Indian travellers heading to the UK and Australia will face a nearly 13% increase in visa fees across various categories, starting April 1
New Delhi: Indian travellers to the UK and Australia will now face higher visa fees due to a nearly 13% increase across various categories, including tourist, student, and work visas, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
This hike follows a similar trend seen with increased visa fees by the United States and is expected to affect a large number of Indian tourists, students, and professionals.
For the UK, visa fee increases include:
- Visitor Visa:
- Six-month standard visitor visa: ₹14,000 (£127), up from ₹12,700 (£115).
- Two-year visa: ₹52,392 (£475).
- Five-year visa: ₹93,533 (£848).
- Ten-year visa: ₹116,806 (£1,059).
- Student Visa:
- Regular student and child student visas: ₹57,796 (£524), up from £490.
- Short-term study visa (6 to 11 months for English courses): ₹23,604 (£214), up from £200.
- Work Visa:
- Skilled Worker visa (up to three years): ₹84,820 (£769).
- Innovator Founder visa: ₹140,520 (£1,274).
- Employer Fees:
- Certificate of Sponsorship: ₹57,907 (£525), up from £239.
- Sponsor licence fees for large companies: ₹174,162 (£1,579).
- Sponsor licence fees for small businesses and charities: ₹63,311 (£574).
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA):
New fee: ₹1,765 (£16) for visa-exempt travellers, including those from the US and EU.
Tuition Fee Increases:
The cap on tuition fees for universities in England will rise from ₹10.2 lakh (£9,250) to ₹11.58 lakh (£10,500) starting with students enrolling in 2025–26.
Australia’s visa and tuition increases:
Australia has also revised its visa fee structure, though specific increases are not yet disclosed. Several universities have already increased tuition fees for international students, with some courses seeing a rise of more than 7%. For example, at the University of Melbourne, engineering tuition has surged to AUD 56,480 (₹30.36 lakh) per year, and clinical medicine tuition has risen to AUD 112,832 (₹60.66 lakh) annually. At the University of New South Wales (UNSW), most courses now cost AUD 58,560 per year.
UNSW has highlighted that international students contribute significantly to revenue, and these adjustments were deemed necessary due to increasing cost pressures.
