This guide covers UK visa requirements and fees for Filipino citizens in 2026 — the visitor visa, show money, work, study, and family routes, and how to apply. Filipinos need a visa for every UK trip; there is no ETA option. The 6-month visitor visa costs $191, paid in US Dollars. Filipino applicants are among the most successful: 85% of visitor applications are granted, and the Philippines is now the UK's second-largest work-visa nationality.
UK Visas from the Philippines
UK Visa Requirements for Philippines 2026: Fees, Show Money & Application
UK Visa Requirements for Filipino Citizens 2026
Yes — Filipinos need a UK visa. The Philippines is on the UK's visa-national list, so every Filipino passport holder must obtain a visa before travelling, for any purpose; there is no ETA option. The 6-month Standard Visitor visa costs $191, paid in US Dollars. Filipino applicants enjoy an 85% visitor grant rate, with work at 91%, family at 91%, and study at 96% — all well above the global visitor average of around 79%.
The Standard Visitor visa is the route for tourism and family visits, while work, study, and settlement each need their own visa. Filipino applicants perform strongly across every route, helped by an established UK community and heavy NHS demand for Filipino healthcare workers. Applications are made online and biometrics are given at VFS Global in Manila or Cebu.
Whatever the route, the requirements follow the same logic — prove who you are, what the trip is for, and that you can afford it:
- Valid passport: with at least one blank page for the vignette.
- Online application: completed on gov.uk, with the fee paid in US Dollars.
- Financial evidence: six months of bank statements — the "show money" covered below.
- Purpose evidence: employment certificate and leave approval for visits; CAS for study; Certificate of Sponsorship for work.
- Ties to the Philippines: employment, property, business, or family showing you will return.
- TB test certificate: only for stays over six months — work, study, or settlement.
UK Visa Fees in the Philippines 2026
UK visa fees from the Philippines are charged in US Dollars during the online application. The 8 April 2026 schedule raised most fees. Work, study, and family visas also carry the Immigration Health Surcharge, paid separately in pounds sterling at £1,035 per year, or £776 for students. The figures below follow the official Home Office fee tables.
UK visa fees in the Philippines in US dollars (2026)
| Visa Type | Fee (USD) | Grant Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6-month Visitor | $191 | 85% |
| 2-year Visitor | $718 | 85% |
| 5-year Visitor | $1,281 | 85% |
| 10-year Visitor | $1,600 | 85% |
| Student | $791 | 96% |
| Skilled Worker (≤3 years) | $1,162 | 91% |
| Health and Care Worker | $459 | 91% |
| Spouse / Partner | $2,927 | 91% |
| Priority service | $709 | — |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule; grant rates year ending June 2026.
How Much Is the UK Visa Fee in the Philippines?
For most Filipino travellers the answer is $191 — the 6-month visitor visa that covers tourism, family visits, business, and short courses. Long-term visit visas rise to $1,600 for ten years. The bigger budget line on work, study, and family routes is usually not the visa fee but the health surcharge, which is paid per year of visa in pounds sterling on top of the dollar fee.
Show Money for a UK Tourist Visa from the Philippines
"Show money" is the financial evidence proving you can support yourself during the visit without working or relying on public funds. There is no official minimum: the Home Office sets no fixed figure, and caseworkers instead assess whether your funds realistically cover the whole trip. A working benchmark for Filipino applicants is roughly £1,200 to £1,500 per week of stay, covering accommodation, daily expenses, and return travel.
What matters most is not the balance on one day but six months of consistent bank statements showing regular income that matches your declared employment or business.
A large, unexplained lump sum landing in your account shortly before you apply is one of the most common refusal triggers for Filipino visitor applications. Caseworkers read it as borrowed "show money" rather than genuine funds. If a real one-off payment appears — a bonus, land sale, or family gift — document its source. Our guide to UK visa refusal reasons covers how financial evidence goes wrong.
The strongest applications pair the bank statements with documents that explain them:
- Bank statements: six months, showing regular income rather than sudden deposits.
- Certificate of Employment: with salary, position, and approved leave dates.
- OFW income: remittance records demonstrating stable overseas earnings.
- Business owners: registration, BIR returns, and financial statements.
- Ties to the Philippines: property titles, family, or a business you will return to.
