The UK Immigration Health Surcharge Explained for ASEAN Students
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 18, 2026 • Student Life
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for a UK student visa is £776 per year of your visa, paid upfront when you apply. It gives you NHS access on close to the same terms as a UK resident, and you pay it again for each dependant who joins you.
💵 £776 a year per applicant, since the rate rose on 6 February 2024 from £470.
⏱️ Pay the full amount for your whole visa length at once, before your visa is granted.
🎓 A 2-year student visa costs £1,552 in IHS alone, separate from your visa application fee.
📩 Most taught master's students starting on or after 1 January 2024 cannot bring dependants, so the per-dependant IHS charge mostly applies to PhD and research students.
🏠 IHS gives you free NHS treatment at the point of use, with the same prescription and dental charges any UK resident pays.
What the Immigration Health Surcharge is
The Immigration Health Surcharge is a fee you pay as part of your UK student visa application, on top of the visa fee itself. It gives you access to the National Health Service (NHS) during your stay, broadly on the same basis as someone who lives in the UK. You pay it directly to UK Visas and Immigration when you submit your application, and your visa will not be granted until it clears.
How much you pay
Students, their dependants, and Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders pay a discounted rate of £776 per year of permission applied for, according to gov.uk . This rate has applied since 6 February 2024, when it rose from £470, a 65 percent increase brought in through the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2024.
You pay for the full length of your visa in one lump sum at application time, not annually. A 3-year bachelor's degree visa costs £2,328 in IHS. A 1-year master's program costs £776. If your course runs 2 years and 4 months, the Home Office rounds the charge up to cover the additional partial year, so budget for slightly more than a simple per-year multiplication.
| Visa length | IHS total |
|---|---|
| 1 year | £776 |
| 2 years | £1,552 |
| 3 years | £2,328 |
| 4 years | £3,104 |
What the surcharge buys you
Once you pay the IHS and your visa is granted, you can use the NHS for most treatment free at the point of use, in the same way a UK resident does. This includes GP visits, hospital treatment, and emergency care. You still pay the standard charges every UK resident pays for prescriptions in England, dental treatment, and optical care, since the IHS does not remove those separate charges.
You do not need to show your IHS payment receipt at every appointment. Your immigration status in the Home Office system confirms you have paid, and NHS staff can check this when they register you with a GP practice, which you should do soon after you arrive.
Paying for dependants
Each dependant who accompanies you on your student visa pays the same £776-per-year rate as the main applicant, for the same length of permission. If you bring a spouse and one child for a 2-year course, you pay IHS three times over: £1,552 for yourself, £1,552 for your spouse, and £1,552 for your child, a total of £4,656 in IHS alone.
Since January 2024, most taught master's students starting their course on or after 1 January 2024 are no longer permitted to bring dependants on their student visa. Exceptions exist for students on government-sponsored scholarships and for PhD or other postgraduate research programs. Check your course type and start date against the current gov.uk student visa dependant rules before you plan to bring family, since this restriction changes who the per-dependant IHS charge actually applies to.
Refunds and exemptions
If your visa application is refused, the IHS is refunded automatically along with your visa fee, usually within a few weeks. If you leave the UK before your visa expires, you can apply for a partial refund covering the unused whole months remaining on your visa, through the online IHS refund service .
A small number of applicants are exempt, including some Australian nationals under a reciprocal healthcare agreement and applicants for certain visa categories outside the student route. Check your own eligibility on gov.uk rather than assuming an exemption applies, since most ASEAN student visa applicants pay the full rate.
No installment option
You cannot pay the IHS in monthly or termly installments. UK Visas and Immigration requires the full amount for your entire visa length before it processes your application, so a 3-year course means finding £2,328 in one payment alongside your visa fee and proof of funds, not spreading it across your degree. Factor this into your savings timeline months before your application date, rather than assuming you can pay it down gradually once you arrive.
If you extend your stay by switching to a new visa, for example moving from a student visa to a Graduate visa after you finish your course, you pay a fresh IHS charge for the new visa length at that point. Budget for this as a separate cost when you plan your post-study timeline, since it is not covered by the surcharge you already paid for your student visa.
Budgeting for the surcharge
Add your IHS total to your visa fee, proof of funds, and first-year living costs when you calculate what you need saved before you apply. Many ASEAN students underestimate this line item because it is easy to overlook next to tuition and rent. Pay it through the online visa application system using a debit or credit card, and keep your payment confirmation with your other visa documents in case a school or immigration officer asks to see it.