There is no single UK visa fee for applicants in Nigeria. The amount changes with the route, length of permission, application location and number of family members. A reliable budget separates the Home Office application fee from the immigration health surcharge and from private supporting costs.
Find the current application fee
Use the official Home Office fee table or visa-fee checker, selecting an application made outside the UK and the exact category. A six-month visitor, long-term visitor, Skilled Worker, family partner and settlement application each has a different price. Duration and route subtype can change it again.
Home Office fees were last checked for this guide on 23 September 2026 against the table effective 8 April 2026. Do not treat an amount copied into an old article, social post or agent quotation as current. Open the official tool immediately before submitting because a new fee schedule can take effect without preserving an earlier draft’s price.
Add the immigration health surcharge
Many applicants for stays longer than six months pay the immigration health surcharge, commonly called the IHS. It is not included in the headline visa fee. The online application calculates it from the route, duration and applicant details, with different rates or exemptions for specified categories.
The IHS gives access to relevant NHS services on broadly similar terms after permission begins, but it does not make every service free. Prescriptions, dental treatment and other charges can still apply. Visitors normally need appropriate travel insurance because paying a visitor application fee does not create NHS coverage.
Use the GOV.UK IHS calculator or route guidance. Small differences between course, work and visa dates can affect the charged period, so budget a margin rather than multiplying a remembered annual rate.
List compulsory and optional extras
Depending on the route and personal history, supporting costs may include an approved tuberculosis test, English-language test, document translation, qualification comparison, police certificate, professional registration or travel to an appointment. These are not paid to UK Visas and Immigration as part of the application fee.
A visa application centre may offer scanning, courier, appointment or lounge services. Read which service is genuinely required and which is optional. Premium surroundings do not strengthen the evidence. Priority or super priority is a separate official service only when offered for the route and location; it accelerates the target decision time, not the likelihood of approval.
Maintenance funds are also not a fee. They remain the applicant’s money but may need to be held in a prescribed way as evidence. Similarly, flight and accommodation costs belong in the travel budget, not the visa price.
Calculate every dependant separately
Each dependant normally submits an application and pays the relevant application fee. Each person can also owe the IHS for the granted period. A family budget should therefore use a separate row for the main applicant, partner and every child instead of adding one “family visa fee”.
Check that dependants are permitted on the selected route. Eligibility rules for Student and work-route dependants can change and do not follow automatically from the ability to pay. TB testing, biometrics and supporting documents may also create a per-person cost.
Plan currency, payment and refunds
The application journey displays the payable currency and amount. The local total can reflect the Home Office exchange-rate mechanism and may not equal a simple market conversion from pounds to naira. Card issuer conversion, foreign transaction charges or payment limits can add another difference.
Confirm that the card can complete the transaction and never send card details to an unverified intermediary. Save receipts for the visa fee and IHS. Refund rules depend on what was paid, whether the application was submitted, withdrawn or refused, and whether an overpayment or unused service exists. A refusal does not normally mean every cost is returned.
Build a usable budget
- Choose the exact route and intended duration.
- Record the current official fee and the date checked.
- Calculate IHS for every person who must pay it.
- Add required tests, translations and credential work.
- Add only the appointment services you genuinely need.
- Keep a payment and exchange-rate contingency.
- Exclude maintenance funds from “spent costs” but prove them separately.
Then continue to the UK visa application guide for Nigeria. Students should use the separate UK Student visa cost guide.
UK visa fee FAQ
How much is a UK visa from Nigeria?
It depends on the route and duration. Use the official fee checker for the application fee, then add any IHS and personal supporting costs.
Is the health surcharge included in the visa fee?
No. Where it applies, the IHS is calculated and paid separately during the application process.
Does every child pay a UK visa fee?
Each dependant generally has a separate application and applicable fee, although route-specific reductions or exemptions must be checked.
Will priority service guarantee approval?
No. It may shorten the target processing time when available, but the same eligibility and evidence rules apply.
Are UK visa fees refunded after refusal?
The application fee is generally not refunded simply because the case is refused. Other payments, including IHS, follow their own GOV.UK refund rules.
Official sources
Immigration rules can change without notice. Check the relevant authority before paying a fee, booking travel or submitting an application.