How Much Show Money for a Two-Week Trip?
Around £2,000 to £2,500 in accessible funds is a realistic target for a standard two-week holiday, scaled up or down with your itinerary. If a relative or partner in the UK is covering accommodation, their support letter and financial documents can reduce what you need to show yourself — our guide to what a UK sponsor must provide explains the split.
UK Tourist Visa from the Philippines 2026
The UK visit visa costs $191, allows stays of up to 180 days per visit, and covers tourism, visiting family or a partner, business meetings, and short courses. Frequent travellers can apply for a long-term visit visa valid for 2, 5, or 10 years at $718, $1,281, and $1,600 — each visit still capped at 180 days.
Filipino visitors enjoy an 85% approval rate, and a refusal is not the end of the road: our guide to reapplying after a refusal covers how to fix a weak application and succeed the second time.
Can My Filipina Girlfriend Visit Me in the UK?
Yes — a partner visits on the same $191 Standard Visitor visa. She should show her own finances, ties to the Philippines, and clear intent to return; an invitation letter with proof of your UK status and accommodation strengthens the case. Couples heading for marriage move to the Fiancé visa, which allows the wedding in the UK and a switch to the Spouse route afterwards.
UK Visa Application from the Philippines
Filipino citizens apply online at gov.uk, pay in US Dollars, and give biometrics at a VFS Global centre in Manila or Cebu. The process is the same one used across the wider region, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and China.
- Complete the online application on gov.uk and select the Philippines.
- Pay the visa fee in US Dollars during the application.
- Book your appointment at the VFS Global centre in Manila or Cebu.
- Attend and give biometrics — fingerprints and a photograph.
- Submit supporting documents at the centre or online.
- Access your eVisa through your UKVI account once approved.
UK Visa Processing Time in the Philippines
Standard decisions take around 3 weeks from biometrics for visitor, student, and work visas, and up to 12 weeks for settlement and family cases. The priority visa service ($709) shortens non-settlement decisions to about 5 working days where offered. Our guides to supporting documents and processing times after biometrics cover the paperwork and timelines in detail.
UK Visa Success Rate for Filipino Citizens 2026
Filipino applicants have consistently strong UK visa outcomes. The visitor approval rate runs at 85% on over 51,000 applications, while work is excellent at 91% — and with 17,520 work applications, the Philippines is now the UK's second-largest work-visa nationality after India, reflecting heavy NHS recruitment of Filipino nurses and carers. The grant rates by nationality place the Philippines among the most successful Southeast Asian countries.
UK visa grant rates for the Philippines (year ending June 2026)
| Visa Category | Applications | Grant Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor | 51,553 | 85% |
| Work | 17,520 | 91% |
| Family | 1,490 | 91% |
| Study | 455 | 96% |
Source: Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending June 2026.
UK Work Visa from the Philippines 2026
The Skilled Worker visa costs $1,162 for up to three years and needs a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer, a graduate-level job, and a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate in the Home Office eligible occupations list, whichever is higher.
Most Filipino workers come through the Health and Care Worker route instead: the fee drops to $459 and the health surcharge is waived entirely, reflecting the NHS's heavy reliance on Filipino nurses and carers. The Filipino work grant rate is 91%.
UK work visa fees from the Philippines (2026)
| Work Visa Type | Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker (≤3 years) | $1,162 |
| Skilled Worker (over 3 years) | $2,295 |
| Health and Care Worker | $459 |
| Global Talent (with approval) | $291 |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule.
UK Student Visa from the Philippines 2026
The UK Student visa costs $791, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 per year. Applicants need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed sponsor, the English language requirement, and maintenance funds of £1,529 per month for London courses or £1,171 elsewhere.
The Filipino student grant rate is the best of any route at 96%. Graduates can stay two further years of post-study work on the Graduate Route, and short courses under six months use the short-term study route at $323 instead.
UK Spouse & Family Visa from the Philippines 2026
The UK Spouse visa costs $2,927 and lets Filipino nationals join a British or settled partner under Appendix FM. The UK sponsor must earn at least £29,000 a year — the threshold in place since April 2024, with the previously announced rise to £38,700 paused pending review.
