Short answer: IHS is usually paid for the relevant visa period as part of the application, not collected as a small monthly healthcare bill. The standard adult annual rate is £1,035, while Students, their dependants, Youth Mobility applicants and under-18 applicants have relevant £776 rates. A visa switch can create overlapping IHS payments, but not every unused month is refundable.
IHS can be the largest part of an application budget. Understanding the rate, grant period and overlap rules helps you plan without mistaking a possible future refund for money already available to pay the new application.
Identify the rate and duration separately
The official calculation page distinguishes annual rates and partial-year charging. The visa’s permitted duration may be longer than a course or employment contract. Use the grant period relevant to the application, not just the time you hope to stay.
A Graduate applicant should not assume that their former Student status preserves the Student IHS rate. The Graduate cost guidance describes the charges for that route.
Why the part-year calculation matters
IHS uses specific charging rules rather than a simple refund or charge for each day. For an ordinary adult family partner grant, the family visa page gives £3,105 for 2 years 9 months and £2,587.50 for 2 years 6 months.
This is why rounding a 33-month partner grant down to “about two and a half years” produces an inaccurate budget. Children and route-specific rates should be calculated individually too.
Switching can mean paying before an overlap refund
If you apply to extend or switch inside the UK and have paid IHS twice for the same period, the official refund guidance describes a partial refund where the qualifying overlap is at least six months. The refund is rounded down to the nearest six-month period.
Its example of a 15-month overlap results in a refund for 12 months. An overlap shorter than six months does not qualify for that overlap refund. Those are charging rules, not a promise that every early switch produces money back.
Budget for the amount payable in the new application first. Do not assume a pending refund can be deducted from the new checkout amount.
What is not a general refund entitlement?
Leaving the UK earlier than the end of a grant does not normally create a refund for all remaining months. Choosing not to use NHS services does not make IHS optional. Applying for ILR also does not automatically refund the remainder of an earlier visa’s IHS.
Similarly, moving to an IHS-exempt route does not in itself establish an automatic refund of all earlier IHS. Separate healthcare-work reimbursement arrangements can have their own eligibility and application conditions. Check the specific official scheme instead of combining different rules into one claim.
Who pays and who receives the refund?
The government refund guidance says an eligible automatic refund goes back to the account or card used to pay. If another person paid on your behalf, that matters for where the refund will arrive.
Keep the IHS reference, original receipts, payer details and relevant decision dates securely. A bank statement description alone may not explain which application or charging period was involved.
When should you query a missing refund?
The official guidance gives a usual six-week refund period after the relevant visa decision for the automatic circumstances it describes. It also explains when to contact UKVI if a refund has not arrived. Different circumstances can affect the timing.
Before contacting support, organise a factual timeline: original permission, new application, new grant, relevant overlapping period and payments. Do not send complete bank or identity records to an unverified email address claiming to arrange refunds.
A simple checking sheet
| Record | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Original and new permission dates | Identify any potentially overlapping period |
| IHS references and receipts | Match payments to applications |
| Route and applicant age | Check the rate and relevant conditions |
| Payment account | Identify where an eligible refund would go |
| Decision and follow-up dates | Track when an enquiry may be appropriate |
Frequently asked questions
Does private health insurance remove IHS?
Do not assume so. The who-needs-to-pay guidance controls the immigration charge and its exemptions.
Will every month of overlapping permission be refunded?
No. The relevant overlap refund uses six-month periods and the stated rounding rule.
Is an adviser’s fee part of IHS?
No. Professional fees, Home Office application charges, IHS and third-party costs are separate items.
Make the switch with a realistic budget
London Immigration Assistance can help check a routine extension or route-change application within our scope and explain the evidence and expected charges. Discuss the dates before you apply. Our standard professional fee for an agreed individual application is £500 per application, per person, separate from government and third-party charges.
Official sources
Sources checked: 6 October 2026. Check the current official requirements for your application date.
- GOV.UK: how much pay
- GOV.UK: refunds
- GOV.UK: who needs pay
- GOV.UK: how much it costs
- GOV.UK: uk family visa
This guide provides general information and is not a decision about your individual eligibility. Rules and charges can change. The agreed service and care letter set out our professional scope; no outcome is guaranteed.