UK to Raise Visa, Residency, and Citizenship Fees Affecting Nigerians from April 2026
- 12 hours ago
- 1 min read
The United Kingdom is set to implement an across-the-board increase in fees for visas, residency applications, and citizenship processes starting April 8, 2026. The hike will impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work, or settle in the country.
New rates indicate that short-term visit visas will rise from £127 to £135, while student visas increase from £524 to £558. Permanent residency applications will cost £3,226, up from £3,029, and naturalisation fees for British citizenship will climb to £1,709 from £1,605.
Only the registration fee for children becoming British citizens will decrease, falling from £1,214 to £1,000. Certain visas, such as the Tier 1 Investor and High Potential Individual visas, remain unchanged at £2,000 and £880 respectively.
The adjustments cover all categories of visas, including work, study, settlement, and family applications, both for applicants inside and outside the UK. Nigerians remain among the largest groups applying for UK visas annually, making the fee changes particularly significant.
The Home Office has indicated that the revisions are intended to reflect administrative costs and immigration service improvements.
Short-term students taking English courses for over six months will now pay £228, up from £214, while skilled worker visas range from £819 to £1,618 depending on duration and category. Visitor extensions and leave-to-remain applications also see substantial increases.
The UK government maintains that these adjustments are necessary to sustain efficient processing services, although they have drawn criticism for increasing the financial burden on foreign nationals.
Applicants are advised to review the updated fee schedule before submitting applications to ensure compliance and avoid delays in processing.
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