IELTS for UK Visa Applications: Which Test Do You Need?

IELTS vs IELTS for UKVI

There are two versions of IELTS relevant to UK immigration:

• IELTS for UKVI: Specifically approved by the Home Office for visa applications. Must be taken at a UKVI-approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) centre. This is the version you need for most immigration purposes.
• IELTS Life Skills: A separate SELT that tests speaking and listening only, taken at A1, A2 or B1 and marked pass or fail at that level. It is the test used for the family route and for settlement and citizenship, where only those two skills are tested.
• The ordinary IELTS test: Not a SELT. For a Student visa, a sponsor that is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance may assess English itself for a course at degree level or above and accept an ordinary IELTS result. That is the sponsor’s decision, not a Home Office one, and it does not extend to any other route.

The format and content of IELTS for UKVI are the same as the ordinary test. What differs is where it is taken and how identity is checked: a SELT must be sat at an approved centre, and the Test Report Form says it was. Check the GOV.UK SELT page for approved tests and providers.

Required Scores by Visa Type

Routes and stages ask for different levels on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Each approved test is listed against the CEFR level it proves, with the minimum grade for that level, in the Home Office list of approved tests. You cannot work the level out from a band score yourself.

• Spouse visa (initial): A1 in speaking and listening. Spouse visa English guide.
• Spouse visa (extension): A2 in speaking and listening.
• Settlement: B1 in speaking and listening, rising to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. English for settlement guide.
• Citizenship: B1 in speaking and listening, rising to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. English for citizenship guide.
• Skilled Worker visa: B2 in speaking, listening, reading and writing for applications made on or after 8 January 2026. B1 is still accepted if you held a Skilled Worker visa before that date and are extending or updating it.
• Student visa: B2 for a course at degree level or above, B1 below degree level.

For a comparison of all accepted English tests, see our English tests guide.

Booking and Taking the Test

1. Find a test centre: Book IELTS for UKVI through the official IELTS website. Only centres listed as SELT-approved are valid for visa purposes.
2. Choose your test date: Tests are available throughout the year. Book well in advance as popular centres fill up quickly.
3. Pay the fee: Set by the provider and shown at booking. It differs by country, by centre and by which test you take, and it is not a Home Office fee, so it does not appear in the Home Office fee table.
4. On test day: Bring the passport you will use for the visa application. The identity document has to match. How long the test takes depends on which one you sit — Life Skills, tested in speaking and listening only, is far shorter than the four-skill test.
5. Receive results: The provider publishes its own turnaround time for each test and issues a Test Report Form carrying a unique reference number. The application asks for that number.

Exemptions

You may be exempt from the IELTS requirement if:

• You are a national of one of the countries UKVI treats as majority English-speaking: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or the USA. This is a fixed list. A country having English as an official language does not put it on the list.
• You have a degree or degree-level qualification that was taught or researched in English and meets or exceeds the standard of a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate. A qualification awarded outside the UK normally needs confirmation from UK ENIC.
• You are 65 or over, or under 18, at the date of application. For settlement and citizenship this is set out in Appendix KoLL and is not discretionary.
• You have a long-term physical or mental condition that makes it unreasonable to expect you to meet the requirement. Medical evidence is needed.

For full details on exemptions, see our English exemptions guide.

Alternatives to IELTS

IELTS is not the only accepted test. Other approved SELT providers include:

• Trinity College London: GESE and ISE exams. GESE tests speaking and listening only, so it is used on the routes where only those two skills are tested. See our B1 vs B2 comparison.
• LanguageCert: International ESOL SELT exams.
• Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home, taken on a computer.
• PSI Services (UK) Ltd: Skills for English SELT exams.

Those five providers, with the IELTS SELT Consortium, are the whole approved list. Which of a provider’s tests counts, at which level, and whether it can be taken online rather than at a centre, is set out test by test in the Home Office list of approved tests. A test that is not on that list does not meet the requirement however well known it is.

See our accepted English tests guide for a full list.

Preparing for IELTS

• Free resources: The British Council and IELTS websites offer free practice tests and study materials.
• Practice speaking: The speaking test is a face-to-face interview. Practice with a partner or tutor.
• Know the test format: The tests differ from each other. Check which skills yours covers and how each part is timed.
• Take a practice test: Many test centres offer practice sessions.

For general English language guidance, see our test booking guide.

See also our UK Visa Fees: Complete Guide and Immigration Health Surcharge guide.

Questions and answers