All insights

Guides

The family definitions that quietly decide your total cost

Advisory desk · 15 April 2026 · 6 min read

Program marketing quotes a single-applicant figure. Almost nobody applies as a single applicant.

Dependent children. Age ceilings vary and several programs require proof of full financial dependency and full-time education above eighteen. A child who turns nineteen mid-process can fall out of the application.

Parents and grandparents. Inclusion is common but priced per person, often with a minimum age and a dependency test. This is usually the largest single swing in a family's total.

Siblings. Only a handful of programs allow them, and generally only unmarried, childless siblings under a stated age.

Run the family calculation before you shortlist. On some files, the second-cheapest program for one applicant is the cheapest for a family of five.

Want this assessed against your own file?

A consultation with an adviser covers your nationality, funds and timeline, and ends with a written shortlist and a fixed fee quote.

Book a consultation