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The short answer
A UK Standard Visitor visa costs £135 per person for up to six months under the Home Office fees table from 8 October 2026, with long-term visas at £506, £903 and £1,128. You can fund the trip as sponsor; show clear evidence of your means, and arrange visitor health insurance separately.
Bringing your parents from Nigeria to spend time with you and the grandchildren in the UK is one of the best uses of family money, and one of the most paperwork-heavy. Nigerian citizens need a UK visit visa, the Home Office wants to see that the trip is funded and that your parents will go home, and there are costs beyond the visa fee that families often forget, especially health cover. This guide sets out the money side in order.
The visa fee
Your parents would normally apply for a Standard Visitor visa. The Home Office fees table effective from 8 October 2026 lists:
| Visit visa (applied for outside the UK) | Fee per person |
|---|---|
| Up to 6 months | £135 |
| Long-term, up to 2 years | £506 |
| Long-term, up to 5 years | £903 |
| Long-term, up to 10 years | £1,128 |
GOV.UK says a long-term visit visa is for people who visit regularly; each visit is still limited in length. If your parents plan to come every year, compare the cost of a long-term visa with repeated six-month applications. Applications can be made up to three months before travel.
Example only. At today's published fees, a parent who applied for a six-month visa every year for ten years would pay 10 × £135 = £1,350 in visa fees, before any travel to the visa centre each time. A single 10-year visa costs £1,128, and a 5-year visa £903, which compares with 5 × £135 = £675 over five years. Fees can change, so the comparison only holds if they stay the same, and a long-term visa still requires each visit to meet the visitor rules.
Faster decisions are available at some visa application centres for an extra fee. GOV.UK lists priority at £500 and super priority at £1,000 on top of the visa fee, and says outside the UK priority usually gives a decision within five working days for most visas. If a decision takes longer, it says you will not usually get the extra fee back.
Showing the trip is funded: the sponsor's side
GOV.UK says a visitor must show they will leave the UK at the end of the visit, can support themselves, and can pay for the return journey, or have funding from someone else to do so. That someone can be you. In practice families commonly provide:
- An invitation or sponsorship letter from you, giving your relationship, your address, your immigration status, the dates of the visit and what you will pay for.
- Your recent bank statements and payslips, so the caseworker can see you can afford it.
- Proof of your status, such as a British passport or your eVisa details.
- Your parents' own evidence of ties and funds in Nigeria, such as a pension, property, or their own bank statements.
GOV.UK does not publish a fixed amount of money a sponsor must show. What matters is that the money is clearly enough for the visit and that its source is clear. Large, unexplained deposits just before the application can raise questions.
Health cover for visiting parents
The GOV.UK visitor page does not cover healthcare, so families need to check NHS charging rules and arrange cover themselves. Older visitors are where insurance matters most and costs most. Before buying, ask the insurer about age limits, pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and whether it pays hospitals directly. See visitor health insurance for parents and what happens if visiting parents fall ill.
A worked budget for a two-month visit
Example only. Two parents visit for two months. The visa fees are the published Home Office figures; the other figures are invented to show the arithmetic.
| Line | Example cost |
|---|---|
| Visit visas, 2 × £135 | £270 |
| Return flights, 2 × £800 (example) | £1,600 |
| Visitor health insurance for two (example) | £600 |
| Travel to the visa centre in Nigeria (example) | £50 |
| Extra food, heating and outings (example) | £800 |
| Total | £3,320 |
£270 + £1,600 + £600 + £50 + £800 = £3,320. If you choose priority processing for both, add 2 × £500 = £1,000.
What to check first
- Your parents' Nigerian passports are valid for the whole visit.
- You have decided between a six-month and a long-term visa.
- Your sponsorship letter, statements and status evidence are ready.
- Health insurance is quoted before flights are booked.
- Your parents have evidence of their ties and means in Nigeria.
If your parents' passports are close to expiry, see renewing an elderly parent's Nigerian passport. If what your parent needs is long-term care rather than a visit, the route is different; see the Adult Dependent Relative visa.
Where Pryme fits
Parents often need pocket money in pounds during the visit and naira for bills at home while they are away. A Pryme Personal Account holds both, and you can send naira to cover their household bills in Nigeria while they are with you. The app shows the rate and the fee before you approve any conversion.
Questions people ask
How much is a UK visit visa for Nigerian parents?
The Home Office fees table from 8 October 2026 lists £135 per person for up to six months, and £506, £903 or £1,128 for long-term visas of up to 2, 5 or 10 years.
How much money should I show to sponsor my parents' UK visit?
GOV.UK sets no fixed amount. Show that you can clearly afford the trip, with statements, payslips and a sponsorship letter, and that the source of the money is clear.
Do visiting parents get free NHS treatment?
The GOV.UK visitor page does not cover it. Check NHS charging rules for overseas visitors and buy visitor health insurance before they travel.
Can I pay for faster visa processing for my parents?
Where offered, GOV.UK lists priority at £500 and super priority at £1,000 on top of the visa fee, and the extra fee is not usually refunded if the decision is late.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor (page updated 31 Oct 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application (applying from outside the UK) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.