The ‘Immigration Health Surcharge’ (IHS) is your mandatory contribution to the UK’s NHS system.
Do You Need to Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge?
You’ll need to pay the IHS if you are not a British and EEA citizen. This is if you would like to enter the UK for more than 6 months. You will be exempt from paying the IHS if you are a child under the age of 18 who have been taken into care by a local authority. Also, you don’t need to pay if you are a NATO or the Australian Department of Defence in the UK civilian employee (or you’re their dependant). However, you still need to apply and get the HIS reference number in order to make your application.
You Do Not Need to Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and Apply for the IHS Reference Number
If you belong to one of the following categories:
- you’re applying for indefinite leave to enter or remain
- or as a diplomat or a member of visiting armed forces and not subject to immigration control
- alternatively, if you’re a dependent of a member of the UK’s armed forces
- this also applies to the dependant of a member of another country’s armed forces who is exempt from immigration control
- as well as family members of a European national with European Union treaty rights
- also if you are applying for a visa for the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
- you’re a British Overseas Territory citizen resident in the Falkland Islands
- you’re an asylum seeker or applying for humanitarian protection (or you’re their dependant)
- domestic workers who has been identified as a victim of slavery or human trafficking are also included
- you’re applying for discretionary leave to remain in the UK as a victim of slavery or human trafficking (or you’re their dependant)
- the Home Office’s domestic violence concession applies to you (or you’re their dependant)
- being made to leave the UK would be against your rights under Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (or you’re their dependant)
You need to pay the healthcare surcharge if you apply for indefinite leave to remain but the Home Office only gave limited leave. You’ll need to pay before this limited leave to you is granted.
How Much Do You Have to Pay?
You’ll have to pay:
- £300 per year for a student or Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa, for example, £600 for a 2-year visa
how much do you need to pay for your immigration health surcharge - £400 per year for all other visa and immigration applications, for example, £2,000 for a 5-year visa
Dependants usually need to pay the same amount as you.
You’ll pay half of the yearly amount if your application includes part of a year that is less than 6 months. You’ll pay for a whole year if your application includes part of a year that is more than 6 months.
There will be a partial refund if you paid the healthcare surcharge for more years than you were granted leave.
How Do You Calculate Your IHS?
Suppose you want to apply as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) together with two children under the age of 18. If the application is successful, it will be for 3 years and 4 months.
You: (£400 per year x 3 year years) + (£400/2 (for the additional 4 months)) = £1,400
Child 1 = the same amount as you: £1,400
Child 2 = the same amount as you: £1,400
TOTAL: £4,200
You can use THIS CALCULATOR to double-check if your calculations were correct.
Further Help
If you would like to apply for a UK visa in near future, you need to understand the rules first. UKVisaSuccess.com online courses will help you do this. After attending the course you need, you’ll understand UK visa requirements and common pitfalls in the applications. This will dramatically decrease the chances of refusal of your UK visa application.