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Skip to content Most people who want to enter or stay in the UK on a visa have to pay a fee called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
People with an IHS visa can use NHS services while they are in the UK. Once you have paid the IHS or are exempt, you can begin accessing certain healthcare services as a successful visa application. You will be able to get your IHS back if your visa application is denied or dropped. In some other situations, you may also be repaid.
For any type of visa assistance you can call us at 02033844389.
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You may have to pay an extra fee for health care when you apply for a visa to live or work in the UK. “IHS” stands for “Immigration Health Surcharge.” The specific immigration status you are seeking will determine the amount and kind of fee that may be required.
Most of the time, you will have to pay the IHS if you are asking for a visa or immigration outside of the UK for more than 6 months or if you are applying in the UK for any length of time.
Your exact fee will be determined by the amount of leave granted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
The current surcharge rates are:
In 2024, the IHS will go up to £1,035 for each main candidate and to £776 for students and children.
If your application covers more than six months, you will pay for a whole year. If it covers less than six months, you will only pay half of the value of a full year. People who depend on you and are at least 18 years old generally have to pay the same amount as you. When you submit your application, payment is required regardless of the situation.
Sometimes, the application may be able to get a full or partial refund of the IHS. The rules for getting a return from IHS are:
If the visa application is approved, part of the IHS fee will be refunded, but
In any of these situations, you will not need to do anything to get a full or partial return. It will be sent straight to the account or card you used to pay. Usually, you’ll get your refund within 6 weeks of hearing back about your application.
However, if you file an appeal or ask for an internal review after your visa application is turned down, it may take longer. If your appeal or administrative review is accepted, but you have already received your IHS return, you will have to pay back the surcharge based on the fact that your application was accepted.
You might also be able to get your IHS refund if your healthcare is paid for by an EU country or if you work in a healthcare setting or are a qualified healthcare worker.
You won’t get your money back if you get a visa but then decide not to come to the UK, or if you leave the UK or are told to leave before your visa ends.
If you haven’t gotten your IHS refund within 6 weeks of any decision on your visa application, appeal, or administrative review, please email nhsbsa.IHSreimbursements@nhs.net or call at their IHS refund contact number to let them know.
You will have to go through visa checks if you are from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland and want to move to the UK to work, study, or settle down. This is because of the new points-based system. In other words, you will need permission from UKVI to be in the UK legally. If you want to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you may also have to pay the immigration health extra when you apply for your visa online.
For the whole length of your visa, you will have to pay the full amount of the fee up front. You may be able to get a full or partial IHS return if your healthcare is paid for by an EU member state and your UK visa starts on or after January 1, 2021. This is as long as you have an S1 certificate registered with the NHS Business Services Authority.
You can also get your IHS refund if you were given a visa on or after January 1, 2021, and you plan to study full-time at a UK college or university. You can only get one if you don’t work in the UK and have an EHIC from an EU country.
You can apply for IHS refund starting on January 1, 2022. However, your refund will go back and include any payments you made for a visa that started on or after January 1, 2021. The amount of money you get back will rely on when your S1 or EHIC expires.
If you have a Health and Care Worker visa, you will not have to pay the immigration health fee. If you came to the UK on a different visa but later meet the requirements for the exemption, you will be refunded any surcharges you paid for any six-month period starting March 31, 2020, where you work in a relevant health or social care setting. Also approved family members can get the backdated exemption.
You may or may not get all of your money back, depending on when you paid the fee. If you paid after March 31, 2020, you will get your money back in full. Payments made before March 31, 2020, will be partially refunded. You will get your money back for any six months that your IHS payment covered work in a qualifying job after this date.
Getting your IHS money back can be done in a number of ways, based on your visa and job. If you have a hold visa under the Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange Medical Training Initiative or the Tier 5 Medical Training Initiative, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges will ask UKVI to process your return. While the return is being processed, you will be notified.
If you are a medical worker with a Tier 2 (General) visa, you should get your money back automatically. Some people may be able to get their IHS fees paid back if they don’t have a Tier 2 (General) visa or work in a different health or care job.
If you are already in the UK on a Tier 2 (General) visa and working in a health or social care job that is qualified, you should not have to pay the IHS. Job roles that are eligible include those of nurses, doctors, and other trained health care workers. Anyone who is qualified will get their money back for any time left on their visa after March 31, 2020. This will be sent immediately to the account or card you used to pay the extra fee.
You can contact them through IHS refund email nhsbsa.IHSreimbursements@nhs.net if you haven’t gotten your refund yet and think you are eligible. You should put your name, the name of your support, your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number, your IHS number, and the date you paid the surcharge in your email. Usually, you’ll hear back in 6 weeks, and any money you get back will be sent back to the account or card you used to pay.
You have the option to submit an online application for an IHS reimbursement if you are a healthcare professional who is not qualified for an automatic refund, such as if you do not possess a Tier 2 (General) visa, or if you occupy an alternative function within the healthcare industry. There are many types of healthcare settings, such as hospitals, GP offices, care homes, and community healthcare sites.
It’s not necessary for you to work directly with patients for your job to be linked to health or social care. As an example, a receptionist in an NHS or care setting might help with documentation and management. Another example would be someone who cleans or cooks for ground management. During the last six months, you may have had paid leave, like pregnancy or statutory sick leave. However, you will not be eligible if you had unpaid leave or were out of work for more than 28 days in that time.
You can ask for an IHS reimbursement for a single period of six months at a time. The money is paid to you in six-month installments, starting on March 31, 2020, and going forward. Based on the rules, this means you will have to keep applying every six months to get extra time off.
People who want to use the IHS reimbursement system must do so online at a website run by the UK government. Along with your email address, IHS number, National Insurance number, and the name of your workplace, you will need to apply. You will also need scanned or screenshot copies of your payslips for the last six months. If someone else is dependent on you, you will also need their IHS number.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will look over your application. If your claim is accepted and follows the scheme’s rules, it will be sent to UKVI. Within 6 weeks, you will get your money back using the same way you used to pay.
After hearing back about your visa application, you should get your IHS back in about 6 weeks.
It may take longer, though, if you are reviewing a refusal of your visa or if you have asked for an administrative review. You should get your money back up to 6 weeks after your appeal or administrative review is turned down if that’s the case and you applied from inside the UK. Even if you applied from outside the UK, you should still get your money back within 6 weeks of being turned down for a visa.
For many candidates, the IHS can be expensive—often, it will be much more than the cost of the application itself. A refund could be worth a lot of money. Moreover, it is difficult to apply for an IHS refund application online.
For expert help and advice with a UK visa application or an immigration appeal, call our immigration solicitors at 02033844389 or use the form below.
