On a Student visa you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 a year) and use the NHS like a UK resident. Private insurance is optional — for faster specialist access, dental and worldwide cover.
Paid upfront with the visa application for the whole visa. GP visits, hospital treatment, A&E, mental health and maternity care are free at the point of use.
$36/month at age 24 with a $50,000 limit and $500 deductible (IMG quotes in US dollars). Choose $50,000–$500,000 per illness or injury and a $0–$500 deductible; renewable up to 48 months. Pre-existing conditions are excluded for the first 12 months.
Four plans: Major Medical, Select, Premier and Elite, each priced by personal quote. Major Medical covers hospital (in-patient) treatment up to £2,000,000 a year and leaves routine outpatient care to the NHS. Worldwide cover and a 24/7 virtual GP.
Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers (from £117 to £290/month). Optional modules: international outpatient, vision & dental, health & wellbeing, medical evacuation. Silver: $1,000,000 annual limit, no maternity cover.
Bronze, Silver Lite, Silver and Gold plans. William Russell's own example for a 22-year-old: about US$120 (Bronze) to US$228/month (Silver). Underwritten by AWP Health & Life SA (Allianz Group); 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | £776/year | Student rate as of October 2026, paid upfront for the whole visa. A remaining part-year of 6 months or less costs £388; more than 6 months counts as a full year. |
| IHS for a 3-year degree (example) | £2,716 | The visa runs a few months longer than the course: 3 years plus up to 6 months = 3 × £776 + £388. The visa application shows your exact amount. |
| Private plans (entry prices) | from $36/month | IMG Patriot Exchange from $36 (age 24, $50,000 limit, $500 deductible), Cigna Global Silver from £117, William Russell Bronze about US$120 (provider example, age 22); Bupa Global by personal quote. |
| NHS prescription (England) | £9.90 per item | Free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Dental treatment and eye tests are charged separately, also for IHS payers. |
If you study in the UK for more than 6 months, you come on a Student visa and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) — £776 per year (student rate as of October 2026). In return you can use the National Health Service (NHS) free of charge from the day your visa starts, on the same basis as UK residents. You don’t need a separate health insurance certificate for the visa.
You pay the IHS online as part of your Student visa application (the Student visa replaced the Tier 4 (General) visa). It is charged for the whole visa, which runs a few months longer than your course: £776 for each full year and £388 for a remaining period of 6 months or less. For a 3-year bachelor’s degree the IHS therefore usually comes to £2,716 (3 × £776 + £388); the application shows your exact amount.
You then receive an IHS reference number — keep it with your visa documents. Hospitals may ask you to prove your immigration status (for example with an eVisa share code); to register with a GP you don’t need ID, proof of address or immigration status.
Refunds: you only get the IHS back if your visa is refused, you withdraw the application before a decision, or you are granted less time than you paid for. Leaving the UK early does not lead to a refund.
EU/EEA and Swiss students also pay the IHS on a Student visa. If you study full-time in UK higher education, hold an EHIC from an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and don’t work in the UK, you can claim it back within 12 months of arriving — you are then limited to “medically necessary” treatment with your EHIC.
Short courses of up to 6 months can be taken on a Standard Visitor visa. You pay no IHS, but NHS hospital treatment is then charged at 150% of the NHS cost; only GP and A&E care is free. Take out travel or student health insurance for your stay.
With the IHS paid, the following are free at the point of use:
Like UK residents, you still pay for prescriptions (£9.90 per item in England, free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), dental treatment and eye tests. Waiting times for specialist appointments and planned treatment can be long.
Private insurance is optional. Students take it out for:
The plans in our comparison start at $36/month (IMG Patriot Exchange Program, age 24, $50,000 limit; IMG quotes in US dollars). International plans cost more: Cigna Global Silver from £117/month, and William Russell quotes about US$120/month for its Bronze plan (its example for a 22-year-old); Bupa Global prices each applicant by personal quote.
For international students who want faster specialist access, dental, optical or worldwide cover on top of the NHS, we compare the private student health plans for the UK — each plan links straight to the provider. See all UK student health insurance plans →
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Related guides: UK student health insurance — NHS & IHS guide · Immigration Health Surcharge explained · Health insurance for EU students in the UK after Brexit · Top 10 countries by health insurance requirements
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