Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Most UK visa applicants will need to pay an immigration health surcharge while applying for their visas. How much you must pay or whether you can be exempt, will depend on the type of UK visa you are applying for.
If you want to know more about the immigration health surcharge UK, what amount you will be required to pay for yourself and/or your dependants, or whether you can be exempt or be eligible for a refund, dial +44 (0) 333 305 9375 today to speak with one of our expert immigration advisers.
What Is Immigration Health Surcharge?
The immigration health surcharge (IHS) is a fee most temporary migrants are required to pay to use the medical and emergency facilities offered by the public-funded National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
Payment of IHS during your UK visa application is mandatory, unless you are exempt or have been granted a fee waiver. As per the UK immigration rules, your visa application will not be processed till you pay the applicable surcharge in full, and may altogether be rejected if you fail to pay within the stipulated deadline.
Prior to April 2015, temporary migrants in the UK were eligible to avail of the NHS facilities free of charge. In April 2015, the UK government introduced the IHS to cover the NHS costs incurred by such migrants.
The standard rate increased to is £1035 per person per year, payable in advance for the entire visa duration. This rate, however, varies depending on the visa applicant’s age as well as their type of visa.
Page Contents
- What Is Immigration Health Surcharge?
- Who Needs to Pay Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)?
- Immigration Health Surcharge Exemption
- How Much Is the UK IHS Fee in 2026?
- When You Can Start to Use the NHS Free of Charge
- How to Pay IHS As Part of Your Immigration Application
- What Is an IHS Reference Number?
- Immigration Health Surcharge Refunds (IHS Reimbursement)
- How Total Law Can Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Needs to Pay Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)?
If you are a foreign national coming to the UK for more than six months to work, study, set up or run a business, or for family reunification purposes, in most scenarios you will be required to pay the IHS (in addition to your visa processing fees) for both yourself and your eligible dependent family members (if any).
If you are already in the UK and switching to a visa/permission or renewing/extending your current permission to remain for any length of time, you will be required to pay the applicable IHS. Even if you have private health insurance, you will be required to pay the surcharge. In certain scenarios, you may be eligible for a partial or full refund.
Standard Visitor visa holders or people applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK are not required to pay the IHS. While ILR holders are eligible to NHS services free of charge like UK citizens, people on visitor visas will have to pay for any NHS facilities they avail of while in the UK (unless it is designated as a free service).
Immigration Health Surcharge Exemption
The following categories of people are exempt from paying the IHS:
- ILR applicants (unless the Home Office only gives them limited leave)
- Health and Care Worker visa applicants and their eligible dependent family members
- EU Settlement Scheme applicants
- Foreign diplomats or a member of a visiting armed forces (who aren’t subject to immigration control)
- Dependants of a member of the UK’s armed forces
- Dependants of a member of a visiting armed forces (who is exempt from immigration control)
- British Overseas Territory citizens who are residents in the Falkland Islands
- Asylum seekers or people applying for humanitarian protection as well as their dependent family members
- Domestic workers who have been identified as victims of slavery or human trafficking
- People (and their dependants, if any) applying for discretionary leave to remain in the UK as someone who has been identified as a victim of slavery or human trafficking
- People to whom the Home Office’s domestic violence concession applies (and their dependants)
- People who, if made to leave the UK, it would be against their rights under Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (as well as their dependants)
- S2 Healthcare Visitors
- Applicants eligible for a Frontier Worker permit and possess an S1 certificate
- Foreign children under 18 taken into care by a local authority in the UK
- Relevant civilian employees at NATO or the Australian Department of Defence in the UK (along with their dependent family members)
- People applying to remain in the UK as a stateless person
- People applying for the Ukraine Extension Scheme or for a visa under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
How Much Is the UK IHS Fee in 2026?
The Gov.UK website has an IHS calculator to understand how much surcharge you will have to pay. The yearly cost varies depending on your age at the time of your visa application as well as your UK visa/permission type.
The exact amount you pay, however, depends on the actual length of your visa. The Home Office may decide to grant you a visa that lasts longer than your course of study or period of employment in the UK. This may mean that your actual payment will be more than what the calculator shows.
If you are applying for a permission to remain in the UK for more than six months but less than one year, you will be required to pay the IHS for a full year. If your permission is for 18 months or less, you’ll have to pay the applicable yearly surcharge plus half the yearly cost, and the surcharge for two full years if it’s for more than 18 months but less than two years. Dependent family members aged 18 or over usually need to pay the same amount as the main applicant.
