both citizens and expatriates. The new visa fee changes will affect tourists, students, and business travellers from the region, with many expected to pay higher application costs. Emiratis, however, benefit from the ETA scheme, which allows multiple UK visits over two years for a single fee—now set to rise from £10 to £16.
According to VisitBritain, the UK is projected to welcome 43.4 million international visitors in 2025, a five percent increase from 2024. International visitor spending is also expected to rise by seven percent, reaching £33.7 billion.
These changes signal a shift towards ensuring that applicants, rather than UK taxpayers, contribute more to the costs of visa processing, border control, and immigration enforcement.