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If you are applying for a Student visa, you will usually need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your visa application.
The IHS gives you access to healthcare through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) during the period covered by your visa.
You pay the IHS in addition to your Student visa application fee.
If you are applying for a Student visa from outside the UK, you will normally need to pay the IHS if your visa will be for more than six months.
If you are applying for a Student visa from inside the UK, you will normally need to pay the IHS regardless of how long your new visa will be, including where it will be for six months or less.
You must still pay the IHS if you have private medical insurance.
You do not normally pay the IHS if you are applying from outside the UK for a visa lasting six months or less.
Find out who needs to pay the IHS on gov.uk.
The current IHS rate for Student visa applicants and their Student dependants is £776 per person, per year of immigration permission.
The amount you pay is based on the length of your visa, not simply the length of your course.
For part-years, the IHS is charged in six-month blocks.
| Length of visa | Applying from outside the UK | Applying from inside the UK |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months or less | No IHS | £388 |
| More than 6 months but less than 1 year | £776 | £776 |
| More than 1 year, up to 18 months | £1,164 | £1,164 |
| More than 18 months but less than 2 years | £1,552 | £1,552 |
The IHS rate is set by the UK Government and can change. Always check the current rate before making your visa application.
Check the current IHS rates on gov.uk.
Your Student visa normally includes some additional time before and after your course. The IHS is based on the total length of your visa, so this additional time is included when your IHS is calculated.
For example, if you are studying a 12-month master’s degree, your Student visa will normally include an additional four months after your course ends. This means your visa covers more than 12 months and you would currently pay the IHS for 18 months, equating to £1,164.
So, do not calculate your IHS simply by multiplying £776 by the number of academic years on your course.
The Student visa application will calculate the amount you need to pay.
If you are applying for your Student visa from overseas, you normally need to pay the IHS if your visa will be for more than six months.
You pay the IHS during the online Student visa application process.
If you are applying from outside the UK, the IHS will normally be payable in the currency specified for the country from which you are applying. The amount you pay may therefore differ from a simple conversion of the sterling amount, because of the exchange rate used by the Home Office.
Make sure that your debit or credit card has a sufficient payment limit before starting your application.
If somebody else is paying the IHS for you, they may also need to be available to approve the payment with their bank.
If you are extending your Student visa or switching to the Student route from inside the UK, you must normally pay the IHS regardless of how long your new immigration permission will be.
This means that, even if you are applying for six months or less, you will normally need to pay £388 at the current Student rate.
If you still have time remaining on your existing visa, your new application may sometimes result in you paying the IHS twice for part of the same period. You may be eligible for a partial refund if you have paid the IHS twice for an overlapping period of six months or more.
You pay the IHS as part of your online visa application using a debit or credit card.
When completing the IHS section of your Student visa application, you will be asked for information including your course start and end dates. The visa application process will calculate the amount of IHS you need to pay.
After you have paid, you will receive an IHS reference number. This will be shown on screen and sent to you by email. Keep this email for your records.
You will then continue with your visa application and pay your visa application fee.
If UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) decides that you have not paid enough IHS, they will normally email you and ask you to pay the remaining amount.
You must make the additional payment within:
Your visa application can be refused if you do not pay the full amount within the deadline.
Check your email regularly, including your junk or spam folder, while your visa application is being considered.
If your partner or children are eligible to apply as your Student dependants, they will normally need to pay the IHS as part of their own visa applications.
The current concessionary IHS rate for Student dependants is also £776 per person, per year.
If several members of your family are applying, the total cost can therefore be significant. Make sure you budget for the IHS for each person, as well as their individual visa application fees.
Paying the IHS gives you access to NHS healthcare during the period covered by your visa. If you have paid the IHS, you can normally start using the NHS from the date your visa starts.
However, paying the IHS does not mean that all NHS services are free.
In England, you may still need to pay for some services, including:
Assisted conception services are also treated separately.
When you arrive in the UK, you should register with a local doctor, known as a GP (General Practitioner).
Find out more about healthcare for international students on the UKCISA website.
Yes. If you are required to pay the IHS, you must pay it even if you already have private medical insurance or do not expect to use NHS services.
Private medical or travel insurance may still be useful for healthcare or other costs that are not covered by the NHS.
You will normally receive a full IHS refund if:
You may receive a partial refund if:
If you apply for a new visa from inside the UK while your existing visa is still valid, there may be a period covered by both IHS payments. If the overlapping period is six months or more, you may receive a partial refund.
Refunds are calculated in complete six-month periods and rounded down.
For example, if you have paid twice for an overlapping period of 15 months, the refund would cover 12 months.
If the overlap is less than six months, you will not receive a refund for the overlapping period.
Where an automatic refund is due, you do not normally need to apply for it. The money will be returned to the account or card originally used to pay the IHS. Ifsomebody else paid the IHS for you, the refund will normally be returned to them.
Gov.uk advises that IHS refunds are usually received within six weeks of the relevant visa decision. It can take longer in some circumstances, including where there is an appeal or Administrative Review.
Read the gov.uk guidance on IHS refunds.
You will not normally receive an IHS refund simply because:
Some full-time higher education students from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein may be able to apply for a full or partial reimbursement of their IHS if they have an eligible European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
There are specific eligibility requirements. These include not working, and not intending to work, in the UK during the period for which you are claiming reimbursement.
Receiving an IHS reimbursement may also affect the healthcare you can access in the UK.
You should carefully read the gov.uk guidance before deciding whether to apply for a reimbursement.
Check if you can apply for a student IHS reimbursement on gov.uk.