The United Kingdom government will increase fees for a wide range of visas, residency applications, and citizenship processes from 8 April 2026. This hike affects Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work, or settle in the country.
The revised fee schedule, published by the UK Home Office, shows increases across virtually all categories. These changes apply to applications made both inside and outside the UK. Affected categories span visit visas, student visas, work visas, settlement applications, and naturalisation fees.
Impact on Nigerian Applicants
The increases take effect in less than two weeks. This comes as Nigeria remains one of the largest sources of visa applicants to the UK. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians apply for visit, student, and work visas.
The short-term visit visa rises from £127 to £135, while the student visa increases from £524 to £558. Nigerians seeking permanent residency will pay £3,226, up from £3,029. Those applying to naturalise as British citizens will pay £1,709, up from £1,605.
Key Exceptions and Reductions
In a rare exception to the broad pattern of increases, the fee for registering a child as a British citizen is being reduced. This fee drops from £1,214 to £1,000, a cut of £214. All other fees either rise or remain unchanged. Some categories, including the Tier 1 (Investor) visa and the High Potential Individual visa, are unchanged at £2,000 and £880 respectively.
Full List of New UK Visa Fees
Here is the full list of UK visa and immigration fees relevant to Nigerians:
Visit Visas
-  Short-term (up to 6 months): Old: £127 | New: £135
-  Long-term (up to 2 years): Old: £475 | New: £506
-  Long-term (up to 5 years): Old: £848 | New: £903
-  Long-term (up to 10 years): Old: £1,059 | New: £1,128
-  Visiting academic (6–12 months): Old: £220 | New: £234
-  Private medical treatment (6–11 months): Old: £220 | New: £234
-  Direct airside transit visa: Old: £39 | New: £41.50
