The application fee is only part of the cost of a UK spouse visa. For many couples, the larger payment is the Immigration Health Surcharge. Add children, evidence costs and any optional services, and a budget based on one headline figure can quickly fall short.
For a standard adult application, the current application fee and health surcharge together come to £5,169 from outside the UK, or £3,994.50 for a 30-month application inside the UK. These are core government charges, before other costs and subject to any applicable exemption or fee waiver.
Our view is that a useful budget should answer three questions: what must you pay, what depends on your circumstances, and what are you choosing to buy?
Start with the correct application and grant length
The figures below were checked on 15 October 2026 against the Home Office fee schedule and family visa guidance. They assume an adult applicant paying the ordinary charges.
| Application | Application fee | Immigration Health Surcharge | Core total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse application outside the UK, standard 33-month grant | £2,064 | £3,105 | £5,169 |
| Partner application inside the UK, standard 30-month grant | £1,407 | £2,587.50 | £3,994.50 |
The in-country figure can apply to an eligible switch or extension. The lower fee does not mean every applicant can choose to apply inside the UK; eligibility for that application must be established separately.
Use these sterling figures for planning, then check the actual amount and payment currency shown when applying. Allow for any charges imposed by your bank or card provider.
Our Spouse Visa service explains the route and the issues that need assessing before an application is prepared.
Understand why the health surcharge changes the total
The ordinary adult Immigration Health Surcharge, usually called the IHS, is £1,035 per year. Applicants under 18 at the date of application pay £776 per year. The amount depends on the period of permission, with charging rules for parts of a year.
For the standard overseas spouse grant of two years and nine months, the adult charge is £3,105. It is not calculated by multiplying £1,035 by exactly 2.75. For a standard two-and-a-half-year partner grant inside the UK, it is £2,587.50.
The IHS is paid during the application process, followed by completion of the application and payment of the application fee. Plan for the required surcharge upfront rather than assuming it is an annual bill.
A fiancé application needs a different budget. There is no IHS for an overseas visa of six months or less, but the later application for partner permission in the UK brings its own application fee and surcharge. Our Fiancé Visa service explains that sequence.
Count every family member who needs an application
Children do not simply fit within the adult applicant’s payment. Each child who needs a family visa application attracts a separate application fee, although the under-18 IHS rate is lower.
Consider this hypothetical family: one adult spouse and two children, both under 18 when applying, seeking standard 33-month grants from overseas. Assume all three need visas and none qualifies for a fee waiver or exemption.
| Applicant | Application fee | IHS | Core total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult spouse | £2,064 | £3,105 | £5,169 |
| First child | £2,064 | £2,328 | £4,392 |
| Second child | £2,064 | £2,328 | £4,392 |
| Family total | £6,192 | £7,761 | £13,953 |
This is our calculation using the published rates. It excludes priority services, appointments, tests, translations, professional advice and travel.
Before multiplying the figures, check each child’s nationality, existing status and need for permission. Record their age at the intended application date and the grant length being sought. A family budget should follow the applications actually required.
Separate essential evidence costs from optional extras
Government charges are comparatively straightforward to list. Other costs depend on the evidence you need and how you arrange the application.
Some applicants need an approved English language test or an assessment of an overseas degree. Some overseas applicants need a TB certificate. Translations may be needed for supporting documents. These costs should follow an evidence assessment, rather than a generic shopping list.
Use these three headings in your working budget:
| Mandatory charges, unless exempt or waived | Conditional costs | Optional costs |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee and the applicable IHS | Required tests, degree assessment, translations and necessary appointment travel | Available priority services, paid appointment upgrades, document scanning, courier services and professional assistance |
Check the appointment provider’s actual options before adding a package. A convenient appointment time or scanning service may be worth paying for, but identify what it provides and whether you need it. Avoid treating a premium appointment package as part of the Home Office application fee.
Keep evidence costs realistic. If you need several documents translated, obtain a quote for that set. If a test involves travel, include the journey as well as the test price.
Treat priority as a separate spending decision
For an overseas spouse application, the priority service costs an additional £500 per applicant, where available. For eligible family applications inside the UK, the published option is super priority at £1,000 per applicant, subject to availability. Do not assume the £500 service offered on other routes is available for an in-country spouse application.
For the hypothetical overseas family above, purchasing £500 priority for all three applicants would add £1,500, taking the government-charge budget to £15,453 before other costs.
Paying for priority does not change the eligibility requirements. Further checks or requests for evidence can still affect the decision time. Confirm what is offered for the actual application before committing the money.
The spending decision should follow the family’s circumstances. Ask what a faster decision would help you achieve and whether that benefit justifies the additional charge.
Compare professional fees by what the work includes
Professional fees are separate from Home Office charges. A consultation, a review of an application you have prepared, and representation through the application are different services.
Ask for a written scope and fee. Establish whether the quote covers one applicant or the family, whether VAT applies, which stages are included and what would trigger additional charges. Check whether third-party costs are included or paid separately.
A useful comparison is the price for the work your case needs. Two quotes with different responsibilities cannot be compared fairly by looking only at the final number. Nor should a quoted professional fee be mistaken for the complete cost of obtaining permission.
Know which payments may be refunded
The application fee and the IHS have different refund rules.
If the Home Office considers and refuses an application, the application fee is normally retained. The IHS is refunded following refusal, although the timing can be affected by an appeal or administrative review. Cancellation and withdrawal also have their own rules.
Keep a payment record showing the applicant, amount, reference and card or account used. If someone else pays the IHS, any refund normally goes back to the original payer. That matters where relatives are helping fund the application.
Do not build a new application budget around an expected refund arriving on a particular date until the position is clear.
If the charges are unaffordable, assess that before paying
A fee waiver may be available for certain eligible family and human rights applications where the affordability requirements are met. The assessment concerns the household’s actual finances and essential needs, supported by evidence. The fact that an application is expensive does not, by itself, establish eligibility.
In-country and overseas requests have different procedures. If paying would leave essential living costs unmet or affect a child’s needs, obtain advice before proceeding on the assumption that the full charges must be found immediately. For an in-country application, address this well before existing permission expires.
A successful fee-waiver request does not mean the visa application will succeed. The immigration requirements still need to be assessed.
Build a budget you can actually use
For each applicant, record the application fee, IHS, evidence costs, chosen extras and any professional fee. Alongside each amount, note who receives it and when it must be paid. Leave unresolved items visible until you have a reliable figure.
Keep future stages separate. An initial spouse grant does not pay for a later extension, settlement application or citizenship. Those stages need their own budgets using the fees and requirements in force at the time. Today’s figures are a planning reference, not a fixed price for the whole journey.
The aim is to reach submission with the required money available and a clear understanding of every payment. If you would like Knightsbridge to assess your route, the applications your family needs and the scope of professional support, Request a Case Assessment.
