Fees planner · checked 3 October 2026
ILR fees 2026: £3,226 per applicant
The standard in-country ILR application fee is £3,226 for each applicant, including each dependant applying for settlement. Priority adds £500 each and super priority adds£1,000 each, when your route offers them. Use the calculator below to total your application and outstanding Life in the UK Test costs.
ILR does not require the Immigration Health Surcharge. Add any outstanding tests, evidence and optional appointment or advice costs separately. If an ILR application results in limited leave instead, GOV.UK says the surcharge must be paid before that leave is granted.
Cost table
| Item | Planning figure | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| ILR application | £3,226 each | Main applicant and each dependant making an ILR application. |
| Priority service | £500 extra each | Only when the form offers it. |
| Super priority | £1,000 extra each | Only when the form offers it. |
| Life in the UK Test | £50 per attempt | Where required, not already passed and not exempt. |
| English evidence | Variable | A SELT, degree evidence or another accepted route may be needed. |
| Private preparation | Variable | Translations, travel, scanning and optional advice. |
The figures are taken from the published table, but availability and policy can change. ILR is settlement rather than time-limited immigration permission, so it is not an Immigration Health Surcharge application. Still follow every charge shown in your own official checkout.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Calculation | Illustrative total |
|---|---|---|
| One applicant; standard; test already passed | £3,226 | £3,226 before private costs. |
| One applicant; priority; needs Life in the UK | £3,226 + £500 + £50 | £3,776 before English or private costs. |
| Two applicants; standard; one needs the test | (2 × £3,226) + £50 | £6,502 before other costs. |
These are arithmetic examples, not eligibility advice. Before multiplying the fee, establish whether each family member is eligible and applying now. A partner, child or other dependant may have a different qualifying period or route; paying early does not make someone eligible early.
ILR fee calculator
Enter people applying now and outstanding Life in the UK tests. Uses the published figures effective 8 April 2026: £3,226 ILR, £500 priority, £1,000 super priority and £50 per test. Recheck the official table before payment.
Faster services are not available for every route and do not guarantee a decision.
Route examples: identical price, different preparation
- Skilled Worker settlement: budget time for sponsor and employment evidence required under the current rules.
- Partner application on SET(M): the payment does not replace relationship, cohabitation or financial evidence.
- Long residence: a ten-year travel and immigration chronology can be the largest practical preparation task.
- BN(O) household: decide who applies in the same window before calculating the per-person fee.
Priority and super priority
GOV.UK describes priority as usually within five working days, and super priority as usually by the end of the next working day after a weekday identity appointment or document upload. A weekend or bank-holiday appointment or upload usually means two working days. The official faster-decision table shows that availability differs across SET(O), SET(M), long-residence, Innovator Founder and BN(O) routes, and can depend on how identity is proved. It is not a service you can assume will appear.
Faster handling does not buy eligibility, repair an evidence gap or guarantee a decision date. A case requiring extra checks can take longer. Do not pay an additional fee merely to submit incomplete evidence faster.
Costs people overlook
- A retake after failing or missing a Life in the UK Test booking.
- An approved English test, Ecctis assessment or replacement degree document.
- Certified translations and the matching original-language documents.
- Passport renewal, travel to a test centre or appointment, scanning and copying.
- Optional regulated legal advice for difficult absences, prior refusals or suitability issues.
- A later citizenship application: ILR does not include naturalisation or a British passport.
Before payment
- Confirm the route, qualifying date and every applicant included.
- Read the GOV.UK ILR overview, route form and current fee table.
- List only genuinely outstanding test and evidence costs; avoid duplicate evidence.
- Keep a contingency for practical expenses, without inventing a future government price.
- Read the live cancellation and refund wording before submitting payment.
Common money mistakes
- Using an old blog price: use the official row with its effective date.
- Assuming dependants are free: the fee table is per main applicant and dependant.
- Booking priority before checking the route: speed does not cure a missing requirement.
- Calling a fee refundable: the outcome depends on circumstances and processing status.
- Automatically adding IHS: distinguish settlement from a time-limited visa.
FAQ
Is £3,226 the official ILR fee?
It is the published standard in-country ILR figure effective from 8 April 2026. Confirm the live amount and any route instruction before paying.
Does each family member pay for priority?
Calculate a faster-service charge for each applicant using it, if the service is offered. Confirm the checkout arrangement rather than assuming one payment covers a family.
Can an employer pay?
That is an employment and contractual matter. It does not change the Home Office application charge or evidence requirements.
Processing times · Documents checklist · Life in the UK Test
Fees and guidance checked: . Sources: GOV.UK fees table, Life in the UK Test, healthcare surcharge and faster-decision guidance. General information, not legal advice.