ILR Fees: £3,226 per Person and the Other Costs
Anyone applying from 8 April 2026 pays the standard ILR fees of £3,226, up from £3,029. With ILR, also called settlement or indefinite leave to remain, you can live permanently in the UK and work there without a further visa. A test or a faster decision may add to the main charge. Planning what to pay and when is easier if you check the settlement requirements early.
The Indefinite Leave to Remain Fee in 2026: How Much Will It Be?
For every person whose name appears on the application form, you must pay £3,226. A partner or child who applies with you pays £3,226 too, since family members get no discount.
Adults and children are charged the same fee on the Skilled Worker route and on all other routes. Send each form to the Home Office and pay the whole charge online at that time.
Faster Decisions, Tests, and Fingerprints
You generally need to book and pass the Life in the UK Test first; it costs £50 and booking must happen at least three days ahead. An English test may also be needed, but your fingerprints and photo are taken at no cost.
These faster services are open to a limited number of people, but you can pay more for a quicker decision.
- Priority service: £500 extra. A settlement decision then usually comes within 30 working days, says the faster decision guide.
- Super priority service: £1,000 extra, for anyone who would rather not wait for standard processing times.
| Item or Service | Cost per Person | Key Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Main settlement application | £3,226 | £3,029 before 8 April 2026 |
| Fingerprints and photo | £0 | No charge at your appointment |
| Life in the UK Test | £50 | Book at least 3 days ahead |
| Priority service | £500 | Usually 30 working days for settlement |
| Super priority service | £1,000 | You get your answer before the next working day ends. |
| Administrative review | £80 | Used if your application is refused |
| British citizenship | £1,839 | £1,709 fee plus a £130 ceremony |
Settlement and the Immigration Health Surcharge
For a UK application to remain permanently, the healthcare charge you pay is £0. Temporary visa holders pay this fee to use the National Health Service.
You owe the surcharge only when the Home Office refuses settlement and grants you limited leave instead. Temporary permission to stay in the UK, not permanent residence, is what limited leave gives you.
No IHS Calculator Needed for Permanent Residence
Since settlement applications carry no healthcare charge, there is no health fee to work out before you apply. For an adult, the surcharge is £1,035 per year of temporary permission, and a child under 18 is charged £776 a year, when your application is refused and temporary leave is granted instead. An adult pays £3,105 for three years.
What You Pay After Settlement or a Refusal
You can ask for an administrative review at a cost of £80 if a refusal happens and you believe the Home Office got something wrong. An official check of a refusal, to find whether an error occurred, is an administrative review.
Applying later for British citizenship costs £1,839: a £1,709 fee plus a £130 ceremony.