UK Immigration Fees Set for Change

Synopsis: The UK government has proposed increases to immigration fees, including ETA (£16), sponsorship (£525), and naturalisation (£1,605). A temporary ETA exemption for airside transit passengers at Heathrow and Manchester has been approved. The changes await Parliamentary approval before implementation. Stay informed on upcoming UK immigration updates!

On 16 January 2025, the government introduced proposed changes to Parliament that, if approved, would result in an increase in certain immigration fees.

Under the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025, the government seeks to raise the maximum allowable charges (“fee maxima”) for various services, including Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), sponsorship approval for work visa routes, naturalisation as a British citizen or a British Overseas Territories citizen, and certain nationality-related services.

The government intends to introduce the following fee increases:

• The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee will increase to £16.
• The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee will rise to £525.
• The fee for naturalisation as a British citizen will be raised to £1,605.
• The fee for naturalisation as a British Overseas Territories citizen will increase to £1,070.

Temporary ETA Exemption for Airside Transit Passengers

In response to feedback from the aviation industry, the government has approved a temporary exemption from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement for passengers transiting airside, who do not pass through UK border control. This exemption will primarily impact Heathrow and Manchester airports, as they are the only UK airports currently providing transit facilities. The policy will remain under review.

Additional steps

The proposed legislation will now be debated in Parliament and requires approval from both Houses. If endorsed, the revised fees will be implemented through amendments to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, once Parliamentary scheduling permits.

The current list of UK immigration and nationality fees is available on the GOV.UK website here.

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