ILR Fees & Processing Times: The Full 2026 Cost Breakdown

Researched and maintained by the ILR Calculator UK editorial team · Reviewed against the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations and GOV.UK service standards in force on 24 June 2026 · General information about UK settlement, not regulated immigration advice. For advice on your own case, use an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor.

From 8 April 2026, the ILR application fee is £3,226 per person, with no Immigration Health Surcharge on settlement. Each dependant pays the same fee, so a family of four pays £12,904 before tests and extras. The standard decision target is up to 6 months from your biometric appointment, with optional priority (£500, 5 working days) and super priority (£1,000, next working day). Two timing traps catch people out: the clock starts at biometrics, not submission, and travelling abroad while your application is pending withdraws it.

The core ILR fee

The headline cost is the Home Office application fee: £3,226 per applicant for applications made on or after 8 April 2026, paid in full at submission. It applies across the main routes — Skilled Worker, partner, long residence and the rest — and the Home Office will not start processing until payment clears. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge on an ILR application; the surcharge applies only to temporary visas, and settlement grants NHS access on the same basis as British citizens. The fee has climbed steadily — £2,389 in 2022, £2,885 in April 2024, £3,029 in April 2025 and £3,226 now — so for those close to eligibility, applying sooner avoids the next increase.

The full cost breakdown

The application fee is only part of the bill. Most applicants also pay for biometrics and tests, and families multiply the largest cost by each person.

Source: GOV.UK Immigration and Nationality Fees. Children under 18 do not take the Life in the UK or English tests. Optional priority services and professional fees (typically £1,500–£2,500) are extra.

Processing times and priority options

Standard processing is included in the fee. If you need a faster decision, two paid services are available at most centres — but they only speed up the decision, not your biometrics appointment.

Source: GOV.UK service standards. All targets run from the biometric appointment, not online submission. Priority slots are limited and can sell out; super-priority slots are released daily and go quickly. If the Home Office misses a paid target through its own error, the priority fee may be refunded.

How processing time varies by route

All settlement routes share the same 6-month standard, but performance differs. Most decisions land well inside the target.

Source: Home Office settlement performance data, year ending 2025. Cases involving criminal history, security checks or complex residence calculations take the longest. Priority is not offered on every route.

When the processing clock actually starts

A common misunderstanding is that the countdown begins when you submit online. It does not — it begins at your biometric appointment. If you submit in January but cannot get a biometrics slot until February, the 6-month (or 5-day, or next-day) clock only starts in February. Booking your biometric appointment as early as possible is the single most effective way to shorten your real wait, and it is essential if you want a limited priority slot.

The travel trap and Section 3C protection

The flip side is a protection many people do not realise they have. If your current visa expires while your ILR application is still pending, you do not become an overstayer: under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, your existing leave and its conditions — including the right to work — continue until the application is decided. Employers and landlords do not always recognise Section 3C leave, so it is worth being ready to explain it.

Refunds, fee waivers and protecting your money

The ILR fee is a serious sum, and the rules on getting it back are strict. Once you have enrolled biometrics, the fee is not refunded if the application is refused or you withdraw it; a refund is only available if the application is rejected as invalid before processing starts. Because of this, many applicants have their bundle checked before submitting — set against a £3,226 fee, that is modest insurance. Fee waivers exist mainly on human-rights routes such as private life, for applicants who cannot afford the cost; the standard work and family routes do not offer them, and the Home Office does not accept instalments.