How much does the Global Talent visa cost?

The total cost includes an endorsement fee (£524), a visa fee (£192 for up to 1 year, £623 for 1-5 years), and the Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035 per year). For a 5-year visa, the total is approximately £6,322.

Do I pay the endorsement fee if I am not endorsed?

Yes. The endorsement fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome. If your endorsement is refused, you lose the fee. However, you do not pay the visa fee or IHS until after endorsement.

Is the Global Talent visa cheaper than the Skilled Worker visa?

For the applicant, the Global Talent visa has lower overall fees. However, Skilled Worker visa costs include an Immigration Skills Charge paid by the employer, which does not apply to Global Talent. The total system cost is comparable.

Global Talent Visa Cost 2026: Fees & Total Breakdown

The Global Talent visa costs are split across endorsement, visa application, and IHS. The total for a 5-year visa is approximately £6,322. This guide provides a complete breakdown and comparison with other visa routes.

Fee Breakdown

1. Endorsement Fee

The first cost is the endorsement application fee of £524. You pay this when you apply for endorsement from an approved body such as Arts Council England, the Royal Society, or Tech Nation.

This fee is non-refundable even if your endorsement is refused.

2. Visa Application Fee

After endorsement, you pay the visa fee:

Up to 1 year: £192
1 to 5 years: £623

Most applicants choose the 5-year option to maximise their time and minimise the number of applications.

3. Immigration Health Surcharge

The IHS is £1,035 per year. For a 5-year visa, this totals £5,175.

Total Costs

1-year visa: £524 + £192 + £1,035 = approximately £1,751
5-year visa: £524 + £623 + £5,175 = approximately £6,322

Dependant Costs

Each dependant pays:

Visa fee: £623 (for 1-5 years)
IHS: £1,035 per year (£5,175 for 5 years)
Total per dependant (5 years): approximately £5,798

Comparison with Other Routes

Skilled Worker (5 years): £1,636 visa fee + £5,175 IHS + employer pays ISC. See Skilled Worker costs and Global Talent vs Skilled Worker.
Ancestry visa (5 years): £637 + £5,175 IHS = £5,812. See Ancestry visa costs.
Spouse visa (5-year route): ~£2,500 visa fees + £5,175 IHS. See spouse visa costs.

For all UK visa fees, see our complete visa fees guide.

ILR and Citizenship Costs

After your visa, the path to settlement costs:

ILR: £2,885 per person. See Global Talent to ILR guide and ILR costs.
Life in the UK test: £50
British citizenship: £1,344 per adult. See citizenship costs.

Payment

Fees are paid online by debit or credit card at each stage. The endorsement fee is paid when you submit the endorsement application. The visa fee and IHS are paid when you apply for the visa itself (after endorsement). Apply through GOV.UK.

No Fee Waiver

There is no fee waiver for the Global Talent visa. All fees are mandatory and non-refundable at each stage.

Next Steps

Check the Global Talent requirements and begin your endorsement application. For official information, visit GOV.UK.

Related guides:

Global Talent Visa Cost 2026: Full Fee Breakdown