Reviewed 15 October 2026. As checked on 15 October 2026, the standard partner/parent/child family application fee is £2,064 outside the UK or £1,407 inside the UK, per applicant. The health surcharge and other costs are additional, and rates can change before payment.
The application fee is only one line in a household budget. There may be more than one applicant, different surcharge rates by age, document costs and a period when one partner cannot yet work. A useful budget shows the cash needed at each stage and which amounts remain available for living costs. Do not confuse a financial-evidence requirement with a fee that disappears at submission.
Separate paid, proved and reserved money
Use three columns. “Paid” includes application and service fees. “Proved” covers money or income relied on under the financial rules. “Reserved” is your private relocation and living-cost buffer. A balance cannot safely be treated as fully available for every purpose at the same time. Check the financial evidence implications before moving savings to cover fees.
The IHS is normally paid upfront for the relevant permission period and can differ between adults and under-18 s. For most adults the headline annual rate is £1,035; under-18 s generally use the reduced £776 rate. The official calculation determines the payable total, including part-year treatment. Do not calculate every family member’s surcharge using one adult figure.
Budget the actual sequence
For each person, list the route, application location, expected permission period, fee and surcharge estimate. A fiancé stage and later partner application create a different sequence from applying as a spouse. Include English evidence, TB screening where required, translations, certificate replacements and travel to appointments. Optional priority or application-centre services need a separate line so that a premium is not mistaken for a mandatory government charge.
Plan the next checkpoint now
A family route often involves another application before settlement. Current fees do not guarantee future fees, so use a labelled planning estimate and refresh it closer to the date. Keep a monthly savings target separate from the immigration income calculation. If paying the fee is not affordable, inspect the official fee-waiver information for the relevant circumstances rather than assuming a loan or rushed submission is the only option.
| Budget line | Treatment | Your evidence / quote |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Paid per person | Live official rate and date |
| IHS | Paid for permission period | Official calculation by applicant |
| Financial requirement | Evidence test | Relevant category and documents |
| Documents and appointments | Paid to issuer / provider | Actual quote, not guess |
| Relocation buffer | Private household reserve | Rent, deposit, travel and contingency |
Make the budget usable at the point of payment
For every line, record amount, currency, payer, due date and source. A fee checked months earlier should remain labelled an estimate until refreshed. If paying in a local currency, allow for the actual payment conversion and bank charges rather than presenting a sterling total as the exact debit. Keep receipts in the application archive and reconcile them with the household cash plan.
Create a second scenario for delayed travel or employment. Identify which costs can be changed and which are already committed. Rent deposits, non-refundable flights and a period without earnings can affect a household more than an optional premium appointment. The worksheet should help the couple decide which commitments can wait. It should not imply that paying extra guarantees a favourable or on-time immigration outcome.
Finally, add a future-stage reserve with a review date. Treat it as personal savings planning, separate from the minimum-income calculation. A future fee estimate may help set a monthly target, but it is not a statement of what the government will charge years later. If affordability is a current obstacle, inspect the official waiver information for the actual application and circumstances. Do not assume eligibility for a waiver or disregard it because a generic budget template has no line for it.
A practical example
Two adults and one child plan to move. Their first draft multiplies one adult application cost by three and omits the child’s distinct surcharge treatment. The revised sheet gives each person a row, separates the funds being evidenced from the fees to be paid and reserves money for rent and a delayed start to work. It remains a planning budget, not a prediction of future fee rates.
Put the plan into practice
Use the accompanying resource to turn the explanation into a file you can actually review. Work through these actions in order; where a point is uncertain, record the uncertainty rather than changing the facts to fit a preferred answer.
- List every applicant separately and record the application location and stage.
- Use the live official fee and IHS pages, writing the date beside each figure.
- Obtain quotes for genuine document and appointment needs; separate optional services.
- Build a monthly household runway and schedule a fee refresh before submission.
Questions to resolve before you act
Does the budget include every applicant and the next application stage? Are fees being paid from funds you intend to evidence? Have optional services been presented as compulsory? What happens if the decision or first salary is later than expected?
Open the Per-Person Family Visa Budget. Use it to record your own dates and evidence before spending money or submitting an application.
Official sources
- Family visas: overview and fees
- Immigration health surcharge: how much to pay
- Apply as a partner or spouse
Independent information and practical organisation, not individual legal advice. Where immigration history, exceptions or conflicting documents affect your case, check the current rules and consider a regulated adviser.
A useful next step
Use the Per-Person Family Visa Budget to turn this guide into a working plan. Continue with The final family visa document check: names, dates, formats and explanations when you are ready to organise the next part of the file.