Olayiwola Matthew
The United Kingdom is set to significantly raise visa fees in 2025, a move that will impact travelers, students, and workers seeking to visit, study, or work in the country.
The fee hikes were announced in a report published on the official UK government website
The changes will take effect starting April 9, 2025, with additional price increases for travelers from visa-exempt countries who require an Electronic Travel Authorisation.
The new ETA fees will apply beginning April 2, 2025.
The cost of a Standard Visitor Visa, which is valid for up to six months, will increase by 10 percent, from £115 to £127.
Fees for longer-term visitor visas will see even steeper hikes, with the two-year visa rising from £432 to £475, the five-year visa climbing from £771 to £848, and the ten-year visa increasing from £963 to £1,059.
In addition to visitor visas, the ETA fee, which currently costs $12, will increase by 60 percent, reaching $20 from April 2, 2025.
This change will affect travelers from countries that do not require a visa but still need ETA approval before traveling to the UK.
Students also face higher visa fees, adding to their financial burden. The standard Student Visa fee, applicable to both main applicants and their dependants, will rise from £490 to £524.
The same fee will apply to Child Student Visa applications, while those applying for short-term English language courses (lasting six to eleven months) will pay £214, up from the current £200.
Work visa categories will also experience significant fee increases. The Health and Care Worker Visa will rise by 28.2 percent, from £367 to £470.
The Skilled Worker Visa for those in shortage occupations will increase by 26.3 percent, to £470.
Entrepreneurs applying for the Innovator Founder Visa will face a new fee of £1,274, up from £1,191, while the Start-up Visa will now cost £465, an increase from £435.
In December 2024, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, noted that Nigeria has been a major beneficiary of the UK’s visa policies.
“In the last couple of years, the UK has granted around 300,000 new visas to Nigerians, which far exceeds any other visa relationship Nigeria has with any other country,” he said.