UK animal research licence fees rise from April 2026

If you run, work in, or study a UK lab that uses animals, fees are about to change. From 6 April 2026, the Home Office will charge a higher annual amount for the establishment licence that allows an organisation to carry out regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. According to legislation.gov.uk, the fixed charge becomes £1,168 and the per‑person charge rises to £382.

The Order was made on 12 March 2026, laid before Parliament on 16 March 2026 and begins on 6 April 2026. As of today, 17 March 2026, it has been laid but is not yet in force. The change applies in England, Wales and Scotland.

What is being charged? The fee here is for the establishment licence under section 2C of ASPA-the licence held by an institution to run an authorised undertaking at a named place. This is separate from project licences and personal licences, which continue to be granted to cover specific programmes of work and individual competency.

Here is how the calculation works for each 12‑month period beginning on 6 April. There are two parts: a fixed element of £1,168 if your establishment licence is in force for any part of that year, and a variable element of £382 for every person who, at any time in that year, holds a personal licence that names your establishment.

That wording matters for your headcount. Because the rule says “for the whole or any part of that period”, joiners and leavers both count. Someone who holds a personal licence for two weeks in July still counts. If one person leaves in June and another starts in October, you will be charged £382 twice.

Counting is by establishment. If a personal licensee lists two establishments, each establishment will include that person in its own headcount for the year. The fee does not pro‑rate by months, and there is no sliding scale for part‑time roles.

Let’s make it concrete. A small unit with three personal licensees naming the site at any time between 6 April 2026 and 5 April 2027 would pay £2,314 in total: the £1,168 fixed element plus £1,146 in variable fees. A medium site with twelve personal licensees would pay £5,752. A large site with forty would pay £16,448.

The Order also revokes the 2024 fees. The Explanatory Note on legislation.gov.uk says the fixed element increases from £1,007 to £1,168 and the variable element from £329 to £382. The Note adds that a full impact assessment has not been produced because no, or no significant, impact is foreseen for the private, voluntary or public sector.

If you are responsible for budgets, use the last fortnight of March to verify who currently names your site on their personal licence and who is expected to join or leave shortly after 6 April. Keep a dated roster you can show your AWERB and the Establishment Licence Holder. Reconcile with HR start dates and training logs so your count is defensible.

For students and early‑career researchers, this is a live example of how ASPA connects people, places and permissions. The establishment licence covers the place; the personal licence covers the trained individual; the project licence covers the regulated programme. Cost sits largely with the place, scaled by how many trained people carry out regulated procedures there.

One final detail on scope. This Order extends to England, Wales and Scotland. If you operate in Northern Ireland, check local arrangements before assuming the same charges apply. For everyone else, plan on the new fees from 6 April 2026 and remember that even short‑term personal licence holders will be counted.