Fees · verified September 2026 / October 2026

IELTS Exam Fees by Country (2026)

There is no single global IELTS price — the fee is set locally by the British Council and IDP and changes over time. Below is the current fee in every country we track, cheapest first, with a page for each country covering every test type and how to confirm your exact cost.

Short answer: of the 34 countries we track, IELTS is cheapest in Japan (about US$175) and dearest in Saudi Arabia (about US$435); the typical country charges about US$275. IELTS Academic and General Training cost the same; IELTS for UKVI usually costs a little more and the One Skill Retake about 63% of a full test. You pay in local currency, and paper-based IELTS has ended, so the fee below is for the computer-delivered test. For what the fee covers and the extras on top, see the IELTS exam fee guide.

Cheapest

~US$175

Japan · ¥27,500

Typical

~US$275

median of 34 countries

Most expensive

~US$435

Saudi Arabia · SAR 1,636

IELTS exam fee in all 34 countries (2026)

Sorted from cheapest to most expensive in US dollars. Tap a country for every test type, official sources and how to book.

IELTS standard exam fee by country, 2026, cheapest first, with approximate US dollar equivalent and IELTS for UKVI fee
Country	Academic / GT fee	Approx. USD	IELTS for UKVI
Japan	¥27,500 (Academic & General Training, 10% tax included)	~US$175	¥31,900 (UKVI Academic & General Training)
Vietnam	₫4,664,000	~US$180	₫5,252,000
Egypt	EGP 10,200 (computer) / EGP 11,220 (Writing on paper)	~US$195	EGP 11,500 (computer)
India	₹19,000	~US$200	₹19,250
Indonesia	Rp 3,490,000–3,600,000	~US$200	Rp 3,951,500–4,060,000
Nigeria	₦299,000	~US$225	₦315,500
Sri Lanka	LKR 74,000–77,000	~US$225–235	LKR 82,500
Philippines	PHP 14,206–14,470	~US$230	PHP 14,480–16,230
Nepal	NPR 36,000	~US$235	NPR 36,400
Malaysia	RM 960	~US$235	RM 1,035–1,065
Uzbekistan	UZS 2,798,000	~US$237	UZS 3,119,000
Canada	C$335–379	~US$240–270	—
Turkey	TL 12,000–12,210	~US$245–250	TL 13,500 (IDP, computer only)
Bangladesh	৳31,100	~US$255	৳34,850
South Korea	KRW 347,000	~US$255	KRW 389,000
Thailand	THB 8,860	~US$265	THB 9,750
Pakistan	₨75,600–76,240	~US$270	₨78,820
Oman	OMR 106	~US$275	OMR 110
New Zealand	NZ$490	~US$280	—
UK	£215–250	~US$285–335	from £257
United States	US$285, rising to US$325 on 1 October 2026	~US$285 (US$325 from 1 Oct 2026)	US$305, rising to US$340 on 1 October 2026
Jordan	JOD 215	~US$305	JOD 233
Germany	€276–286	~US$315–330	€298
Singapore	S$406–454	~US$320–355	S$455
Ghana	GHS 3,720	~US$320	GHS 4,000
Kenya	KES 41,580	~US$320	KES 44,840
China	¥2,170 (Academic & General Training)	~US$325	¥2,220 (UKVI Academic & General Training)
Italy	€290	~US$335	€312
Kuwait	KWD 106	~US$345	KWD 106
Australia	A$490	~US$350	—
Qatar	QAR 1,390	~US$380	QAR 1,480
Bahrain	BHD 149	~US$395	BHD 159
UAE	AED 1,470	~US$400	AED 1,570
Saudi Arabia	SAR 1,636	~US$435	SAR 1,744

Standard = IELTS Academic or General Training. Figures verified September 2026 / October 2026; fees change (some markets adjust with exchange rates), so confirm on the official booking page before you pay. USD figures are approximate, at September 2026 exchange rates. “—” means the provider does not publish a UKVI price online.

What the IELTS fee includes

All four skills in one sitting — Listening, Reading and Writing on computer, plus a face-to-face Speaking test with an examiner.
Your results — an online result and Test Report Form, and sending your score to the institutions you nominate.
Official preparation material — the British Council and IDP both bundle free practice tests or a prep course with the booking.
No separate registration fee — the test fee is the registration fee; IDP confirms there is no processing or late fee in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Not included: an Enquiry on Results (remark), date transfers and cancellations, and extra Test Report Form copies or courier delivery. For what those extras cost and how refunds work, see the IELTS exam fee and extra costs guide.

