Indefinite Leave to Remain

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) UK 2026: Complete Eligibility, Cost & Application Guide

Most people reach ILR after five years on a qualifying visa route — Skilled Worker, Spouse, Global Talent, or Innovator Founder. A separate 10-year long residence route exists for anyone who has lived lawfully in the UK for a decade. In 2026, ILR fees, the Life in the UK test, the English language requirement, and the absences rule are all stricter than in earlier years, and small mistakes on bank statements or travel history are the single biggest reason for refusals.

This guide explains who qualifies, how much it costs, exactly which documents you need, how the 28-day absences rule works, and what to do if you have already been refused. It reflects current Home Office guidance and the April 2024 fee changes.

Who is eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain in 2026?

Eligibility depends on which visa route you have been on. The table below shows the minimum continuous residence required for each route, plus the key conditions you must meet at the point of applying.

ILR fees 2026 — how much does Indefinite Leave to Remain cost?

The standard ILR application fee is £3,029 per person as of April 2024 (unchanged through 2026). This is one of the highest immigration fees in the world. You should also budget for the Life in the UK test, the SELT English test (if required), biometric enrolment, and optional priority services.

A single applicant should budget roughly £3,250 minimum. A family of four typically spends £12,500 to £14,000 once Life in the UK tests and translations are included.

How to apply for ILR — step by step

1. Check eligibility: confirm you have completed the required years on a qualifying route and that you do not breach the absences rule (no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period for most routes).
2. Book and pass the Life in the UK test at an approved test centre. Results are valid indefinitely once passed.
3. Pass an approved English language test at B1 CEFR or higher — unless you hold a UK degree taught in English, or are a citizen of a majority-English country.
4. Gather your documents: passport, BRP or eVisa share code, bank statements, payslips, P60s, employer letter, marriage certificate (if applicable), absences log, Life in the UK and English test certificates.
5. Complete the online application form on gov.uk — SET(O) for work-route applicants, SET(M) for spouse/partner, SET(LR) for long residence.
6. Pay the £3,029 fee online. Decide whether to add priority or super-priority service.
7. Book a biometrics appointment at a UKVCAS centre. Upload supporting documents through the TLS Contact / UKVCAS portal.
8. Attend biometrics and submit. The standard decision time is six months — priority cuts this to five working days and super-priority to 24 hours.
9. Once approved, your status is granted digitally as an eVisa. BRP cards are being phased out across 2024–2026 and will not be reissued.

Documents required for ILR — full checklist

Identity and immigration history

• Current passport (and any previous passports covering your UK residence period)
• BRP card or eVisa share code
• All previous UK visa vignettes
• Two passport-style colour photographs (per applicant, if required by the application route)

Continuous residence evidence

• Travel history: list every trip out of the UK in the past five years (dates of departure and return)
• Boarding passes, travel tickets, or entry/exit stamps for major absences
• Letter from employer confirming any work-related travel outside the UK

Financial and employment evidence (Skilled Worker / Health and Care Worker route)

• Letter from your sponsor confirming current employment, salary, and that they intend to continue employing you
• Six months of recent payslips
• Six months of corresponding bank statements
• P60 for the last full tax year
• Current Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number

Tests

• Life in the UK test pass notification letter
• Approved English language test certificate (B1 or higher) — IELTS Life Skills, Trinity GESE, or equivalent
• OR your UK degree certificate with a UK NARIC/Ecctis statement confirming it was taught in English

The Life in the UK test — what to expect

The Life in the UK test is a 45-minute, 24-question multiple choice exam covering British history, customs, traditions, and government. You need to score 75% or higher (18 out of 24) to pass. The test costs £50 and is taken at one of more than 30 test centres across the UK.

Material is drawn from the official Home Office handbook ‘Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition)’. Most candidates need two to three weeks of preparation. The pass rate in 2024 was 70.4%, so do not underestimate it — common reasons for failure include confusing dates of monarchs, parliamentary procedure, and Welsh / Scottish devolution detail.

ILR after 10 years — the long residence route

If you have lived in the UK lawfully for 10 continuous years on any combination of visas, you can apply for ILR under the long residence rules (paragraph 276B of the Immigration Rules). This route is useful for people who switched between Student, Skilled Worker, Spouse, and other visas without completing a single five-year route.

The strict conditions:

• 10 years of continuous lawful residence (lawful means with valid visa, not overstaying)
• No single absence over 184 days
• No more than 548 days of total absences across the 10 years
• Passed Life in the UK and English language requirement
• Not currently subject to any deportation order

The 180-day absences rule — how to check before you apply

For most ILR routes (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder), you must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period during your qualifying residence.

Common mistakes:

• Counting calendar years instead of rolling 12-month windows. The Home Office assesses every consecutive 12-month period, not Jan–Dec blocks.
• Forgetting to include the day of travel. The Home Office counts your day of departure and day of return as days inside the UK only if your flight lands before midnight.
• Excluding work travel sponsored by the UK employer. These days still count — but they are exempt in some circumstances for Skilled Worker route. Always document.

From ILR to British citizenship — when can you apply?

After holding ILR for 12 months, you can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation. Spouses of British citizens can apply for naturalisation as soon as ILR is granted (no 12-month wait). The naturalisation fee is £1,630 plus £80 citizenship ceremony fee.

Requirements for naturalisation:

• 5 years of UK residence (or 3 years if married to a British citizen) immediately before the application
• No more than 450 days absent in the 5-year period (or 270 days in the 3-year period)
• No more than 90 days absent in the 12 months immediately before applying
• Good character — no criminal record, immigration breaches, or fraudulent claims

Common reasons for ILR refusal — and how to avoid them