The UK Home Office has officially announced a significant rise in visa fees across multiple categories, with the new pricing taking effect from April 9, 2025. The increase will affect a wide range of applicants—from tourists and students to skilled workers and dependents.

✈️ Visitor Visa Fees Are Going Up

For travelers heading to the UK for a short visit, fees for standard visitor visas will see a 10% increase. Here's what to expect:

• 6-month visitor visa: rising from UK£115 to UK£127

• 2-year long-term visit visa: jumping to UK£475

• 5-year visa: increasing to UK£848

• 10-year visa: now priced at UK£1059

Transit visa costs are also climbing:

• Direct airside transit visa: increasing to UK£39

• Landside transit visa: going up to UK£70

🌍 60% Hike in ETA Fees

One of the most dramatic changes is for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)—a document required for nationals from visa-exempt countries visiting the UK. The ETA fee will rise by 60%, from UK£10 to UK£16.

This comes just ahead of the ETA’s expansion to EU nationals starting April 2, 2025.

🗣️ Emma English, Executive Director of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), voiced concerns, especially for youth travel and school groups:

🎓 Student Visa and Work Visa Fees Also Affected

Those coming to the UK to study or work will also need to prepare for higher costs:

📘 Student Visas:

• Fee increases apply to both main applicants and dependents

• New fee: UK£524 (up from UK£490)

🧑‍💼 Work Visas:

• Skilled Worker Visa (up to 3 years): increasing from UK£719 to UK£769

• Skilled Worker Visa (over 3 years): going up from UK£1420 to UK£1519

• Innovator Founder Visa: rising by UK£83, now UK£1274

• Tier 1 Investor Visa: new cost UK£2000, up by UK£116

UK Visa fee change: Here's a quick look at the new structure, and how expensive it will become

🏠 Changes in Settlement Route Applications

Applicants for family and settlement visas aren’t spared either:

• Dependent Relative Settlement: fee rising from UK£3250 to UK£3413

• Indefinite Leave to Enter (HM Armed Forces): increasing to UK£3029

🚀 No Change in Premium Processing Fees

Despite these hikes, priority and super-priority visa services remain the same:

• Priority visa service: stays at UK£500

• Super-priority service: unchanged at UK£1000

💡 What It All Means

These updates reflect the UK government’s broader strategy to adjust immigration costs, shifting more of the financial burden to international applicants. While the hikes vary by category, the message is clear: visiting, studying, or working in the UK is about to become more expensive.

If you're planning a move—or even just a short trip—it’s smart to apply before April 9, 2025, to lock in the lower fees.