Health insurance in the UK.
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
The rules
What the UK asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 a year
Most visa applicants pay £1,035 for each year of their visa. Students, their dependants, Youth Mobility visa holders and children under 18 pay £776 a year.
Source: gov.uk - Who pays the surcharge
You pay if you apply from outside the UK for more than 6 months, or from inside the UK for any length of time. A visa of 6 to 12 months costs a full year.
Source: gov.uk - Who doesn’t pay
Visitors, people applying for 6 months or less from outside the UK, settlement applicants, and eligible Health and Care Worker visa holders and their families do not pay it.
Source: gov.uk - Private cover doesn’t replace it
You still pay the surcharge even if you have private medical insurance.
Source: gov.uk - NHS from the day your visa starts
Once you have paid, you use the NHS like a resident from the start date of your visa. You still pay for prescriptions, dental care, eye tests and fertility treatment.
Source: gov.uk - Visitors pay 150%
Overseas visitors who are not exempt are charged 150% of the cost of NHS hospital treatment.
Source: gov.uk - Refund if the visa is refused
If your visa is refused, or you get less time than you paid for, the surcharge is refunded, usually within 6 weeks of the decision.
Source: gov.uk
Anyone in England can register with a GP for free, with no ID, proof of address or immigration status needed. GP visits and A&E are free for everyone. Planned hospital care is free only for surcharge payers and residents.
Source: nhs.ukLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
No UK visa needs a private plan, as the surcharge gives you the NHS. A UK plan can add faster planned care, while an international plan suits you if you travel a lot.
- Local plans
Plans sold in the UK. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in the UK.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in the UK and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in the UK.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 a year
£776 a year for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility visa holders and children under 18. You pay for every year of the visa when you apply.
Source: gov.uk - NHS prescription in England: £9.90 an item
The charge is for each item on the prescription, not for the prescription as a whole.
Source: nhs.uk - Prescription prepayment certificate: £114.50 a year
A 3-month certificate costs £32.05. It is worth it if you need several items a month.
Source: nhs.uk - NHS dentist in England: £27.90 to £332.10
Band 1 check-up £27.90, Band 2 fillings £76.60, Band 3 crowns and dentures £332.10. You pay the highest band your treatment reaches.
Source: nhs.uk
What to look for
Choosing a plan in the UK.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- What the NHS already covers
With the surcharge paid, you have the NHS. A private plan adds speed and choice for planned care. It does not replace A&E.
- Existing conditions
If a GP has already referred you for something, ask the insurer whether that condition is excluded before you join.
- Outpatient limits
Many cheaper plans cap tests and specialist visits. Check the outpatient limit, not just the hospital cover.
- Cover outside the UK
A UK plan usually covers care in the UK only. If you travel or go home often, look at an international plan.
Step by step
Getting covered in the UK.
- 01Check if your visa needs the surcharge. You pay if you apply from outside the UK for more than 6 months, or from inside the UK for any length of stay. Eligible Health and Care Worker visa holders don’t.
- 02Pay it by card in the online visa form. The surcharge is paid by debit or credit card as part of the visa application. You get an IHS reference number by email, and it works for 1 application only.
- 03Wait for your visa start date. Free NHS hospital care starts on the start date of your visa, not the day you pay. With an eVisa, you may need a share code to prove your status.
- 04Register with a GP near your home. Fill in the surgery’s online form, which takes about 15 minutes per person. You don’t need ID, proof of address or an NHS number.
- 05Budget for what the NHS still charges. Prescriptions, dental care and eye tests cost money in England. If you take regular medicines, a prepayment certificate caps the cost.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Buying private insurance to avoid the surcharge. You pay it anyway.
- 02Expecting free dental care and prescriptions with the surcharge. You still pay for both.
- 03Assuming a visitor gets free hospital care. Visitors pay 150% of the NHS cost.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need health insurance for a UK visa?+
Most visas don’t ask for private cover. You pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with your application, and that gives you the NHS.
How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?+
£1,035 a year for most people. Students, their dependants, Youth Mobility visa holders and children under 18 pay £776 a year.
Can visitors use the NHS for free?+
GP visits and A&E are free for everyone. Hospital treatment is charged at 150% of the NHS cost for visitors who are not exempt.
Is private health insurance worth it in the UK?+
It is optional. It can give faster planned care and a choice of hospital. If you travel a lot, an international plan may suit you better.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.