Family visas: the four routes and what each one costs
Most family visas cost £2,064 per person from abroad or £1,407 inside the UK, plus the health surcharge, which is lower for children. Adult relatives who need care pay £3,635.
Family visa cost for a parent and children
Total to pay when you apply
£13,953
Partner or spouse, outside the UK · Home Office fees of 8 October 2026
| Person | Fee | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | £2,064 | £3,105 |
| Child 1 | £2,064 | £2,328 |
| Child 2 | £2,064 | £2,328 |
| Application fees | £6,192 |
| Health surcharge (2 years 9 months) | £7,761 |
| Total | £13,953 |
Calculated in your browser: nothing you type is sent anywhere. Not legal advice; not affiliated with the Home Office.
Published by Radif Partners · How we calculate · Home Office fees of 8 October 2026, rules checked 13 October 2026
"Family visa" is the umbrella name GOV.UK uses for permission to live in the UK with a relative who is British, Irish, settled or has protection status. There are four main routes under Appendix FM and its companion appendices: as a partner (spouse, civil partner, fiancé or unmarried partner), as the parent of a child living here, as a child joining a parent, and as an adult who needs long-term care from a relative. Partners, parents and children pay £2,064 each from abroad and £1,407 each inside the UK, plus the immigration health surcharge, which is £1,035 a year for adults and £776 for children under 18. An adult dependent relative pays £3,635, or £452 when joining a relative with protection status. A family of one adult and two children joining a British partner pays £13,953 for the first 33 months.
Which route fits your family
| Route | You are joining | Main tests | First grant | Fee abroad / in UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner | your spouse, civil partner, fiancé or partner of two years | £29,000 income or savings, English A1 | 33 months (fiancé 6) | £2,064 / £1,407 |
| Parent | your child under 18 who lives in the UK | parental responsibility, active role, English A1, adequate maintenance | 33 months | £2,064 / £1,407 |
| Child | a parent who is settled or applying on a family route | under 18, not living an independent life | in line with the parent | £2,064 / £1,407 |
| Adult dependent relative | a son, daughter, parent, grandchild, brother or sister settled here | need for long-term care not available or affordable at home | unlimited if the relative is British or settled | £3,635 / £1,407 |
The routes are not interchangeable. If you are eligible to apply as a partner, you must apply as a partner even if you also have a child here; the parent route is for a parent who is not in a relationship with the child's other parent, for example after a separation, and who has sole or shared parental responsibility. The parent must show they take an active role in the child's upbringing, with letters from the school, the GP or a court rather than photographs and messages.
English is required only of partners and parents: an A1 speaking and listening test or an English-taught degree for the first grant, A2 for the second, then B1 at settlement. Children and adult dependent relatives are exempt, as are applicants aged over 65 and nationals of majority English speaking countries such as Jamaica, Canada or Australia.
A family visa is not available to join someone who is in the UK on a temporary work or study visa. Their family come as dependants on that route instead, with its own fees and conditions; the Skilled Worker dependants page covers the most common case.
What children and relatives pay
A child added to a parent's application pays the same application fee as an adult. The saving is on the surcharge, because applicants under 18 on the date of application pay the reduced rate. For the 33-month first grant that means £2,328 for each child against £3,105 for the adult.
| Person | Fee | Surcharge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | £2,064 | £3,105 | £5,169 |
| Child 1 | £2,064 | £2,328 | £4,392 |
| Child 2 | £2,064 | £2,328 | £4,392 |
| Family | £6,192 | £7,761 | £13,953 |
The adult dependent relative route is priced differently because it leads straight to settlement: a relative joining someone British or settled receives permission with no time limit, so there is no extension to pay for later and, as indefinite leave, no surcharge. The fee abroad is £3,635. When the relative in the UK has refugee status or humanitarian protection, the fee falls to £452 and permission runs as long as theirs. The test is strict: the applicant must need help with everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or age, and show that the care is not available or not affordable in their own country. Super priority is not offered on this route.
How long decisions take on each route
Applications from outside the UK on all four routes share the same published standard of 12 weeks from the biometrics appointment. Inside the UK the picture splits. Partners who meet the income and English rules, children and adult dependent relatives are decided in about 8 weeks. Parents, and partners relying on the exceptions in paragraph EX.1, currently wait about 12 months, and UKVI says there is no service standard for them (processing times inside the UK).
A fee waiver is open on the partner, parent and child routes for people who cannot afford housing or essential living costs, or whose child's welfare would suffer from paying. Partners and parents can usually settle after 5 years on the route, and children with them. The spouse visa guide goes deeper on the partner route, and the cost calculator handles other lengths and in-country applications.