• Standard Rate: £1,035 per year per person (Skilled Worker, Scale-up, Spouse Visas).
• Discounted Rate: £776 per year per person (Student Visas, Youth Mobility, and children under 18).
• Exemptions: Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependents are 100% exempt from the IHS surcharge!
IHS Cost Estimator
What Does Your IHS Payment Cover?
The NHS Immigration Health Surcharge gives you access to National Health Service (NHS) care in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland on exactly the same basis as UK residents — for the entire duration of your visa. Key entitlements:
✓ Free GP Consultations
All GP appointments (in-person, phone, video) are free. No per-visit charge regardless of how often you attend.
✓ Free A&E & Emergency Care
Accident & Emergency treatment is free for all UK residents including IHS payers. Always call 999 for life-threatening emergencies.
✓ Free Hospital Treatment
Outpatient, inpatient, and specialist hospital treatment is free when referred by your GP through the NHS.
✓ Free NHS Maternity Care
All antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care through the NHS is free for IHS payers.
✓ NHS Prescriptions (England)
Standard charge of £9.90 per item (2025/26). Free in Scotland, Wales, and N. Ireland. Free in England for under-16s, 60+, pregnant women, and those on qualifying benefits.
✓ NHS Mental Health Services
IAPT talking therapies, crisis services, and community mental health teams are free via your GP referral.
IHS rates and NHS entitlements compiled directly from GOV.UK, UKVI guidance, and NHS England:
- • GOV.UK Healthcare Immigration Surcharge (IHS): gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
- • GOV.UK Health & Care Worker Visa (IHS Exempt): gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa
- • NHS Prescription Charges 2025/26: nhs.uk/nhs-prescription-charges
- • NHS GP Finder: nhs.uk/find-a-gp
- • GOV.UK Skilled Worker Visa (IHS Applies): gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs
⚠️ IHS must be paid in full upfront at the time of your online visa application — it cannot be paid in instalments. If your application is refused, the IHS is refunded. Always verify current rates on GOV.UK.