The Global Talent Visa has a two-stage fee structure, and most people underestimate the total cost until they reach the Stage 2 application and see the Immigration Health Surcharge calculated for the full visa period. This guide breaks everything down so there are no surprises.

All figures below are taken from GOV.UK and correct as of the date of publication. Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Always verify the current amounts at gov.uk/global-talent before you apply.

The two-stage structure

The Global Talent Visa application works in two stages, and your fees are split across them.

Stage 1 is the endorsement application, where you submit your portfolio to the relevant endorsing body (Arts Council England, Tech Nation for digital technology, or one of the research bodies) and pay the endorsement fee.

Stage 2 is the visa application itself, submitted after you have received endorsement. This is where you pay the remaining visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, and where your dependants join your application.

If you hold an eligible prestigious prize from the GOV.UK prize list, you skip Stage 1 entirely and pay the full visa fee in one go at Stage 2.

Stage 1: the endorsement fee

The endorsement fee is £561, paid when you submit your Stage 1 application.

In most cases this fee is non-refundable. There is one exception: if the endorsing body deems your profile ineligible at the outset, rather than assessing and rejecting it on the merits, a refund may be issued. This happens occasionally on the arts and research routes when a profile clearly falls outside the eligible disciplines or does not meet the basic mandatory criteria. It is very rare on the tech route. In all other cases, including a full assessment that results in rejection, the fee is not returned.

This is one of the most important practical reasons to invest time in preparation before you submit, rather than applying speculatively and hoping for the best. The endorsement fee is the same regardless of which endorsing body assesses your application.

Stage 2: the visa fee

After endorsement, you pay £205 when you apply for the visa itself. Combined with the Stage 1 fee, the total Home Office visa fee is £766.

If you are applying via the prestigious prize route, you pay the full £766 at Stage 2 with no Stage 1 fee.

Dependants (a partner or children under 18) each pay £766 separately when they join your Stage 2 application. Dependants do not pay a Stage 1 fee.

The Immigration Health Surcharge

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is paid upfront at Stage 2, covering your full visa period. It gives you access to the NHS during your stay in the UK.

The current rate is £1,035 per year for adults. Applicants under the age of 18 at the time of application pay a lower rate of £776 per year. Note that an adult dependant, such as a partner, pays the full £1,035 rate, not the reduced rate.

The IHS is paid in full at the time of application for the entire visa duration you have chosen. Many applicants choose a 3-year visa, so the IHS is calculated and paid upfront for all three years.

What the total actually looks like

Here are worked examples. These cover Home Office and endorsing body fees only.

Single applicant

Couple (two adults)

Family of three (two adults, one child)

The IHS is the figure that surprises people. For a single applicant on a 5-year visa, the IHS alone is £5,175, far more than the visa fees themselves. For families, it is the single largest cost. Budget for it from the start.

Choosing your visa length

You can choose any visa length from 1 to 5 years, in whole-year increments. The endorsement fee and the Stage 2 visa fee are the same regardless of length. The only variable is the IHS, which is paid upfront for your full chosen period.

A shorter visa keeps the upfront IHS cost lower, which suits applicants who are not yet settled on their long-term UK plans or expect their circumstances to change. In practice, many applicants choose 3 years, because Exceptional Talent applicants can apply for settlement after 3 years of continuous residence, so a 3-year visa aligns neatly with that milestone. A longer 5-year visa makes sense if you are committed to staying and want to reduce the frequency of renewals.

The right length depends on your situation. There is no single answer that works for everyone.

ILR and settlement costs

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) gives you the right to live and work in the UK permanently. The current ILR application fee is £3,226 per person, paid when you make the settlement application. This rate applies to applications made on or after 8 April 2026, having increased from the previous rate of £3,029.

The time you must have lived in the UK before applying for ILR depends on how you were endorsed. You can apply after 3 years if you were endorsed by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society or UK Research and Innovation, or by Arts Council England or Tech Nation as a recognised leader (Exceptional Talent), or if you qualified through an eligible prize and did not need an endorsement. You can apply after 5 years if you were endorsed by Arts Council England or Tech Nation as an emerging leader (Exceptional Promise).

The ILR rules and fees are subject to change. Always check the current GOV.UK guidance on settling in the UK on the Global Talent route before planning your timeline.

What is not included in these figures

These are the Home Office and endorsing body fees only. They do not include:

A note on processing times

Stage 1 (endorsement) processing times vary by endorsing body. Arts Council England typically takes 8 to 11 weeks. Research bodies and Tech Nation typically take around 8 weeks.

Stage 2 (visa) processing times from GOV.UK are 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you are switching from inside the UK. Priority processing is available at Stage 2 for an additional fee.

These are general timeframes. For a full breakdown of how long each stage takes and how to plan backwards from a target date, see my realistic timeline guide. For the most current processing times, always check gov.uk/global-talent.

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