UK visa English tests (SELT): test centres by city and the 2027 B2 change

To prove your English for a UK visa with a test, you must pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at one of the 84 approved centres in the UK or 1,312 outside the UK (Home Office lists dated 23 October 2026, GOV.UK page updated 26 October 2026). The level depends on the visa: A1 for a first partner visa, A2 to extend it, B1 for settlement and citizenship, and B2 for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 on the routes listed in the Statement of Changes HC 1691.

UK visa English testslists of 23 October 2026

Approved SELT centres: 1,396 (84 in the UK, 1,312 outside)

28UK towns and cities with a centre

140countries and territories outside the UK

4providers in the UK (IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson, Trinity College London)

B2for settlement from 26 March 2027

Source: Home Office, List of approved test centres in the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026); List of approved test centres outside the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026), from the GOV.UK page Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Not immigration or legal advice. This page lists the Home Office's approved test centres and the levels written in the GOV.UK guidance on the dates shown. Some people do not need a test (for example nationals of some English-speaking countries, people over 65, or people with a degree taught in English). Check the guidance for your own route on GOV.UK, and the provider's website for dates and fees, before you book.

Which level for which visa

Skills tested: GOV.UK, Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (citizenship, parent, partner and settlement: speaking and listening test; Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Student, High Potential Individual and Scale-up: reading, writing, speaking and listening). People who already had a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending need B1 (Skilled Worker visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026)).

The 2027 change: B2 for settlement

From 26 March 2027, settlement applications on many routes need English at B2 in speaking and listening instead of B1. The explanatory memorandum to the Statement of Changes HC 1691 says: "This change increases the English language requirement for settlement to B2 level […] for a number of immigration routes where the existing requirement is at B1 level" and "These changes will come into force on 26 March 2027." The rules apply the new level by date of application: before 26 March 2027, B1; on or after that date, B2.

• Routes listed in the memorandum: Appendix KoLL (the general knowledge of language and life rules for settlement), Skilled Worker, Minister of Religion, Representative of an Overseas Business, UK Ancestry, Global Talent, Scale-up, Innovator Founder, International Sportsperson, Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection), Long Residence, Bereaved Partner, Private Life and Settlement Family Life.
• Who it affects: the memorandum says the changes "will therefore apply to those already on a pathway to settlement in the UK"; the start was put off to 2027 to give people time to meet the new level.
• Citizenship is not one of the routes listed. The GOV.UK guide for citizenship and settling still asks for B1 or above: Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026).
• Test results last 2 years for a new application, so check the date your result was awarded against the date you plan to apply.

On the approved lists we read on 30 October 2026, there is no speaking-and-listening-only test at B2: every B2 test listed assesses all four skills. Check the provider's website before you book a test for a settlement application made on or after 26 March 2027.

Source: explanatory memorandum to the Statement of Changes HC 1691, paragraphs 5.60–5.62, and the rule changes (published on GOV.UK on 6 March 2026, read on 30 October 2026).

Which test to book

Each provider has its own SELT version. Book the exact test on the Home Office list for your level: for example IELTS Life Skills A1 for a first partner visa, not ordinary IELTS.

Source: Home Office, List of approved secure English language tests taken in the UK and taken outside the UK (ODS, downloaded on 30 October 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. "Four skills" = reading, writing, speaking and listening. The full lists also include C1 and C2.

Test centres in the UK

84 centres in 28 towns and cities, by number of centres. Tap a column heading to sort.

Source: Home Office, List of approved test centres in the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026), from the GOV.UK page Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Test centres outside the UK

1,312 centres in 140 countries and territories, by number of centres. Type to filter, or tap a column heading to sort.

Filter countries

Source: Home Office, List of approved test centres outside the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026), from the GOV.UK page Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Country names are as written in the Home Office file, with a few spellings made consistent (Cyprus → Cyprus (South), GHANA → Ghana, Guayaquil → Ecuador, morocco → Morocco, Sri lanka → Sri Lanka). In the UK list, "Newcastle" and "Newcastle Upon Tyne" are shown together as Newcastle upon Tyne.

How to book

• Book on the provider's own website: IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson (PTE) and Trinity College London. GOV.UK says to check the provider's website for dates and to make sure the centre is open: "Do not contact the test centre directly."
• Book the SELT version of the test (for example IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, not ordinary IELTS). The approved names are: IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills; LanguageCert: LanguageCert International ESOL SELT, LanguageCert Academic SELT, LanguageCert General SELT; Pearson (PTE): PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Home; Trinity College London: Secure English Language Tests for UKVI.
• "You should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, but it may not always be at the location nearest to you." Use the name exactly as it is on your passport or identity document.
• Test results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded. After you pass, you get a SELT reference number to use in your application.
• Fees are set by each provider and are not on the Home Office lists, so we do not show them. If you book through an agent, GOV.UK says its fees should be "the same as, or lower than, the price on the test provider's website".

Source: GOV.UK, Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026, read on 30 October 2026).

Prepare for the speaking test

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For partner, parent, settlement and citizenship applications the SELT tests speaking and listening only. Speaking English often with a teacher, even online, is one way to prepare. On italki you choose an English teacher and pay per lesson.

Find an English teacher on italki (opens in a new tab)

Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. A teacher cannot book your test or change your result: you book the test only on the provider's website, and lessons do not change the decision on your visa.

Questions people ask

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