Many international students in the UK are unaware that they may be entitled to a refund of their Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) if they worked in the health or care sector during their studies.

This includes roles such as care assistant, support worker, domiciliary carer, or similar healthcare-related jobs.

If you paid the #IHS when applying for your visa from your home country and later worked in eligible health or care roles, you may be able to reclaim part or all of that fee.

Below is a detailed guide on who qualifies, what you need, and how to apply.

Who Is Eligible for an IHS Refund?
You may be eligible if all of the following apply to you:
- You paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) when applying for your UK visa from outside the UK.
- You worked in a health or care role (such as care/support worker, domiciliary carer, healthcare assistant, etc.).
- You worked for at least 6 months, averaging 16 hours or more per week.

This works well for students, as the student visa allows up to 20 hours per week.

The 6 months can include paid leave, such as maternity leave or statutory sick leave.

You were not unemployed or on unpaid leave for more than 28 days during the 6-month period you are claiming for.
If you meet these conditions, you can apply for a refund

What About Dependants?
If you had dependants (such as a spouse or children) who also paid the IHS:
- They may also be eligible for a refund.
- You must add them to your application.
- Refunds are often paid in batches, so you may receive partial payments (for example £339 first), depending on how much IHS was originally paid.
- Those on longer courses (e.g. 2 years) usually receive a higher refund than those on 1-year courses.

What You Need Before You Apply
To apply for the IHS refund, make sure you have the following:
- Your IHS number (a 12-digit reference number)
- Your National Insurance number
- Your email address
- The name of your employer
6 months’ payslips covering the period you are claiming for (these can be uploaded as scans or clear photos)

That is essentially all you need to submit the application.

How to Apply for the IHS Refund
If you worked in health or social care, use the official UK government link: www.gov.uk/apply-immigration-health-surcharge-refund/healthcare-setting

Complete the form carefully, upload your payslips, and submit your application.

If your application is successful, the refund is usually paid within 6 weeks and sent to the same card or bank account you originally used to pay the IHS.

If You No Longer Have Access to the Original Payment Account
If you paid your IHS through:
an agency, a third party, or a bank account/card you no longer have access to,you can still receive your refund.
Send an email to: CustomerRefundsIHS@homeoffice.gov.uk
Include the following details in your email:
- Account name
- Account number
- Sort code
- IBAN
- SWIFT/BIC

Important:
- Use your IHS reference number as the subject (title) of the email to help them process it faster.
- If You Applied Over 2 Months Ago and Haven’t Been Paid
- If it has been more than 2 months since you applied and you have not received your refund, you can send a follow-up email to: nhsbsa.ihsreimbursements@nhs.net
- In your email, politely request a follow-up on your IHS refund application, including your IHS reference number.