From 6th April 2015, all non-EEA nationals (save exemptions) applying to enter the UK or remain in the UK for more than six months will be subject to a mandatory health surcharge which is set at £200 a year for temporary migrants and £150 for students.

The purpose of the health surcharge is to allow temporary migrants’ access to NHS on the same terms as a settled person. Where a settled person is required to pay for services such as dental treatment and prescription charges, those services are not covered by the surcharge.

The surcharge will be payable upfront at the time of the immigration application and the amount will depend on the length of visa or leave applied for. Where it includes part of the year, the amount payable will be half of the annual surcharge for six months or less and full for more than six months.

In the event of refusal of an application, a full refund will be issued.

Dependants will be required to pay the same amount as their main applicant.

The following are exempt from paying the surcharge – Visitors, Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfers ), asylum and humanitarian protection claimants, applications under Turkish European Communities Association Agreement, children under 18 taken into care, victims of human trafficking, applications under destitute domestic violence concession, dependants of members of HM Forces or another country’s forces who are exempt from immigration control, nationals of Australia and New Zealand, and British Overseas Territory Citizen who is the resident of the Falkland Islands.