The National Health Service (NHS) is the government-run healthcare system in the UK that offers a variety of services, such as doctor’s visits and hospital care. Once you arrive in Cambridge, you should make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. Your College will have advice on this and might suggest a general practitioner practice.
Student visa and immigration health surcharge
An immigration health surcharge will be included in the visa application fee for anyone applying for a student visa and intending to stay in the UK for at least six months.
For as long as their visa is granted, students must pay £470 annually. If the leave spans a portion of a year that is 6 months or less, £235 will be due for that portion of the year. The full annual amount of £470 will be due if the leave spans more than six months of the year. It will also be necessary for family members applying for dependent visas to pay the surcharge. The visa application fee is in addition to the immigration health surcharge.
The surcharge will be applied to visas issued for more than six months for students seeking entry clearance from outside the country. Regardless of the new visa length, the surcharge will be paid by those requesting additional permission to stay in the UK.
Students will have the same free access to the NHS in the UK as a permanent UK resident thanks to the immigration health surcharge. This includes a healthcare center, a hospital, or a doctor’s office (also known as a general practitioner or GP). In addition to paying for the doctor’s prescribed medication that must be picked up from a pharmacy, you might also have to pay for dental and optical care. Additionally, there are exclusions for exceptionally pricey optional treatments.
You will automatically receive a refund for the immigration surcharge but not the visa application fee if your visa application is denied. If you leave the UK before your visa expires, the surcharge will not be partially refunded. If you don’t use the NHS while you’re in the UK, the surcharge is also not refunded.
EU and Swiss nationals and the Immigration Health Surcharge Reimbursement Scheme
If they possess a current European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in an EU nation or Switzerland, full or partial refunds of the immigration health surcharge paid with their visa application may be available to students from the EU and Switzerland who are enrolled full-time in academic programs in the UK. These agreements follow the terms of the Swiss Convention and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The government website offers information about the Immigration Health Surcharge Reimbursement Scheme. If you are eligible for a reimbursement, you should carefully consider your situation before submitting an application to the program. You should pay particular attention to the details provided in the advice regarding your desire to work in the UK and and the access to NHS healthcare in the UK with an EHIC.
If family members of students who meet the requirements are in the UK on a valid visa, have a valid EHIC, and are not working or do not intend to work in the UK, they may also be eligible to apply for reimbursement of the immigration health surcharge.
Currently, students from Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein are not eligible for the program. Additionally, students from outside of Europe are not eligible for the program. The Department for Health and Social Care, a division of the UK government in charge of adult social care and health policy in England, has created a packet of information for students that includes “frequently asked questions” about the program.
Short study periods
You are advised to purchase medical insurance if you apply for your visa from outside the country and it is granted for a shorter period of time than six months or if you must frequently travel to the UK for brief study periods. This is because you will be responsible for paying NHS fees for any treatment you receive in the UK, with the exception of medical emergencies, which are rare. There are some nations that have reciprocal agreements with the UK that may entitle you to some free healthcare on the NHS, but you should check with the health authorities in your home country to find out what procedures are covered. Citizens of the EEA should acquire an EHIC, or European Health Insurance Card.
Private Medical Insurance
You cannot use private health insurance to avoid paying the health immigration surcharge because it is a required fee that must be submitted with your visa application. Whether you also have private health insurance is a matter of choice. You might want to take this into account to pay for the following potential medical expenses:
- Loss of fees if you are unable to complete your course
- Costs incurred returning to your home country for treatment
- Private medical treatment
If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.
