Checked 29 September 2026. Fees from the SQE cost page (Wayback capture 20 Jul 2026), the SRA SQE Update of April 2026, and SRA pages on exemptions, validation, screening and admission. The SRA has raised SQE fees before; confirm the fee in your SQE account when you book. INR figures use one dated rate and are ours.
The SQE is priced in pounds and paid in one go per part, so the total matters more than any single line. For sittings from October 2026 the assessment fees are £2,006 for SQE1 (£1,003 for each FLK paper) and £3,086 for SQE2 — £5,092 for both on our arithmetic. Around them sit smaller SRA fees for degree validation, an exemption application, character and suitability screening and admission. This page sets out every one of them from official pages, prices the common routes including the Indian advocate's SQE2-exempt route, and gives a calculator. Rupee figures use 1 GBP = ₹127.31 (ECB reference-rate data via the third-party frankfurter.app API, 28 September 2026); they are our conversion, not an SRA figure. The SQE assessment website (sqe.sra.org.uk) now sits behind a security check we did not bypass, so its pages are quoted from Wayback Machine captures, with the capture date given. ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or Kaplan, which delivers the SQE for the SRA; every rule below is quoted or summarised from their published pages, and the SRA decides every application.
SQE cost page (Wayback 20 Jul 2026), SRA SQE Update April 2026. Totals, the rupee figure and the percentage are ours.
SQE assessment fees, old and new
| Item | Earlier fee | Current fee | Current in INR (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQE1 (FLK1 + FLK2) | £1,934 (£967 + £967) | £2,006 (£1,003 + £1,003) | ₹2,55,384 |
| SQE2 (written + oral) | £2,974 | £3,086 | ₹3,92,879 |
| Resit one FLK paper | £967 | £1,003 | ₹1,27,692 |
| Resit both FLK papers | £1,934 | £2,006 | ₹2,55,384 |
| Resit SQE2 (all 16 stations) | £2,974 | £3,086 | ₹3,92,879 |
| Appeal, first stage | £350 | £350, refunded if upheld | ₹44,559 |
| Appeal, final stage | £850 | £850, refunded if upheld | ₹1,08,214 |
| SQE1 + SQE2 (ours) | £4,908 | £5,092 | ₹6,48,263 |
Source: SQE website cost page, Wayback capture 20 July 2026; the SRA SQE Update of April 2026. The cost page says a clerical check is included in the appeal process. SQE fees are exempt from VAT. INR at 1 GBP = ₹127.31 (ECB reference-rate data via frankfurter.app, 28 September 2026), our conversion.
Three booking rules shape what you pay at once. Both FLK papers are booked and paid for in one payment, in the same window, unless you are exempt or resitting one paper. SQE2 written and oral assessments are booked and paid for together. And cancellation charges may apply if you withdraw, so check the cost page's cancellation terms before you pay. The SRA gave inflation and the cost of Welsh translation as the reasons for the rise.
Where other pages get this wrong
The new fees apply to SQE1 as well as SQE2, for sittings from October 2026 — whenever you booked them.
Commonly published instead: Some pages, including notices written in September 2026, say only SQE2 fees rose, or date the rise "from the start of September".
The SRA SQE Update of April 2026 says the new fees "take effect from September 2026 and apply to any candidate that books to take the SQE from October 2026 onwards" — both parts. The SQE cost page, as captured on 20 July 2026, heads its new column "for assessments from September 2026 onwards". The two official wordings differ, and neither ties the fee to the day you pay: the October 2026 SQE2, whose booking closed on 18 September, already carries £3,086, and the January 2027 SQE1 is priced at £2,006. Rises of 3.7% (SQE1) and 3.8% (SQE2) are our arithmetic; other sites quote 3.7% overall.
Every other SRA fee on the way to admission
| Item | Fee | INR (ours) | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree validation (Atlantic Data), international degree | £54.84 | ₹6,982 | Aims for 10 working days; longer for non-UK degrees |
| Degree validation, UK or Ireland | £36 | ₹4,583 | Aims for 10 working days |
| SQE exemption application (one or both) | £265 | ₹33,737 | Decision within 180 days; review within 28 days of refusal |
| Early character and suitability assessment | Free | — | Aims for 120 days; closed 1 August to 31 October 2026 |
| UK background screening before admission (Atlantic Data), if you have lived 12 months or more in the UK in the past five years | £34 | ₹4,329 | Before the admission application |
| Overseas-only screening, if you have lived only outside the UK for those periods | No SRA fee; overseas criminal-record checks at each country's charge | — | Before the admission application; checks no more than six months old |
| Admission as a solicitor | £100 | ₹12,731 | Aims to admit within 30 days, unless there is a character issue |
| Qualifying work experience registration | No SRA fee listed | — | Confirmed by a solicitor or COLP |
Sources: SRA pages on validation (updated 25 July 2025), SQE2 exemption (updated 6 August 2026), early character and suitability (updated 1 August 2026), screening (updated 17 July 2026) and admission fees (updated 23 January 2025). A practising certificate after admission carries its own fee, not included here. Institutes may charge their own fee to verify a degree.
Three common routes, priced
| Route | What you pay the SRA and Kaplan | Total (ours) | INR (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian advocate with an SQE2 exemption, living in India | SQE1 £2,006 + exemption £265 + validation £54.84 + admission £100; overseas-only screening has no SRA fee | £2,425.84 | ₹3,08,834 |
| Overseas qualified lawyer with an international degree, sitting SQE1 and SQE2, living outside the UK | SQE1 £2,006 + SQE2 £3,086 + validation £54.84 + admission £100 | £5,246.84 | ₹6,67,975 |
| Law graduate on the standard route, international degree, living outside the UK | The same as the line above, plus two years of qualifying work experience | £5,246.84 | ₹6,67,975 |
| Any route, if you need UK screening | Add £34 (for example £2,459.84 on the advocate route) | +£34 | +₹4,329 |
| Any route, one FLK resit | Add £1,003 | +£1,003 | +₹1,27,692 |
Our arithmetic on the official fees, at 1 GBP = ₹127.31 (ECB reference-rate data, 28 September 2026). Before any training course, English test, overseas criminal-record check, translation, travel or bank charges. A UK or Irish degree is validated at £36 rather than £54.84.