UKVI, Life Skills and One Skill Retake prices

How IELTS for UKVI, Life Skills and One Skill Retake prices compare with the standard fee
Test	Price vs the standard fee	Who needs it
IELTS for UKVI	0%–20% more (typically 8% more), across 31 countries	UK visa routes that require a Secure English Language Test (SELT); computer-only
IELTS Life Skills	51% (UAE) to 100% (Nigeria) of it, across 30 countries	Some UK family, settlement and citizenship routes (speaking and listening only, A1/B1)
One Skill Retake	58%–76% of it (typically 63%), across the 19 countries that publish it	Anyone who missed their target in one skill on a computer test, within 60 days (not offered in China, United States)

If you are half a band short in a single skill, the One Skill Retake is almost always cheaper than resitting all four.

Why the IELTS fee differs by country

Local pricing. The British Council and IDP set the fee in each country in local currency; there is no global list price.
Exchange rates. Some markets re-price as their currency moves — Bangladesh against the US dollar, Nigeria against sterling, Turkey with inflation.
Tax. Some fees include VAT or GST (Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Japan); in Canada tax is added on top.
Centre and city. Independent centres price separately in the United States, and fees vary by city in Pakistan and by province in Canada.
Provider. Where both deliver the test, the British Council and IDP usually match each other, but not always — Sri Lanka is an example.

IELTS has been computer-only since June 2026

The IELTS partners announced on 5 March 2026 that paper-based IELTS would end in mid-2026. The last paper sittings in most markets were on 27 June 2026; Tokyo and Osaka ran to the end of August, and India’s final paper dates were reported as 25 July, 6 August and 22 August 2026. IELTS for UKVI was already computer-only.

What it means for the price: you now book one format, so the fee in the table is the fee. A few centres offer Writing on Paper (Listening and Reading on computer, Writing handwritten), which can be priced separately. Speaking is still face-to-face, and paper results issued before the change stay valid for the usual two years. More in computer vs paper IELTS: what changed.

How to confirm your exact fee and pay

Pick the right test. Check whether your university, employer or visa needs Academic, General Training, UKVI or Life Skills — they are priced differently.
Open your country page above and use its official British Council or IDP link; the fee for your city and date is shown before you pay.
Book with the ID you will bring on test day. The passport or national ID on your booking must match the one you show at the centre.
Pay only on the official booking system (card online, or the bank, cash or mobile-money options your country page lists), and keep the receipt.

Rescheduling or cancelling

Changing your date usually costs an administration fee if you act before your centre’s cut-off, and most or all of the fee if you act after it or miss the test. The deadlines, charges and medical exceptions are in how to reschedule or cancel IELTS.

IELTS fee questions

How much is the IELTS exam fee in each country in 2026?

There is no single worldwide price. Across the 34 countries we track, the standard IELTS Academic or General Training fee runs from about US$175 in Japan to about US$435 in Saudi Arabia, and the typical (median) country charges about US$275. You pay in local currency, at the amount set by the British Council or IDP in your country.

What is each country’s IELTS fee in US dollars?

About US$175–435, depending on where you sit it, at September 2026 exchange rates. Of the countries we track, only the United States charges in dollars: US$285, rising to US$325 on 1 October 2026. Everywhere else the dollar figure is a comparison — the local-currency amount on the booking page is what you pay.

Which country has the cheapest IELTS exam?

Of the 34 countries we track, Japan is cheapest at ¥27,500 (about US$175), followed by Vietnam and Egypt. The most expensive is Saudi Arabia at SAR 1,636 (about US$435). Taxes, exchange rates and local centre costs explain most of the gap.

Is there a separate IELTS registration fee?

No. The test fee you pay when you book is the registration fee — IDP states there is no separate registration, payment-processing or late fee in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for example. You only pay more if you use an extra service, such as an Enquiry on Results (remark), a date transfer or a cancellation.

Is the IELTS fee the same for Academic and General Training?

Yes. In every country we track, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training cost the same. The versions priced differently are IELTS for UKVI (for UK visas), IELTS Life Skills (for some UK family and settlement visas) and the One Skill Retake.

Is IELTS cheaper at the British Council or IDP?

In most countries the two charge the same fee, so choose on test date and venue. Where they differ the gap is small — Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uzbekistan are examples — and each country page shows both figures where they are published. In India IDP is the only provider.

Can I still take IELTS on paper, and is it cheaper?

No. Paper-based IELTS ended in mid-2026 — the last paper sittings in most markets were on 27 June 2026 — so every centre now delivers IELTS on computer. Some centres offer "Writing on Paper", where Listening and Reading are on computer and only the Writing answers are handwritten; where it is priced separately it can cost a little more.

How much does it cost to reschedule or cancel IELTS?

Outside your centre’s cut-off (commonly around 14 days before the test), a transfer or cancellation usually costs an administration fee, often around 25% of the test fee. Inside the cut-off you normally forfeit most or all of the fee unless you have medical evidence. Rules are set locally, so check your booking confirmation.

Full fee breakdown by country