UK Lifts Visa Fees Again as ETA and Sponsorship Costs Move Higher

The UK will raise immigration and nationality fees on April 8, 2026, under updated Home Office rules published in March.

The changes affect visitor visas, student visas, work visas, settlement applications, citizenship-related fees, and employer sponsor licences. They also include the Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, which many travelers now need before boarding for the UK.

UK raises fees across different routes

Several common travel and immigration routes will become more expensive.

• The ETA will rise from £16 ($21) to £20 ($27).
• A six-month visitor visa will increase from £127 ($171) to £135 ($181).
• A student visa will go from £524 ($704) to £558 ($749).

Skilled Worker visa fees will also rise, including the main categories used by employers bringing staff into the country.

Inbound demand remains strong

The UK is still expecting strong inbound demand. VisitBritain forecasts 45.5 million inbound visits in 2026, with spending reaching GBP 35.7 billion ($47.9 billion).

Employers and students will feel more pressure

International students already face high tuition and living costs, so another visa increase adds pressure at the start of the journey. Employers sponsoring overseas staff will also pay more. A large Worker Sponsor Licence will rise from GBP 1,579 ($2,120) to GBP 1,682 ($2,259), while the small sponsor fee will increase from GBP 574 ($771) to GBP 611 ($820).

Settlement routes are becoming more expensive too. Indefinite leave to remain will rise from GBP 3,029 ($4,067) to GBP 3,226 ($4,332), and citizenship-related fees are also increasing.

Higher entry fees reflect a wider global shift

The UK’s move also fits a broader pattern already seen in other markets, where governments are asking travelers and applicants to absorb more of the cost of border and immigration systems. Earlier, the US also moved in the same direction by raising several travel-related entry charges, including its ESTA fee, showing how higher access costs are becoming part of a wider policy shift rather than a UK-only decision.

Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash