UK Student Healthcare Fee Rises 65% to £776/Year From April 8 - How it impacts Indian Students?

Indian students applying for a UK student visa from April 8, 2026 are paying 65% more in the mandatory Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) — the compulsory healthcare fee that must be paid upfront, in full, before a student even boards a flight to the UK. A 2-year Master's degree now costs £646 more (~₹68,500 more) in visa-related fees alone compared to applications submitted before April 8.

The UK Home Office confirmed the new rates in its revised immigration fee schedule published on March 18, 2026. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) — the fee that gives international students access to the National Health Service (NHS), the UK's public healthcare system — rose from £470 to £776 per year for students, effective April 8, 2026. India is the single largest source of UK student visas: 95,231 Indian nationals received sponsored study visas in 2025, more than any other nationality, according to Home Office data.

Read More about IHS and its payment proces 

What the IHS Is — and Why It Cannot Be Skipped

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is not an optional add-on. Every international student applying for a UK student visa for more than six months must pay it as part of the visa application — before the visa is approved, before travel is booked, and before the course begins.

• The IHS is calculated based on the full length of the visa, and the entire amount is charged upfront in one payment.
• A student applying for a 3-year Bachelor's degree does not pay £776 per year in three instalments — they pay the full £2,328 at the time of application.
• There is no payment plan.

In return, the IHS grants access to NHS services — including GP (general doctor) appointments, hospital treatment, and emergency care — for the duration of the student's stay. Prescriptions, dental treatment, and eye tests are charged separately even after paying the IHS.

One important note: if a student's visa application is refused, the IHS is refunded. However, if the student withdraws the application or the visa is granted for a shorter period than applied for, different refund rules apply. 

The 65% Jump: Before and After April 8

The scale of the increase is significant. The IHS for students was last raised in February 2024 — from £310 to £470 per year. The April 8, 2026 increase takes it to £776 per year, a 65% rise in just over two years.

For the Graduate Route — the post-study work visa that allows graduates to stay and work in the UK for up to two years after completing their degree — the IHS rate is higher. It rose from £624 to £1,035 per year, a 66% increase.

Exchange rate: £1 = ₹106 (approximate, April 2026).

The combined effect of the IHS rise and the student visa fee increase means a student applying for a 2-year Master's degree now pays £2,110 in visa and IHS fees — up from £1,464 before April 8. That is an extra £646, or approximately ₹68,500, for the same degree.

Full Cost Breakdown for Indian Students: Course by Course

The table below shows the total upfront visa and IHS cost for Indian students applying from April 8, 2026 onwards. These are mandatory government fees — they do not include tuition, accommodation, flights, or living costs.

Exchange rate: £1 = ₹106 (approximate, April 2026). IHS is paid upfront in full at the time of visa application.

For a 3-year Bachelor's student, the IHS alone — £2,328, or nearly ₹2.5 lakh — is paid before the student attends a single lecture. This is on top of the visa application fee, tuition fees, and the financial proof requirement (students must show a minimum bank balance of £13,761 for London or £10,539 for other cities, held for 28 consecutive days).

Also check: Complete UK student visa cost breakdown for Indian students

Who Is Affected — and What About the Graduate Route?

Every Indian student submitting a UK student visa application on or after April 8, 2026 pays the new IHS rate. There are no exceptions based on nationality, course type, or university.

Students applying for September 2026 intake — the largest intake for Indian students — are fully affected. Most will submit their visa applications between April and June 2026, well after the April 8 deadline.

Students planning to use the Graduate Route after graduation face a double cost increase. The Graduate Route IHS rose from £624 to £1,035 per year — meaning a 2-year Graduate Route visa now costs £2,070 in IHS alone (up from £1,248). Combined with the Graduate Route application fee of £937, the total upfront cost for a 2-year post-study work visa is now £3,007 (~₹3.19 lakh).

There is an additional timing consideration for the Graduate Route. The UK is cutting the Graduate Route from two years to 18 months for applications submitted from January 1, 2027. Students who graduate and apply before December 31, 2026 still receive the 2-year visa — but at the new, higher IHS rate. Read more about the Graduate Route cut and who it affects.

Dependants — family members who accompany a student on a dependent visa — pay the same IHS rate separately. A student bringing a spouse on a 2-year Master's visa would pay an additional £1,552 in IHS for the dependant, on top of their own £1,552.

One refund to know about: Students who take up a job in public sector healthcare in the UK after paying the IHS may be eligible for a partial refund of the surcharge. This applies to roles in the NHS and certain other public health bodies.

What Indian Students Applying Now Should Do?

The April 8 deadline has passed. Every student applying today pays the new rates. The focus now is on accurate budgeting and application timing.

• Budget the IHS as a fixed, upfront cost. It is not a recurring annual payment — the full amount for the entire visa duration is charged at the time of application. A 3-year Bachelor's student must have £2,328 available on the day they submit their visa application, in addition to all other fees.
• Factor in the Graduate Route IHS separately. If you plan to stay in the UK after graduation on the Graduate Route, budget an additional £2,070 (2-year route, apply by Dec 31, 2026) or £1,552 (18-month route, from Jan 1, 2027) in IHS, plus the £937 application fee.
• Check scholarship eligibility. Scholarships such as Chevening, Commonwealth, and GREAT do not typically cover the IHS or visa fees — but reducing tuition costs frees up funds for these mandatory charges. See UK scholarships available to Indian students.
• Confirm your 28-day bank balance window. The IHS and visa fee are separate from the financial proof requirement. Your bank statement must show the required maintenance funds (£13,761 for London, £10,539 outside London) held for 28 consecutive days — this is in addition to having the IHS and visa fee available to pay.
• Apply as soon as your CAS is ready. There is no benefit to delaying a September 2026 application — the new IHS rates are now fixed. Applying early reduces the risk of processing delays ahead of the intake.

A Steeper Price for the Same UK Degree

The IHS increase does not change what a UK degree offers. But it does change what Indian families must pay before a student arrives. For a 3-year Bachelor's student, the mandatory government fees — visa application plus IHS — now total £2,886 (~₹3.06 lakh), paid entirely upfront. Two years ago, the same fees totalled under £1,500.

This is part of a broader pattern of rising costs for Indian students choosing the UK. Tuition fees at many universities rose by up to 7% for 2026/27. The financial proof requirement increased in January 2025. The Graduate Route is being shortened from January 2027. Each change, taken individually, is manageable. Taken together, they represent a meaningfully higher financial commitment than the one that drove the surge in Indian enrolment between 2021 and 2023.

Indian students received 95,231 UK study visas in 2025 — the highest of any nationality. The question for families planning a September 2026 or January 2027 application is not whether the UK remains a strong destination. It is whether the budget they set 12 months ago still reflects what they will actually pay today.