UK Resident Permit

UK Residence Permit - How to Apply, What It Costs, and What Changed in 2025

Getting the right to live in the UK is one of the most consequential administrative processes a person can go through. The rules are precise, the fees are substantial, and the consequences of errors - a rejected application, a missed deadline, a document submitted incorrectly - can mean months of delay or, in worst cases, disruption to someone's life, work, and family arrangements here. DVLA Services helps non-UK nationals navigate the UK residence permit and immigration status process, from initial applications through to extensions and settlement.

What a UK Residence Permit Is - and What Changed

For most of the last decade, a UK residence permit meant a physical Biometric Residence Permit - a credit-card-sized document that proved a person's right to live, work, or study in the UK. That system ended. Since November 2024, the Home Office no longer issues new BRP cards. All existing BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, and from 1 June 2025, expired BRPs can no longer be used for travel to the UK either.

The replacement is the eVisa - a digital record of immigration status accessible through a UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) online account. The eVisa holds the same information the physical card used to show: the type of permission granted, expiry date, conditions of stay, and the right to work or rent. The difference is it exists online rather than on a card you can lose.

Creating a UKVI account and accessing an existing eVisa is free. If you held a BRP and haven't yet created a UKVI account, you should do it without further delay - failure to register within 18 months of your BRP's expiry date can result in sanctions from the Home Office.

How to Apply for Residence in the UK

The route you take to apply for British residence depends entirely on your circumstances - your nationality, your reason for being in the UK, your existing visa category, and how long you've already been here. There is no single "UK residence permit application." There are many routes, each with its own requirements and fees.

Skilled Worker and Work Visa Routes

Non-UK nationals working in the UK under a sponsored work visa receive their immigration status through their visa approval. As of April 2025, Skilled Worker visa application fees are £769 per person for a visa of up to 3 years, or £1,519 for over 3 years, when applying from outside the UK. These fees apply to the main applicant and each dependant separately. On top of the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year per adult must be paid upfront for the full duration of the visa. For a five-year family application, the total costs can run well into five figures.

Family Visa Route

Partners, spouses, and dependants of UK residents or citizens can apply for a permit to stay in the UK through family visa routes. Processing times vary and fees have increased significantly since October 2023.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

ILR is the closest thing to a permanent residence permit in the UK. It grants the right to live and work in the UK without time restriction. Most applicants qualify after five years of continuous residence under a qualifying visa category, though the 2025 Immigration White Paper set out proposals to extend this to ten years for some routes from April 2026. The current ILR application fee is £3,029 per person - and that's per family member including children.

Cost of a UK Residence Permit - Key Figures for 2025

Fees increased again from 9 April 2025 across most immigration categories. Key costs to know: Skilled Worker visa (up to 3 years, overseas application) - £769 per person. ILR standard application - £3,029. Immigration Health Surcharge - £1,035 per adult per year, paid upfront. Priority processing service - £500 for 15 working days. Super Priority - £1,000 for 5 working days. BRP replacement (lost, stolen, damaged) - £19.

Get Your UK Residence Application Done Right

The most common and costly problem in UK immigration applications isn't eligibility - it's errors. Wrong supporting documents, photos that don't comply, missed fees, or forms submitted out of sequence. Each rejection wastes time and money, and some categories don't allow straightforward reapplication.

DVLA Services helps applicants get their UK residence permit and immigration documentation prepared and submitted correctly. Whether you need help applying for a work visa, extending your stay, converting your old BRP to an eVisa, or building toward ILR - get in touch today and get it sorted without the guesswork.