IELTS changes 2026: key dates, rules and fees
Last verified 7 October 2026 · 3 min read · ieltspractice.app
Quick answer
The biggest IELTS changes in 2026: paper IELTS has ended in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The UK Skilled Worker visa now needs English at level B2. From 24 August 2026, New Zealand accepts 5-year-old results for some skilled migrants. Some IELTS fees went up too.
Photo: Dafne Cholet — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
What changed in IELTS in 2026?
This page lists the dated changes to IELTS, and to the visa rules that use IELTS, oldest first. The timeline also covers changes from late 2025 and early 2027 that affect 2026 test takers. Each row says who made the change and links to our guide or to the official page.
Some changes come from the organisations that run the test, IDP and the British Council. Others come from governments and regulators, the bodies that decide which results they accept. A change is listed only when an official page states its date. The exception is a fee change: if no page dates it, we give the two dates between which the provider’s own page changed.
Australia: new list of approved tests
Home Affairs changed the English tests it accepts for visas. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, it accepts IELTS Academic and General Training, including One Skill Retake (retaking one part of the test). An older result may still count for up to 3 years, depending on the visa. See how long IELTS is valid.
UK: Skilled Worker needs B2 English
GOV.UK says new Skilled Worker visa applicants must prove English at level B2 or higher on the CEFR, the European scale of language levels. If you had this visa before 8 January 2026 and you are extending it, you need level B1. See the IELTS score for a UK visa.
Bangladesh: paper IELTS ends
IDP Bangladesh says IELTS on paper is no longer offered in Bangladesh after 31 January 2026. See IELTS on computer.
IELTS announces the end of paper tests
IELTS says that from mid-2026 it will no longer offer IELTS on paper, and the exact timing is different in each country. Paper results stay valid until the end of the recommended two-year period. See IELTS on computer.
India: IDP fee change (1 April 2026)
From 1 April 2026: IDP India’s fee page said: “Starting 1st April'26, the IELTS test fee will increase from ₹18,000 to ₹19,000.” Archived copies show INR 18,000 on 30 March 2026 and INR 19,000 on 3 April 2026. See IELTS exam fees.
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India: other IDP fee changes
Between 30 March 2026 and 3 April 2026: Archived copies of IDP India’s fee page show these changes. IELTS for UKVI (the version for UK visas) went from INR 18,250 to INR 19,250. IELTS Life Skills (an English test for some UK visa applications) went from INR 17,000 to INR 18,000. One Skill Retake went from INR 12,000 to INR 12,650. Fees for a remark (a re-mark of your test), a date change and extra reports went up too. See IELTS exam fees.
Ahpra: new minimum English scores
Ahpra, the agency that registers health workers in Australia, says changes to the minimum English test scores are in effect from 23 April 2026. The scores you need depend on when you took your test. See Ahpra’s accepted tests page.
Nepal: paper IELTS ends
IDP Nepal says IELTS on paper is no longer offered in Nepal after 27 June 2026. See IELTS on computer.
Nepal: Writing on Paper starts
IDP Nepal says Writing on Paper is available in Nepal from 1 July 2026. You take Listening and Reading on computer and write your Writing answers by hand. See IELTS on computer.
New Zealand: 5-year results for some
From 24 August 2026, Immigration New Zealand accepts English test results up to 5 years old for some Skilled Migrant Category applicants. They must hold a recognised occupational registration. This is a New Zealand registration for a job on Immigration New Zealand’s list, for example a chartered accountant or a registered plumber. See how long IELTS is valid.
India: Writing on Paper starts
IDP India says Writing on Paper is available in India from 1 September 2026. IDP India also says IELTS on paper has been discontinued, but gives no last date. See IELTS on computer.
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Bangladesh: British Council fee change
Between 7 August 2026 and 4 September 2026: Archived copies of the British Council Bangladesh fee data show the fee for IELTS for UKVI (the version for UK visas) going up from BDT 33,200 to BDT 34,850. See IELTS exam fees.
UK: Graduate visa becomes 18 months
GOV.UK says a Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. With a PhD, it lasts 3 years. See GOV.UK’s Graduate visa page.
Sources (15)
Paper IELTS: where it has ended
In March 2026, IELTS said it would stop offering paper tests from mid-2026, with different timing in each country. Paper IELTS has ended in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. In Pakistan, the British Council keeps paper only for candidates with special approval on medical grounds.
