UK raises student visa fee to GBP 558, revises charges across categories

Student visa sees £34 hike, with increases across work and visitor visas adding to costs for Indians heading to the UK.

Studying or working in the United Kingdom (UK) has become more expensive, as the UK government has revised visa fees across several categories. The new charges came into effect on April 8, 2026, impacting key routes used by Indian applicants including visit, study, and work visas.

The revised fee structure shows a consistent increase across short-term and long-term visas, with higher costs for both students and skilled professionals applying to the UK.

What has changed?

According to the updated fee schedule released by the UK Home Office, visa charges have been increased across all categories, including visit visas, student visas, and skilled worker visas.

While the hike varies depending on the visa type and duration, most commonly used categories for Indian applicants have seen moderate, but noticeable increases.

Impact on students

The student visa fee has increased from GBP 524 to GBP 558, marking a GBP 34 rise.

While the hike may seem modest, it adds to the overall cost of studying in the UK, which already includes tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses. For many Indian students, this means slightly higher upfront costs when planning higher education abroad.

However, the UK Embassy in India has clarified that there is no upper cap on the number of visa applications, and it will continue to issue the majority of visas within a service standard of three weeks.

Impact on working professionals

For skilled workers, the visa fee for roles up to three years has gone up from GBP 769 to GBP 819.

This increase affects professionals moving to the UK under employer-sponsored roles, especially in sectors like IT, healthcare, and finance, where Indian applicants form a significant share.

Even short-term travel to the UK will now be more expensive. The standard six-month visit visa has been increased by GBP 8, while long-term visit visas (2, 5, and 10 years) have seen hikes ranging from GBP 31 to GBP 69.

The latest revision reflects a broader tightening of immigration costs in the UK, with incremental hikes across categories rather than sharp increases in a single segment.

Interested persons can access the full list of visa revision across all categories at the official website, gov.uk.