The IHS fee applies to all non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals who are coming to the UK for more than 6 months for work, study, or family reasons. The fee also applies to those who are extending their stay in the UK and those who are switching from one visa category to another. The fee does not apply to those who are coming to the UK for less than 6 months or those who are from EEA countries.
The fee must be paid as part of the immigration application process, either online or by post. For those applying online, the payment must be completed and returned to the online immigration application in less than 30 minutes. If applying by post, the payment must be made before the application is completed. The IHS fee can only be paid by debit or credit card.
What information do you need to provide?
If you are applying online, you will be asked for your certificate of sponsorship start and end dates, and your course dates if you are applying as a student. If you are applying by post, you will also be asked for the type of visa you are applying for, your passport or travel document number, and your email address.
IHS fees
The cost of the IHS fee varies depending on the length of your stay in the UK and the type of visa you are applying for. The fee is calculated per year and must be paid in advance. A fee of £470 is charged for stays that last between 6-12 months, and an additional fee of £235 is charged for stays shorter than 6 months.
For instance, if you’re enrolling in a 12-month course, your visa should commence one month prior to the start of the course and should extend for a total of 17 months to cover the length of the course and four additional months. In this case, the IHS fee payable would be £705 (£470 + £235).
If you’re pursuing a 3-year undergraduate degree, you’ll have to pay an IHS fee of £470 for each year of your course, along with an additional £235 for the extra time provided before and after the course. This would result in a total IHS fee of £1645 (£470 x 3) + £235.
When receiving the email notification, payment of the immigration health surcharge must be made within 10 working days if you are located within the UK and 7 working days if you are located outside the UK.
Paying the IHS fee as part of your immigration application is important as it contributes to the UK National Health Service and ensures that you have access to the same healthcare as those who are permanently living in the UK. This includes access to General Practitioner (GP) services, hospital treatment, and emergency care.
Is it possible to get refunds for IHS?
The Immigration Health Surcharge is refundable in certain circumstances. Automatic refunds are given for overpayments when a Student Visa is granted.
If a Student Visa is refused or withdrawn before being decided, the surcharge will be refunded. Refunds may also be possible for overlapping payments within the UK. However, overlapping payments made outside the UK are generally not refunded, and payments will not be returned if the visa is not used (i.e. if someone receives the Visa, but does not travel to UK).
Required details for family members
When paying for immigration health surcharge (IHS) for family members, the information required is similar to what was used for paying for one’s own visa or immigration application. This includes details of anyone applying for a visa or immigration application along with the person applying, such as a dependent.
Additionally, if applying to join or remain with a person already in the UK, the individual’s leave expiration date is also required, except if they are a UK or EEA citizen. In the case where the person in the UK has already paid the IHS, their reference number will also be needed. Typically, dependents aged 18 or above are required to pay the same fee as the primary visa applicant.
