UK: Besides the visa fee, there is an annual healthcare surcharge — £776 per year for students, paid in full at application time
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The amount you pay to go to the UK isn’t limited to just the visa fee. You also have to prepay the healthcare surcharge based on the length of your visa, which is required to access the UK’s National Health Service. For a two‑year visa, that means paying £1,552 upfront. Add this to the visa fee, and you’ll need to budget for this total amount before you travel.
- Cost
- The visa fee is £558. There is also a healthcare surcharge of £776 per year, both of which must be paid in full at the time of application.
- Benefit
- The fee for a UK student visa is £558, regardless of whether you apply from outside the UK or extend/change your visa status while already there. In addition, the healthcare surcharge must be paid to use the National Health Service; it is calculated per year of your visa and paid in full at application. For students and their dependents, the charge is £776 per year — so a two‑year visa requires a payment of £1,552. Other applicant categories pay £1,035 per year. If your visa lasts more than six months but less than a full year, the charge is still applied for a full year.
- Notes
- Both the fee amounts and exchange rates may change; always refer to the two pages listed under Sources for the most current figures. Generally, students aged 18 or older enrolled in degree programmes can stay for up to five years, while those on non‑degree courses are limited to two years. Use these timeframes to estimate the total healthcare surcharge you’ll need to pay.
Sources · 2
- UK Government. Student visa. gov.uk/student-visa
- UK Government. Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application. gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application