The initial visa runs 33 months and leads to indefinite leave to remain after five years. The Filipino family grant rate is 91%. Couples not yet married can use the Fiancé visa to marry in the UK and switch to the Spouse route, or simply visit first on the $191 visitor visa while planning the move.
Sources: fees from the Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule, as charged in US Dollars at visa-fees.homeoffice.gov.uk; grant rates and application volumes from the Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending June 2026. Figures verified 29 August 2026 against the 8 April 2026 fee schedule.
Frequently Asked
Questions about UK Visas from the Philippines
UK visa fees from the Philippines in 2026: 6-month visitor $191, 2-year visitor $718, 10-year visitor $1,600, student $791, Skilled Worker $1,162 for up to 3 years, Health and Care Worker $459, and spouse $2,927. Fees are paid in US Dollars during the online application. Work, study, and family visas also require the Immigration Health Surcharge in pounds at £1,035 per year, or £776 for students.
There is no official minimum, but plan for roughly £1,200 to £1,500 per week of your trip to cover accommodation, expenses, and return travel. For a two-week visit, that is around £2,000 to £2,500. What matters most is six months of bank statements showing consistent income and savings — caseworkers are wary of a single large deposit made just before applying, which is a common refusal trigger.
Yes. The Philippines is on the UK's visa-national list, so all Filipino passport holders must obtain a visa before travelling, whatever the purpose — there is no ETA option. The most common choice for short visits is the Standard Visitor visa, costing $191 for six months. Filipino applicants enjoy an 85% visitor grant rate, with work at 91% and family at 91%, all above the global visitor average.
In the year ending June 2026, the Filipino visitor visa grant rate was 85% — of 51,374 decisions, 43,648 were granted. Work was 91% on 17,520 applications, making the Philippines the UK's second-largest work-visa nationality after India, led by NHS healthcare recruitment. Family applications succeeded at 91% and study at 96%. These rates place the Philippines among the most successful nationalities for UK visas.
Yes, and Filipinos do so in large numbers — the Philippines is the UK's second-largest work-visa nationality. The Skilled Worker visa costs $1,162 for up to three years and needs a sponsored graduate-level job paying at least £41,700. Most Filipino workers, especially nurses and carers, use the Health and Care Worker visa at $459, which is exempt from the health surcharge. The Filipino work grant rate is 91%. A visitor visa never permits work.
Yes. Your Filipina girlfriend can visit on a Standard Visitor visa ($191), which has an 85% approval rate for Filipinos. She should show her own financial means, ties to the Philippines, and a clear intent to return. An invitation letter from you, with proof of your UK status and accommodation, strengthens the case. For settlement, a Fiancé visa lets her marry and stay, or a Spouse visa if you are already married.
Standard processing from the Philippines is around 3 weeks for visitor, student, and work visas, and up to 12 weeks for settlement and family visas. The priority service returns a non-settlement decision in about 5 working days where offered, and super priority the next working day. These timelines run from your biometrics appointment at the VFS Global centre in Manila or Cebu, not from the online submission.
Up to 180 days per visit. That cap applies to every visitor visa, whether the 6-month visa or a long-term 2, 5, or 10-year visa — the longer validity means more trips without reapplying, never longer individual stays. Visitors cannot work or access public funds, and repeated back-to-back visits that look like living in the UK are a refusal risk at the border.
If you expect to visit the UK regularly — family, business, or a partner — the long-term visa saves both money and repeated paperwork. The 2-year visa costs $718, the 5-year $1,281, and the 10-year $1,600, against $191 per single application. The 5-year visa breaks even at around seven trips. Each visit stays capped at 180 days, and the underlying visitor rules are unchanged.
Ang 6-month visitor visa ay $191, ang Student visa $791, ang Skilled Worker visa (hanggang 3 taon) $1,162, at ang spouse visa $2,927. Binabayaran ang lahat ng fee sa US Dollars sa online na aplikasyon. May hiwalay pang Immigration Health Surcharge, na binabayaran sa pounds, ang work, study, at family visas.
Ginagawa ang aplikasyon online sa GOV.UK at binabayaran sa US Dollars. Pagkatapos, mag-book ng biometrics appointment sa VFS Global center sa Manila o Cebu. Karaniwang lumalabas ang desisyon ng visitor visa sa loob ng humigit-kumulang 3 linggo mula sa biometrics appointment.