TL;DR
UK Family visa costs in 2026 vary by route. Spouse / Parent / Child: £1,938 from outside UK plus £1,035/year IHS — first 2y9m total ~£4,800. Adult Dependent Relative: £3,250 with no IHS, settlement granted immediately. Family of four on the standard 5-year route to ILR: roughly £35,000-£40,000 total.
Application fees by Family route
| Route | Outside UK fee | Inside UK fee |
|---|---|---|
| Partner / Spouse | £1,938 | £1,321 |
| Parent of British / Settled Child | £1,938 | £1,321 |
| Child of settled parent | £1,938 | £1,321 |
| Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) | £3,250 | n/a (overseas only) |
| Bereaved Partner | n/a | £3,029 |
| Family extension (FLR-M) | n/a | £1,321 |
| Family ILR (SET-M) | n/a | £3,029 |
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
IHS applies to most family routes (not ADR — settled status is granted immediately):
- £1,035 per year for adults
- £776 per year for under-18s
For Spouse / Partner / Parent / Child routes:
- 2 years 9 months initial: £2,846 IHS
- 2.5-year extension: £2,588 IHS
- ILR: no IHS (settled status grants NHS access)
Other costs
- Biometrics: £100 per person
- Priority Service: £500 (or part of overall package)
- Super-Priority Service: £1,000
- English language tests (A1 entry, A2 extension, B1 ILR): £150-£200 each = £500+ total
- TB test (if from listed country): £75-£150
- Police clearance certificates (some routes): £25-£100 per country
- Translations (marriage, birth, divorce certs): £20-£60 each
- Life in the UK test (for ILR): £50
Worked examples
Example 1 — Spouse (initial 2y9m, single applicant from outside UK)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Visa fee | £1,938 |
| IHS (£1,035 × 2.75) | £2,846 |
| Biometrics | £100 |
| English A1 + TB test | £250 |
| Total | ~£5,100 |
Example 2 — Spouse with one child (initial 2y9m from outside UK)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Spouse visa | £1,938 |
| Child visa | £1,938 |
| Spouse IHS | £2,846 |
| Child IHS (£776 × 2.75) | £2,134 |
| Biometrics × 2 | £200 |
| English + TB tests | £300 |
| Total | ~£9,400 |
Example 3 — Adult Dependent Relative
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| ADR visa fee | £3,250 |
| Biometrics | £100 |
| Medical evidence and documentation costs | £500-£2,000 |
| TB test (if applicable) | £100 |
| Translations of medical reports | £100-£500 |
| Total | ~£4,000-£6,000 |
Example 4 — Full 5-year Spouse journey to ILR (single applicant)
| Stage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial 2y9m visa + IHS | £5,100 |
| 2.5-year extension visa + IHS | £4,000 |
| ILR application + tests | £3,200 |
| Total over 5 years | ~£12,300 |
For a couple's 5-year journey, double those figures (~£24,000-£28,000).
Example 5 — Family of four 5-year Spouse journey
| Stage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial 2y9m for 4 family members | ~£10,000 |
| Extension for 4 | ~£7,500 |
| ILR for 4 (Life in UK tests + fees) | ~£12,500 |
| Total over 5 years | ~£30,000 |
Plus tests and translations: budget £35,000-£40,000 total.
10-year Family route costs
If you can't meet the £29,000 financial requirement but qualify for the 10-year route (typically with British child or Article 8 family-life claim):
- Same per-application fees as above
- More applications across longer journey (4 instead of 3 — initial + 3 extensions + ILR at year 10)
- More years of IHS (10 vs 5)
- Total: roughly £15,000-£18,000 per applicant over 10 years
Hidden costs
English language test progression
You need three different SELT levels: A1 entry, A2 extension, B1 ILR. Each test £150-£200; plan for £500+ in tests over the journey. Some applicants are exempt (English-medium degree, majority-English-country passport).
Life in the UK test
Required for ILR. £50 per attempt; ~25% fail rate. Plan for 1-2 attempts.
Translations and apostille
Marriage certificates, birth certificates, divorce decrees from non-English countries need certified translation (£20-£60). Some need apostille (£35-£75 per document) on top.
Court order fees for child arrangements
For Parent of British Child route, contact orders or specific issue orders from family court can cost £200-£500 per order if you don't already have them.
Specialist medical evidence for ADR
Adult Dependent Relative applications require detailed medical evidence — independent medical reports (£500-£2,000), country care assessments, sometimes notarised translator statements.
Who pays
- British / settled sponsor typically pays for first applications when the applicant has no UK earnings
- Joint payment common in established marriages where both partners have means
- Employer payment rare for Family routes (unlike Skilled Worker)
- ADR fees usually paid by the UK-resident sponsoring family member
UKVI doesn't care who pays — only that the fees are paid in full.
How to budget
- Set aside the full 5-year cost upfront when planning
- Build a buffer for currency fluctuations if paying from overseas
- Factor in Life in the UK test attempts
- Don't book travel until visa is granted
- Plan for translation and apostille costs early
For preparing the supporting documents:
- Checklist generator — personalised list
- Bundler — assemble in canonical UKVI order
- Compressor — fit upload limits
Sources
Common questions
- 01
How much do UK Family visas cost in 2026?
Spouse, Parent, Child routes: £1,938 from outside the UK plus £1,035/year IHS — first 2y9m grant is roughly £4,800 total. Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) is more expensive upfront at £3,250 but grants ILR immediately, with no IHS. Family-of-four: ~£15,000-£20,000.
- 02
Why is ADR more expensive but with no IHS?
The Adult Dependent Relative route is restricted and the upfront fee reflects the higher application complexity and the immediate grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement). Settled status grants NHS access automatically — no IHS needed.
- 03
Can I split fees between family members?
Yes — fees can be paid by any combination of applicants and sponsors. The fee structure stays the same regardless of who pays. Most applications have one financial sponsor (typically the British/settled partner) covering the full fees.
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