UK SQE total cost calculator (GBP)
Choose your route, the fee schedule you will book under and how many resits to budget for. Add a rupee rate for an INR figure; we leave it blank because rates move.
Official fees from the SQE cost page (Wayback capture 20 Jul 2026) and SRA pages. Our arithmetic. Excludes training courses, travel to England or Wales for SQE2 orals, English tests, overseas criminal-record checks, translation, appeals and bank charges. SQE fees are VAT exempt.
What the fee total leaves out
The SRA does not set the price of SQE preparation. Its SQE training and course finder, per the September 2026 SQE Update, covers more than 150 providers and 250-plus training options, filterable by study mode, duration and price. Those costs are yours to compare; we do not quote them. Five other costs are real for an overseas candidate and are also outside the SRA fees above:
1. Travel for SQE2 orals. The orals are held only in Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Manchester, over two consecutive half days, so an SQE2 candidate from India needs a trip to England or Wales.
2. An English test, if you are exempted from SQE2 and your qualification was not assessed in English. The SRA sets the score (IELTS Academic UKVI 7.5, for example); the provider sets the fee.
3. Certified translations of any non-English documents for an exemption application.
4. Overseas criminal-record checks. For admission the SRA wants a check for every country outside the UK where you lived continuously for 12 months or more in the past five years, no more than six months old and officially translated if not in English. The issuing country sets the charge; for an Indian applicant that is at least one Indian check.
5. Exchange and card charges on paying in pounds. Use your own bank's rate in the calculator.
When each fee falls due
The fees do not arrive at once, which matters if you are budgeting in rupees across two or three years. Degree validation and any exemption application come first, often months before an assessment. The SQE1 fee is paid in full when you book, for both papers together, and booking closes about five weeks before the sitting. The SQE2 fee is paid when you book SQE2, which you can do after passing SQE1 or once the SRA has exempted you from the whole of SQE1. Screening and the admission fee come last, after your results and, on the standard route, after your qualifying work experience is confirmed. Each payment is converted at the rate on the day your card or bank pays it, so the rupee total in the table above is a snapshot, not a quote.
Resits: what a second attempt costs
You have up to three attempts at each assessment within six years. An SQE1 resit is priced per paper, so failing only FLK2 costs £1,003 to resit, not £2,006. An SQE2 resit means all 16 stations again at the full £3,086. The SRA says typically around 20% of SQE1 resitters pass, so the budget for a resit is worth planning alongside the time to prepare for it rather than as an afterthought.
How much does SQE1 cost?
£2,006 for sittings from October 2026: £1,003 for each of FLK1 and FLK2, paid together. It was £1,934 before.
How much does SQE2 cost?
£3,086 for sittings from October 2026, covering the written and oral assessments together. It was £2,974 before.
What is the total SQE cost in rupees?
SQE1 plus SQE2 is £5,092, about ₹6,48,263 at 1 GBP = ₹127.31 (ECB, 28 September 2026). That is our conversion; your bank rate will differ.
How much does an Indian advocate with an SQE2 exemption pay?
About £2,425.84 in SRA and assessment fees on our arithmetic if you live in India: SQE1, the £265 exemption application, validation and admission, roughly ₹3,08,834 at our dated rate. Overseas-only screening has no SRA fee, but you pay for an Indian criminal-record check. If you have lived 12 months or more in the UK in the past five years, add £34 for UK screening.
Does the fee rise apply to SQE1?
Yes. The SRA says it applies to any candidate who books to take the SQE from October 2026, so the January 2027 SQE1 is £2,006.
Can I pay for FLK1 and FLK2 separately?
No, not at a first attempt. Both papers are booked and paid in one payment in the same window, unless you are exempt or resitting one paper.
How much is an SQE resit?
£1,003 for one FLK paper, £2,006 for both, and £3,086 for SQE2 at the current fees.
Is VAT charged on SQE fees?
No. The SQE website says the fees are exempt from VAT.
How much is the SRA admission fee?
£100, after screening: £34 if UK screening is required, no SRA fee if you qualify for overseas-only screening. The SRA aims to admit within 30 days unless there is a character and suitability issue.
Sources
- official — SQE website — Cost of the SQE, Wayback capture 20 Jul 2026
- official — SRA — SQE Update, April 2026 (fee change, January 2026 SQE1 and October 2025 SQE2 results)
- official — SRA — SQE Update, September 2026
- official — SRA — Applying for an SQE2 exemption (updated 6 August 2026)
- official — SRA — Check and validate your qualification (updated 25 July 2025)
- official — SRA — Early assessment of character and suitability (updated 1 August 2026)
- official — SRA — Apply for screening (updated 17 July 2026): £34 UK screening, no fee for overseas-only screening
- official — SRA — Admission forms and fees (updated 23 January 2025)
- official — SRA — SQE: four years of facts and figures (29 January 2026)
- official — SRA — English or Welsh language proficiency (updated 1 June 2026)
- official — SQE website — Booking windows and assessment dates, Wayback capture 20 Jul 2026
- reported — frankfurter.app, a third-party API carrying ECB reference-rate data (1 GBP = 127.31 INR, 28 Sep 2026) — used only for our INR arithmetic
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
