# How to Pay for Spouse Visa



## Kevin123 (Apr 25, 2015)

With the cost of a Spouse Visa rising to £952.00 and the additional fee of £600.00 health surcharge, the cost of a visa application is now £1,552.00 - In my case, my wife is Filipina and will be applying at the British Embassy in Manila. 

This means that we will lose money exchanging GB Pounds to Pesos, then lose again changing pesos to US Dollars - Which will then be converted back into GB Pounds when the application is sent the UK. (Stupid to say the least!)

Is there any way this money (£1,552.00) can be paid by me directly to the Government here in the UK, and a receipt be sent to my wife to present to the British Embassy in Manila? - Surely this would make sense.

Do anyone of you know if this is possible? And if so, details please.
Thanks
Kev


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

No. You can only pay as laid down for applications made in the Philippines. 


> How do I pay my Visa fees?
> 
> During the process of filling your online application in the UK government website for visas and immigration you will be prompted to pay the fees directly to UK Visas and Immigration via Worldpay. No visa fees will be accepted in the VFS Global Visa application centres.


UK Visa Information - Philippines - Frequently Asked Questions


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## Kevin123 (Apr 25, 2015)

Thanks for the reply.

So can I pay in GB Pounds or will it be in US Dollars?


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## Kevin123 (Apr 25, 2015)

When I apply for the Spouse Visa, does the £600.00 health charge need to be paid at the same time to VFS - If this is th case, my credit card has a limit of £1,500.00 so the £1,552.00 would be over the limit and not accepted.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

You are expected to pay the health surcharge before you apply.


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## Kevin123 (Apr 25, 2015)

nyclon said:


> You are expected to pay the health surcharge before you apply.


Thanks, but is there any way to pay in GB Pounds?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

As Joppa said, you have to pay as specified. That is the only option.


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## Kevin123 (Apr 25, 2015)

Thanks for your responses, but don't you agree this is a ridiculous situation?

The end result is to pay the British Government, here in the UK. To d this I have to send GB Pounds to my wife in the Philippines. This will be converted to Pesos. The cost will be presented in Dollars, so the pesos will need to be converted again. The collected dollars will then be sent to the Government in the UK - Converted back to GB Pounds. This is stupid!

Why oh why oh why don't the British Government have a facility where we can all pay here in the UK in GB Pounds, and then the receipt be sent to the prospective Embassy's where the visa is being applied? 

This is so simple, a child could organize it.


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## vgkab (Apr 21, 2015)

https://transferwise.com

Try to use this to send money. Its pretty cheap, and you lose very less in conversions , the best in market. ( in case you already dont know)


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## bluebubble (Apr 22, 2015)

vgkab said:


> https://transferwise.com
> 
> Try to use this to send money. Its pretty cheap, and you lose very less in conversions , the best in market. ( in case you already dont know)


I've used transferwise.
Excellent! Superfast and great rates. USD to GBP.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Kevin123 said:


> Why oh why oh why don't the British Government have a facility where we can all pay here in the UK in GB Pounds, and then the receipt be sent to the prospective Embassy's where the visa is being applied?
> 
> This is so simple, a child could organize it.


Maybe, but the government doesn't really care. They still get their visa fees paid, and by just having one method, it makes the mechanism so much simpler for them.


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