UK hikes visa fees, Indian applicants likely to feel the pinch
The cost of a short-term visit visa (up to 6 months) has been raised from £127 to £135, while longer-duration visit visas have also seen notable increases
The United Kingdom has increased visa fees across multiple categories, including visit, study, and work visas, with the revised charges coming into effect from April 8, a move expected to directly impact thousands of Indian applicants.
Under the new structure, the cost of a short-term visit visa (up to six months) has been raised from £127 to £135, while longer-duration visit visas have also seen notable increases. Fees for a two-year visa have gone up from £475 to £506, for a five-year visa from £848 to £903, and for a 10-year visa from £1,059 to £1,128.
The hike extends to key segments heavily used by Indians, with study visa fees rising from £524 to £558 and skilled worker visas (up to three years) increasing from £769 to £819.
India remains one of the largest sources of students and skilled professionals heading to the UK, and the increase is likely to add to the financial burden on applicants already grappling with currency fluctuations and high living costs abroad.
Explaining the revision, the British High Commission in India said the changes are part of efforts to build a more “streamlined, digital immigration system”, adding that the global increase in visa fees would help maintain a “strong, secure and efficient” service.
Despite the hike, the mission sought to reassure applicants that there is no cap on visa applications and that most are processed within standard timelines. “We continue to issue the majority of visas within our service standards of three weeks,” it said.
The revision comes at a time when demand for UK education and employment opportunities among Indians remains robust, even as rising costs could influence application decisions in the coming months.
