UK Work Visa Cost from India: Total Fees in Rupees for 2026

The cost shock hits most Indian applicants at the payment screen. You've secured your Certificate of Sponsorship, lined up your documents — and then you see the total. For a professional moving solo, the upfront payment to the UK government alone runs over £4,000. For a family of four, it can exceed £14,000. Understanding every component before you apply is not optional — it directly affects how much cash you need to have ready.

The Three Core Cost Components

Every UK Skilled Worker visa application from India involves the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS); VFS charges or optional services may also apply. These are paid during the GOV.UK/VFS application process. The visa application fee and optional priority or service charges are not generally refundable if an application is refused; IHS refund treatment is separate.

1. Visa Application Fee

The main visa fee for a Skilled Worker visa (outside the UK) depends on your visa duration:

Health and Care Worker visa applicants pay a reduced fee: £324 for up to 3 years, £628 for over 3 years. Indian doctors and nurses sponsored by the NHS or registered UK healthcare providers should always check whether their SOC code qualifies for this route — the savings are significant.

2. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The IHS is what catches most Indian applicants off-guard. It is charged per person, per year, upfront. As of 2026, the standard rate is £1,035 per adult per year and £776 per child per year.

This means a 5-year Skilled Worker visa for a single professional costs £5,175 in IHS alone — approximately ₹5.5 lakh using the illustrative basis of £1 = ₹106. For a couple, that is £10,350. For a family of two adults and two children on a 5-year visa, the IHS bill reaches £18,110.

There is a critical subtlety: the IHS is charged for every year or part of a year covered by the visa. A visa of "3 years and 1 day" triggers four full years of IHS payments, not three.

Eligible Health and Care Worker visa holders and eligible dependants are exempt from the IHS. Dependant eligibility is separate, particularly for care-worker roles. This exemption is one of the largest financial advantages of the healthcare route — a family of four saves nearly £18,000 over five years compared to the standard Skilled Worker route.

3. VFS Service Charges

VFS Global India may apply centre-specific service charges at biometrics. Additional services — some genuinely useful, some not — include:

Total Cost by Household Size (2026)

The table below shows approximate UK government costs for a 5-year Skilled Worker visa, before India-specific TB and VFS costs. Amounts use the illustrative basis of £1 = ₹106.

Note: Dependant children pay the reduced IHS rate of £776 per year.

India-Specific Additional Costs

Beyond the core UK government fees, Indian applicants face several additional expenses that no government webpage itemises in one place.

TB Test: Mandatory for all visa applications longer than six months. Costs range from ₹1,800 in smaller cities to ₹3,000 in Delhi or Mumbai at approved clinics. Children under 11 are examined but do not require the chest X-ray.

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC): Criminal-record evidence is conditional on the role or application. If it applies, a PCC from the Passport Seva system costs ₹750 under the current fee schedule; factor in travel time to a Passport Seva Kendra. If you lived in the UK for 12 or more months in the last 10 years, obtain an ACRO certificate when the applicable criminal-record requirement applies.

Ecctis English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison: If you want to use your Indian degree to prove English language proficiency rather than take an IELTS, you need this service. Cost: £210, with university verification as part of the process.

IELTS (if required): The UKVI-accepted IELTS test costs approximately ₹16,500 per attempt.

Translation and Notarisation: Any documents not in English — birth certificates for dependants, marriage certificates, PCC — need certified translation. Budget ₹500–₹2,000 per document depending on the provider.

What Is Not Included in These Figures

The costs above cover only the UK government-mandated and VFS service costs. They do not include:

• Flights and temporary accommodation in the UK while you find a flat
• UK bank account setup costs (though digital banks like Monzo are free to open)
• National Insurance application (free; you can start work before the NI number arrives)
• Potential Ecctis verification delays if your university is slow to respond

How to Prepare Your Budget

The safest approach is to calculate your total liability before you submit the online application. The official IHS calculator at the GOV.UK website lets you input your visa duration and household composition to get the exact IHS amount. Run this before you start the form so you have the cash ready — the payment gateway requires full payment in one session.

For the visa fee itself, the Home Office uses fixed fee bands regardless of exchange rate fluctuations. If you are paying in INR via VFS, the conversion applies at the point of payment. It is worth checking the prevailing rate in the week you plan to apply, as a ₹2–3 per pound swing on a £6,000 total payment is a meaningful difference.

The India → UK Skilled Worker Guide at immigrationstartguide.com/from-india/uk-skilled-worker/ includes a complete cost worksheet with INR conversions, broken down by household type and visa duration — built specifically so Indian applicants can present the full number to their families before committing to the process.

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