The following table helps you understand your applicable IHS cost at a glance:
| Visa Name | Applicable IHS |
| Student or Youth Mobility Scheme visa – per year | £776 |
| Student or Youth Mobility Scheme visa – two years | £1552 |
| Visa and immigration applicants aged under 18 at the time of their application | £776 |
| All other visa and immigration applications – per year | £1035 |
| All other visa and immigration applications – five years | £5,175 |
| Student, Youth Mobility Scheme or under-18 applications (applying for six months or less inside the UK. You’ll have to pay half the yearly cost) | £388 |
| For any other applications (applying for six months or less inside the UK. You’ll have to pay half the yearly cost) | £517.50 |
When You Can Start to Use the NHS Free of Charge
Since you are required to pay the IHS in full during your online visa/permission application, you are eligible to avail of the NHS facilities free of charge from the start date of your visa. If you are already in the UK and still awaiting a Home Office decision on your visa application, you may be required to pay for any NHS treatment you receive during that period.
To access NHS facilities, you may need to provide your biometric residence permit (if you have one) or prove your status online using a share code (if you have a digital immigration status). Please note that certain health and care services are still chargeable even if you have paid a surcharge, such as prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests, and assisted conception.
How to Pay IHS As Part of Your Immigration Application
You will need to pay the IHS while applying for your UK visa/permission online. You will be asked certain questions for the system to determine whether you need to pay the IHS or you are exempt, and accordingly you will be routed to the payments page, if applicable.
The payment window will be active for 30 minutes, within which time you will need to make the payment using a credit or debit card. Once payment is complete, the website will route you back to your visa page to finish your immigration application.
Please have the following information ready with you to complete your IHS payment:
- Start and end dates on your certificate of sponsorship (for sponsored work routes to the UK)
- Course start and end dates (for Student visa)
- Your details
- Your dependent family members’ (if any) details if they’re applying at the same time with you
- Details of your family member(s) in the UK if you are applying to join them (not applicable if they are UK citizens or ILR holders, or have EU settled status) including their visa expiry date and/or IHS reference number (if they have one)
What Is an IHS Reference Number?
When you have paid the IHS, an IHS reference number will be shown on screen (you will also receive the same via email). Please write this number on the cover of your visa application if you are applying online from outside the UK. If you are applying inside the UK, please write it on the cover sheet if applying online, or on the application form if applying by post.
You can use this number only once, and will be required to mention it even if you are exempt from paying the IHS.
Immigration Health Surcharge Refunds (IHS Reimbursement)
Unlike UK visa processing fees which are non-refundable, you may get a full or partial refund for IHS in certain scenarios. Likewise, you may also be eligible for an IHS reimbursement if you fulfil certain conditions.
Who Is Eligible for an IHS Refund or Reimbursement?
A full refund of IHS is possible if you have:
- Paid the IHS twice for the same visa application
- Been refused a UK visa
- Withdrawn your visa application before a decision is made
You will be eligible for a partial IHS refund if you have received a positive decision on your visa application but:
- The Home Office has granted you less leave than what you asked (and paid the IHS) for
- You have paid the IHS twice for the same period while applying to extend or switch your visa in the UK (unless the said period is less than six months, in which case you won’t get a refund as a partial IHS refund is rounded down to the nearest six months)
Moreover, If you have dependent family members included in your visa application, the IHS you paid for them will be refunded if their visa application is not successful. This is also known as a partial refund of IHS.
Any full or partial IHS refund due to you will be credited automatically to your account or card you paid with. In case someone else paid your IHS on your behalf, they will receive the refund if any.
Who Can Reimburse IHS?
IHS reimbursement schemes are available for EEA/Swiss students, health and care workers, and S1 certificate holders. EEA/Swiss students may apply for a full or partial IHS reimbursement if they:
- Are undertaking a full-time higher education course in the UK
- Have a valid EHIC card
- Hold a UK visa that started on or after 1 January 2021
- Do not work or intend to work in the UK during their visa
An S1 certificate holder can claim IHS reimbursement if they have registered their S1 certificate with the NHS BSA, and their visa starts after 1 January 2021 (for EU nationals) or after 1 November 2021 (for Swiss nationals).
Migrants employed in the Health and Care sector on visas other than the Health and Care Worker visa may be able to get a refund of the IHS if they have worked in the said sector for six months or more. Their dependent family members will also be able to claim a reimbursement.
How Total Law Can Help
Paying the IHS or getting a refund/reimbursement seem to be quite straightforward processes on paper. However, in reality, a visa applicant may find it difficult to understand whether they are exempt, how much they must pay if not, or if they can get a full/partial refund or be eligible for a reimbursement.
If you are seeking answers to any of the above, or simply want to understand the IHS UK in detail so as not to risk a visa refusal over non-payment (or less payment) of the same, our team of expert immigration advisers can guide you, even if your circumstances are complicated. We can also help you prepare for a reimbursement application, if required.
Call us today on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to speak with one of our specialist immigration advisers.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Home Office site has an IHS calculator to work out how much you need to pay. However, the actual amount may slightly vary as it depends on the length of your permission granted (which may be different than what you asked for).
No, IHS is a one-time payment required to be completed during your visa application. You can not pay the same in instalments.
You will get any full or partial IHS refund due to you within 28 days of getting a decision on your visa application. It may take longer if you appeal or ask for an administrative review of your visa refusal decision.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at Total Law before making any decisions based on the content provided.