Get an immigration health surcharge refund if you're a student from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
You might be able to get a refund from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) if you paid the immigration health surcharge (IHS) and you鈥檙e a student from:
- the EU
- Switzerland
- Norway
- 滨肠别濒补苍诲听
- Liechtenstein
Eligibility
You must have paid IHS and all of the following must be true:
- you鈥檙e in full-time higher education in the UK
- you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- you live in the UK and have a UK address - this can be student accommodation
Your visa must have started on or after:
- 1 January 2021 - if your EHIC was issued in the EU or Norway
- 1 November 2021 - if your EHIC was issued in Switzerland
- 1 January 2024 - if your EHIC was issued in Iceland or Liechtenstein
If you鈥檙e a student from Norway
If you鈥檙e applying for a refund of IHS payments made between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2023, for an application form. You鈥檒l need your passport.聽
If you鈥檙e applying for a refund of payments made on or after 1 January 2024, you can apply online. You鈥檒l need to provide a valid EHIC.
If you鈥檙e a student from Iceland or Liechtenstein
Your IHS refund will be backdated to 1 January 2024, even if your visa started earlier.
If you鈥檙e a student from Denmark
There is a different way to get your IHS refund because you鈥檒l have an EU-issued S1 certificate.
If you do not have an EU-issued S1 certificate you鈥檒l need to ask the local authority in your country to give you one. You can either:
- contact them yourself
- who can contact them for you
If you want to get a job while you study
You will not be eligible for a refund if you work or intend to work in the UK while you study. This is because if you start paid work your EHIC may become invalid and you will not be able to use it to access healthcare.
Dependants
Your partner and children (鈥榙ependants鈥�) may be eligible for a refund if all of the following are true:
- they are in the UK on a visa that started on or after 1 January 2021
- they have a valid EHIC
- they do not work or intend to work in the UK
Your dependants may be eligible for a refund even if you are not.
What you鈥檒l need to apply online
You鈥檒l need:
- your IHS number - you can find this in the confirmation email you received from Worldpay when you paid
- your 鈥榮hare code鈥� to prove your immigration status
- your UK address
- your email address
- a copy of your EHIC
- copies of your documents to prove you鈥檙e a student in full-time higher education
You can upload copies as a scan or a photo.
Documents you can use to prove you鈥檙e in full-time higher education
You鈥檒l need a copy of either:
- the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider
- a letter confirming enrolment from your course provider
Apply online
If your application is successful, the NHSBSA will send the money within 3 months. It will be sent to the account that was used to pay for the IHS.
If you used a third party to pay for the IHS, the refund will go to their account.
What you need to know
to get help with your application.
What you鈥檒l get
You can only apply for a refund for the duration of your stay where your EHIC is valid.
If your EHIC is valid for the full length of your visa, you can get a full refund.
If your EHIC will expire part way through your visa, you can apply for a partial refund. You can then renew your EHIC and apply for the remaining refund.
Example
If you have a visa that is valid from 1 October 2021 to 31 December 2023 and an EHIC that is valid until 1 June 2022, you can apply for a refund of 6 months. Refunds are rounded down to the nearest 6 months.
If you then renew your EHIC and the new card is valid until 1 June 2027, you can apply for the remaining refund.
What healthcare cover you鈥檒l get
Before you get an IHS refund, you are entitled to the same healthcare coverage as a UK citizen.
If you get a refund, the healthcare coverage you get will change. You will only be able to use your EHIC to access 鈥榤edically necessary treatment鈥� during your stay.