The Home Office today published another round of fee increases for a range of nationality and immigration services, continuing a trend of ever-growing application fees. According to a document published on the gov.uk website, increased fees for almost all immigration and nationality applications will go into effect from 6 April 2018. Naturalisation fees will increase by 3.7% from £1,280 to £1,330. Ancestry Visa Fees will increase by £20, while the registration of a minor as a British citizen is set to increase by £43 from £1,163 to £1,206. Similarly, the cost of naturalisation as a British overseas territory citizen will rise by £38, reaching £1,000 for the first time. These increases are modest in comparison to previous years. 2017 saw an 18% in settlement (ILR) applications, which rose from £1,875 to £2,297. The fee for these applications will rise by £92 from 6 April 2018 to £2,389, a comparatively small 4% increase. In a handful of cases, fees will remain the same or even fall. For instance, the cost of a ""Right of Abode"" certificate outside of the UK will drop from £423 to £388. However, applications made inside the UK will witness a £51 increase to £321 to £371, a 15.6% increase, proportionally one of this year's steepest increasers. However, most of the fee increases are similar to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), currently at 2.7%. Nevertheless, some nationality and citizenship services have fairly hefty fees already, and so small percentage increases are not insignificant, with some increasing by nearly £100. This year's price increase form part of a longer term trend towards ever higher Home Office fees. For instance, the cost of registering a child for British citizenship rose from £386 in 2010 to £1,206 from 6 April 2017. For comparison, a similar registration with the German Home Office equivalent (the BVA) cost just €51 in 2017. An increase in Home Office fees for naturalisation and other applications mirrors price hikes at HM Passport Office, a division of the Home Office. At the start of 2018, it was announced that passport application fees would increase by £3 online and £12.50 by post. While the current cost for all passport renewals is £72.50, from 27 March, a passport renewal will cost £75.50 by online application, and £85 by post. That's a 4% increase for online applications and a whopping 17% for the old-fashioned kind. Media outlets and popular blogs such as Money Saving Expert have advised passport holders to renew early to beat the passport fee increase. Similarly, naturalisations and other applications received before 6 April 2018 will be charged at the current rate, providing an opportunity to beat the most recent Home Office fee rises if an application is made soon. To get your application underway and any beat fee increases, or to find out how these price changes might affect you, contact Passportia by using the form below.