IDP India gives no last date, and the British Council gives no end date for Pakistan, so the timeline gives no end date for them. In some countries you can still handwrite your Writing with Writing on Paper, an option inside the computer test.
| Country | Paper IELTS | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Ended after 31 January 2026 | IDP Bangladesh |
| India | Ended (no date given) | IDP India |
| Nepal | Ended after 27 June 2026 | IDP Nepal |
| Pakistan | Only for candidates with special approval on medical grounds | British Council Pakistan |
Did IELTS validity change?
IELTS is owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. These IELTS partners still recommend a 2-year limit, but each organisation that receives your result can set its own. Australia accepts a result from the 3 years before you apply for many visas, and from 24 August 2026, New Zealand accepts 5 years for some Skilled Migrant applicants.
Check the end date for your own goal with the calculator below.
Free tool · IELTS validity & expiry calculator
Open full pagePick your test date to see when your result expires.
Did IELTS fees change in 2026?
The timeline shows each fee change we can date. “From” is a date the provider’s own page gave. “Between” gives the last date the old fee was seen and the first date the new fee was seen, on archived copies of the provider’s page or in our own checks. For today’s fees by country, see IELTS exam fees in 2026.
Changes that are proposed, not final
IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), the government’s immigration department, is looking at changing Express Entry, Canada’s online system for skilled workers. These changes are proposed, not final. Until IRCC changes its Express Entry pages, the current rules still apply.
From 23 April to 24 May 2026, IRCC held a public consultation: it asked the public for their views on these plans. Its discussion paper proposed one language minimum for everyone: CLB 6 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. CLB means Canadian Language Benchmarks, Canada’s scale of English levels. For the current rules, read the IELTS score for Canada PR.
| Proposed change | Who | Status | What it would mean for IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada: one programme in place of the 3 Express Entry skilled worker programmes | IRCC | Proposed, not final. Public consultation from 23 April to 24 May 2026 | One language minimum for everyone: CLB 6 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. In IELTS General Training, that is Listening 5.5, Reading 5.0, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 5.5. |
How we keep this page up to date
We re-check every row against its official page regularly, and add a change when an official page gives its date. Last checked 7 October 2026.
More on these changes
Frequently asked questions
Is paper IELTS ending in 2026?
It has already ended in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. IDP says it ended in Bangladesh after 31 January 2026 and in Nepal after 27 June 2026; IDP India gives no date. In Pakistan, the British Council keeps paper only for candidates with special approval on medical grounds.
Did the IELTS fee go up in 2026?
Some did. The timeline lists each one: IDP India (from 1 April 2026), IDP India (between 30 March 2026 and 3 April 2026), British Council Bangladesh (between 7 August 2026 and 4 September 2026). Always check the fee on the provider’s booking page when you book.
Did IELTS validity change?
The IELTS partners, the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, still recommend a 2-year limit. Each organisation that receives your result can set its own. Australia accepts a result from the 3 years before you apply for many visas. From 24 August 2026, New Zealand accepts 5-year-old results for Skilled Migrant applicants with a recognised occupational registration.
What changes are coming next?
From 1 January 2027, a UK Graduate visa lasts 18 months instead of 2 years, GOV.UK says. In Canada, IRCC has proposed one Express Entry language minimum, CLB 6. The Canada change is proposed, not final.
Does Australia accept IELTS One Skill Retake?
Yes. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs lists IELTS Academic and General Training, including One Skill Retake, as accepted tests. Check the English rules for your visa.
Sources
- IELTS: Updates to IELTS test delivery (5 March 2026)
- IDP IELTS Bangladesh: IELTS on paper
- IDP IELTS India: home page notice on IELTS on Paper
- IDP IELTS Nepal: IELTS on paper
- British Council Pakistan: IELTS test dates and locations
- IDP IELTS Nepal: IELTS Writing on Paper
- IDP India: IELTS Writing on Paper in India (blog)
- Australian Department of Home Affairs: English language visa requirements
- Immigration New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category changes from 24 August 2026
- Immigration New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- IELTS: verifying IELTS results (validity period)
- IELTS: about IELTS (who owns IELTS)
- Ahpra: accepted English language tests
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, knowledge of English
- GOV.UK: Graduate visa (how long you can stay)
- IRCC: 2026 consultations on potential Express Entry reforms (archived)
- IRCC: consultations on reforms to Express Entry’s federal high skilled programs and the CRS (discussion paper)
- IDP IELTS India: IELTS exam fee in India 2026 (archived 2026-03-30)
- IDP IELTS India: IELTS exam fee in India 2026 (archived 2026-04-03)
- British Council Bangladesh: IELTS dates, fees and locations, fee data (archived 2026-09-04)
- British Council Bangladesh: IELTS dates, fees and locations, fee data (archived 2026-08-07)
Facts on this page last checked against these sources on 7 October 2026.
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