Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
From April 2015, when applying for a UK visa from abroad or when extending / switching to another category in the country, in addition to the visa fee, you must pay a fee for the right to use the British National Health Service. This applies to most immigration categories. Exceptions are visitor visas, visas for family members of EU nationals, and very few categories, such as family members of the UK’s armed forces.
You do not need to pay when applying for Settled Status under EU Settlement Scheme (Indefinite Leave to Remain).
You’ll have to pay:
£624 per year for all other visa and immigration applications, for example £3,120 for a 5-year visa
£470 per year for a student or Youth Mobility Scheme visa, for example £940 for a 2-year visa
£470 per year for visa and immigration applicants who are under the age of 18 at time of application
PLEASE NOTE: From 16 January 2024, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for all applicants and dependent family members over 18 years of age will increase from £624 to £1,035 per year.
We will show what this means with an example: the applicant applies for a 5-year Skilled Worker visa. Today, at the time of submitting an application online, he must pay, in addition to the visa fee, the IHS fee for 5 years. That’s 624×5= 3,120 pounds. This is only for one applicant. If there is a spouse who is dependent, then the amount is multiplied by two. This is for today.
From 16 January 2024, the amount per adult applicant (and therefore dependent spouse) will be £5,175. Multiply by two.
For students and dependent children under 18, NHS charges will also increase from £470 to £776 per year.
Dependants aged 18 or over usually need to pay the same amount as you.
If the application is submitted online then payment needs to be made at the time of the visa application. If your application is refused, IHS will be refunded in full.
