How much does ILR cost? A clear guide to indefinite leave to remain fees
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) costs over £3,000 per person in Home Office application fees alone, and the real total is usually higher once you add the things that come with it. The good news is that the costs are predictable and easy to plan for once you know what falls into each bucket.
This guide breaks ILR costs into three groups: the core Home Office fee, optional speed services, and the hidden extras most people forget. We finish with a rough worked example for a family, so you can see how it adds up.
- The main ILR application fee is over £3,000 per person and changes over time — check the current figure on GOV.UK.
- The Immigration Health Surcharge is generally not payable when you apply for ILR.
- Biometrics are free; optional priority is +£500 and super priority is +£1,000 per person.
- The Life in the UK test costs £50, and you may also pay for an English test, translations and legal help.
The core cost: the Home Office application fee
The biggest single cost is the Home Office application fee for settlement. As of June 2026 this sits above £3,000 per person, and it applies to each applicant individually — there is no family discount and no reduced rate for children applying for ILR in their own right.
We are deliberately not quoting an exact figure here, because the fee is reviewed and increased fairly often. The only reliable source is GOV.UK.
Immigration fees change regularly and usually go up, not down. Before you budget or apply, always check the current ILR fee on the official GOV.UK visa fees page. Treat any specific number you read elsewhere — including older blog posts — as out of date until you have confirmed it.
What you do not pay
Two things often surprise people in a good way. First, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is generally not charged at the ILR stage, because settlement is not time-limited leave — you typically only paid the surcharge on your earlier visas. Second, giving your biometrics is free, though some appointment centres charge for premium or out-of-hours slots.
Optional services: paying for speed
Standard ILR decisions can take up to six months, so the Home Office offers paid services to speed things up where they are available for your route:
- Priority service — +£500 per person. Targets a decision within five working days.
- Super priority service — +£1,000 per person. Targets a decision by the end of the next working day.
These are entirely optional. They only change the speed of the decision, not the outcome, and slots can sell out quickly. If processing time matters to you, our guide to how long ILR takes on a spouse visa explains realistic timelines.
Dependants and family applications
Each family member who applies for ILR pays the full per-person application fee — there is no bulk rate. If you choose priority or super priority, that add-on is also charged per person. A couple applying together therefore pays roughly double the single-person total before extras.
Fee waivers do exist in the immigration system, but they are limited and rarely available for ILR. They are aimed mainly at people who genuinely cannot afford the fee on certain human-rights routes. Do not assume you qualify — check the eligibility rules on GOV.UK before relying on a waiver.
Hidden and extra costs to budget for
The fees above are only part of the picture. Plan for these too:
- Life in the UK test — £50. Most ILR applicants must pass this, and it is £50 each time you sit it. Free practice on britpass.app can help you avoid paying twice.
- English language test — varies. If you have not already met the requirement, an approved test costs roughly £150.
- Document translation. Certified translations of foreign documents are charged per page.
- Legal fees. Using an immigration solicitor is optional but common for complex cases, and can run from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds.
A rough worked example for a family
Imagine two adults applying for ILR together, with no priority service. The two Home Office fees alone are over £6,000. Add two Life in the UK tests at £50 (£100), one English test (around £150), and certified translations (say £100). That brings the total comfortably past £6,000–£6,500, before any legal help. Choose super priority for both and you would add £2,000 more.
The figures will shift as fees change, but the structure stays the same: a large per-person Home Office fee, optional speed, and a handful of smaller extras.
Before you apply, confirm you are eligible and which form you need — our guide to which ILR form to use on a Skilled Worker visa is a good starting point, alongside the ILR guide.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — always check the current position on GOV.UK before you apply.