Priority and Super Priority Visa Services
A UK visa can often be decided faster for an extra fee, through the priority or super priority service. This guide sets out what each costs, the usual timescale for each, when a service is unavailable, when the clock starts, how dependants are charged, and what to compare against the standard times. Based on GOV.UK guidance retrieved 2026-09-29.
Two services, two speeds
GOV.UK offers faster decision services on top of the application. The two names, their cost and their usual timescale are:
| Priority service | an extra £500, usually 5 working days (30 working days for family visas and citizenship) |
| Super priority service | an extra £1,000, usually by the end of the next working day |
When super priority cannot be used
Citizenship applications cannot use super priority — the priority service is the faster option available to them. Inside the UK, only certain visas offer these services.
When the clock starts
- If you give your biometrics in person, counting starts on the day of your appointment.
- If you use the ID Check app, counting starts the next working day after you finish uploading your documents.
The app route itself is covered in our ID Check app guide.
Each dependant pays separately
Every dependant included in the application pays the fee separately for the same service.
It can take longer
These are usual times, not guarantees. A decision can take longer if the caseworker needs further evidence or has to make checks with other departments.
Compared with the standard times
For contrast, the default times are longer: a standard visitor visa is usually decided within 3 weeks, and work visas within 3 weeks outside the UK or 8 weeks inside.
Fees and refunds
The fees quoted here are current at the time of writing; fees change, so confirm the fee on the official page at the time you apply. Whether the fee is refunded if the application is refused is not published, so it is not asserted here.
Related guides
If a decision goes the other way, see rejected: next steps, and prepare your uploads with scanning and uploading, the document photo preflight and the UK visa documents checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is the priority service?
Usually 5 working days; 30 working days for family visas and citizenship.
How fast is super priority?
Usually by the end of the next working day.
Can citizenship use super priority?
No, citizenship cannot use super priority.
How much do they cost?
An extra £500 for the priority service and an extra £1,000 for super priority.
Do dependants pay?
Yes, each dependant pays the fee separately for the same service.
When does the clock start?
On the day of an in-person appointment, or the next working day after you finish uploading with the ID Check app.
Source: GOV.UK, “Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application” (gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement), “Apply for a Standard Visitor visa” (gov.uk/standard-visitor/apply-standard-visitor-visa) and “Skilled Worker visa” (gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa) retrieved 2026-09-29. Rules change, so confirm the current guidance before you apply.