Almost every cost thread on this forum starts the same way: someone has read the £1,357 application fee on GOV.UK and assumed that is the bill. It is not. Below is every mandatory cost on the Innovator Founder route, checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026.
The mandatory costs
| Cost | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Endorsement fee | £1,000 | Before you can apply at all |
| Application fee — applying from outside the UK | £1,357 per person | At application |
| Application fee — extending or switching inside the UK | £1,693 per person | At application |
| Immigration health surcharge (IHS) | £1,035 per year, adults £776 per year, under 18s |
Paid up front for the full 3 years |
| Contact point meetings | £500 each, at least two | Around months 12 and 24 |
| Maintenance funds | £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days | Shown, not spent |
What that adds up to for one applicant
Over a full three-year grant, for a single applicant with no dependants:
- Applying from outside the UK: £1,000 endorsement + £1,357 application + £3,105 IHS = £5,462 at the point of entry, rising to £6,462 once both contact point meetings are paid for.
- Switching inside the UK: £1,000 + £1,693 + £3,105 = £5,798, rising to £6,798 with the two meetings.
That is before you have spent a penny on the business itself — and separately from the £1,270 you must be able to show in your account.
The £1,270 is a different thing entirely
This trips people up constantly. The £1,270 is a maintenance requirement: money that must sit in your account for 28 consecutive days ending no more than 31 days before you apply. You are not handing it over. It does not have to be investment capital, and investment funds cannot be used to satisfy it. The requirement is waived if your business is already established and was endorsed for an earlier visa.
Separately — and confusingly — endorsing bodies form their own view on whether you have enough money to actually deliver the plan. There is no published figure for that, which is why the minimum funds for an endorsement letter thread and the £10k question for student and graduate founders come up so often.
Costs not on this list
- Dependants — a partner and each child pay their own application fee and their own IHS
- Priority or super priority processing, where offered
- English language test, TB test where required, document translation
- Company incorporation, accountancy, and anything you pay someone to help write the business plan
- Immigration advice, if you use an OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor
Related discussions on the forum
- Which endorsing body should I approach? UKES vs Innovator International vs Envestors
- Initial application checklist — documents, funds, English and current fees
- Applying for the Innovator Founder visa solo — what qualifies and what it costs
- Endorsement letter expiry — what if it lapses while the application is processed?
- Preparing for your 12-month contact point meeting
Last reviewed 14 August 2026 against GOV.UK — Innovator Founder visa, the eligibility page and the health surcharge rates. Fees change without much notice — check GOV.UK before you pay anything, and post below if you spot a figure that has moved.
UK Innovator Founder Forum 
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