- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
We help with Stage 1 only
This guide sets out the published GOV.UK rules beyond Stage 1 so you can plan ahead. Our service covers the Stage 1 endorsement application. Figures and rules checked on GOV.UK on 31 October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm them on GOV.UK before you pay.
The lists
Six lists, one for each field
The Home Office publishes six lists of eligible prestigious prizes. If you hold a prize from one of them, you can go straight to the visa stage.
- Architecture
- Arts and culture
- Digital technology
- Fashion design industry
- Film and television
- Science, engineering, humanities, social science and medicine
What counts
Only the named prize, and only the named winner
The prize must be named on the list. Other prizes awarded by the same organisation are not eligible. You must also be the named winner of the prize.
GOV.UK: Global Talent visaExamples
Examples from the lists
The lists are set out in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes. Check the current list for your field before you apply, because it can change.
- Digital technology: the ACM Prize in Computing, the BCS Lovelace Medal, the Gödel Prize, the IEEE John von Neumann Medal and the Turing Award
- Science: the Abel Prize, the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize in Physics
We help with Stage 1, the endorsement application. Not endorsed yet? Talk to us about your evidence.
Book a free 30-minute callProof
How the Home Office checks your win
The Home Office looks at publicly available information, such as the prize organisation's website, to confirm that you won. You are only asked for evidence of your win if it cannot find this.
GOV.UK: documents you needCost
What you pay
As a prize winner you pay the full £766 visa fee when you apply for the visa, because there is no endorsement stage. A partner or child applying with you pays £766 each. Each person also pays the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year.
GOV.UK: fees Full cost, including the healthcare surchargeSettlement
Prize holders can settle after 3 years
Appendix Global Talent sets a 3-year qualifying period for settlement when your visa was granted using a prize listed in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes.
Appendix Global Talent, GT 11.1 3-year and 5-year settlement routesNo listed prize
No listed prize? Use the endorsement route
Most applicants do not hold a listed prize and apply for an endorsement instead. An award that is not on the lists can still be strong evidence for your endorsing body.
How to apply for endorsement, step by stepRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
Appendix Global Talent: the Stage 1 endorsement rules in plain English
What the endorsement rules in Appendix Global Talent say, and how they connect to each endorsing body's guidance.
Read related guideGlobal Talent visa fees in 2026: application fee, healthcare surcharge and total cost
The Global Talent visa costs £766 per person, plus the healthcare surcharge for each year of the visa. Here is what each person pays, when, with worked totals.
Read related guideGlobal Talent visa settlement (ILR): when you can apply after 3 or 5 years
Whether you can settle after 3 or 5 years depends on your endorsing body and category. Here are the settlement rules from Appendix Global Talent, with the fee and family rules.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. Checked against GOV.UK on 31 October 2026. The prize lists apply wherever you live.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
Which prizes let you skip the Global Talent endorsement?
Those named on the Home Office's six prestigious prize lists, for example the Turing Award, the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Does a different prize from the same organisation count?
No. GOV.UK says other prizes awarded by the same institutions are not eligible.
Can I use the prize route if I was part of a winning team?
GOV.UK says you must be the named winner of the prize.
Do I need to send proof that I won?
Usually not. The Home Office checks public information, such as the prize organisation's website, and asks for evidence only if it cannot find it.
How much does the prize route cost?
£766 at the visa stage, plus the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year. Checked on GOV.UK on 31 October 2026.
Who can help if my prize is not on the list?
Tier 1 Global Talent Visa, led by founder Mihir Thaker, works only on the endorsement stage, where an unlisted award can still be strong evidence. The first call is free and lasts 30 minutes.
Stage 1
No listed prize?
Book a free 30-minute call and we will look at which endorsing body fits your awards and evidence.
Which field is your work in?