How Much Are UK Residence Fees?
Written by: Marcus M. Araz, MBA, PhD · Updated:
The fees depend on the visa you choose, and buying a home does not on its own give residence. On the 8 April 2026 tariff, on the most common route, Skilled Worker, a five year visa is £1,618, the health surcharge £5,175 and the settlement application £3,226; about £10,019 in total for one person.
What the fee items are
There are four items and three of them are compulsory: the visa application fee, Health surcharge, at the end of the period the settlement fee, and optionally a priority fee. Everyone in the family pays their own fee and their own health surcharge separately; this is the point that surprises people most.
Visa application fees
The amounts below are for the main applicant. On the Skilled Worker route the spouse and each child pay the same fee as the main applicant.
| Route | From outside the UK | From inside the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, 3 years or less | £819 | £943 |
| Skilled Worker, over 3 years | £1,618 | £1,865 |
| Health and Care Worker, 3 years or less | £324 | £324 |
| Health and Care Worker, over 3 years | £628 | £628 |
| Innovator Founder | £1,357 | £1,693 |
| Spouse or partner, route to settlement | £2,064 | Varies by route |
On the Global Talent route the visa stage is £205, and £766 where no endorsement letter is required. Student and visitor visas are outside this page.
Health surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge is added on top of the visa fee and is paid up front for all the years at the time of application. £1,035 a year for an adult, £776 a year for under eighteens and students.
On a five year visa that means £5,175 per adult and £3,880 per child. For a family of two parents and one child it is £14,230 in a single item.
Settlement and citizenship
When the period is up, the settlement application is £3,226 per person. No health surcharge is paid at this stage. If you then want to move to citizenship, the adult application is £1,709 and the ceremony fee £130.
The total bill for the five year route
On the Skilled Worker route, assuming a single five year visa followed by settlement:
| Item | One person | With a spouse and one child |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee, 5 years | £1,618 | £4,854 |
| Health surcharge, 5 years | £5,175 | £14,230 |
| Settlement application | £3,226 | £9,678 |
| Total | £10,019 | £28,762 |
Citizenship is optional and outside this table. If you add it, another £1,839 per adult arises.
Priority services and the employer's side
If you want to speed the decision up, the priority service is £500 and the super priority service £1,000. On Skilled Worker there are fees on the employer's side too: the certificate of sponsorship is £525 and the immigration skills charge is £1,320 a year for a large employer and £480 a year for a small employer or charity. The skills charge belongs to the employer and cannot be passed on to the worker.
Buying a home creates no fee, and gives no visa either
None of the items on this page relate to buying property. You do not need a residence permit to buy a home in the UK; equally, buying a home does not give you one. The cost on the purchase side is made up of stamp duty and legal fees, an entirely separate subject. The detail is on our Does buying a home in the UK give a residence permit page.
Frequently asked questions
How much do UK residence fees come to in total? On the five year Skilled Worker route the visa, the health surcharge and settlement come to about £10,019 for one person.
What is the health surcharge and how much is it? A surcharge paid up front for access to the national health service: £1,035 a year for an adult, £776 a year for under eighteens and students.
How much is the settlement application? £3,226 per person. Everyone in the family pays separately.
How much is the citizenship application? £1,709 for an adult, plus a £130 ceremony fee.
Can I speed my application up? The priority service is £500 and the super priority service £1,000.
Will buying a home reduce the fees? No. Property ownership neither reduces the fees nor affects the assessment of the application.
Sources
The amounts are taken from the Home Office immigration and nationality fee table of 8 April 2026, the health surcharge from GOV.UK's own page, and the skills charge from the sponsorship page The fees are usually updated once a year; confirm the current tariff before applying.
An important notice
capital.works® is a property consultancy and does not provide immigration advice. Giving immigration advice and services in the United Kingdom is a regulated activity; only advisers authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) and solicitors registered with the SRA may provide it.
For a visa, residence or citizenship application we refer you to our authorised immigration solicitor, and it is essential that they run the visa process. On our side, capital.works® shapes the property and mortgage planning around it. You can check whether an adviser is authorised on the official register on GOV.UK .
The next step
Let us talk through which route suits you and how to structure the property side: Contact us. For a comparison of the routes see our How Do You Get a Residence Permit in the UK? page, and for the purchase cost our Total cost of buying a home in the UK page.