Global Talent visa healthcare surcharge: costs and refunds
Check adult and child IHS rates, refunds after refusal or overlapping payments, and why obtaining settlement does not by itself refund the unused visa period.
The total depends on the visa period and charging rules. Special reimbursement schemes have separate conditions.
Global Talent applicants normally pay the UK immigration health surcharge (IHS). The standard adult rate is £1,035 per year; applicants under 18 at the time of application pay £776 per year. The total follows the visa period and charging rules, rather than simply the time a family expects to spend physically in the UK.[1][2]
Refunds depend on specified circumstances. Refusal, withdrawal before a decision and paying twice for the same application qualify for a full IHS refund. Receiving a visa but not travelling, or leaving before it expires, does not produce a refund for those reasons.[3]
Calculate each family member’s charge
An adult dependant normally pays the same rate as the main applicant. For two adults and a child under 18 at application, each charged for three full years, the total is £8,538: £3,105 for each adult and £2,328 for the child.[1]
That illustration excludes visa and endorsement fees. Use the calculation in the actual application for the final amount, especially where the period is not a whole number of years. The annual charge should not be converted into a daily rate.
GOV.UK charges a full year for a period over six months but under a year. A period over one year and up to 18 months attracts one and a half years’ charge. Where the application is made also affects periods of six months or less.[1]
Separate refusal from overlapping payments
A shorter grant can lead to a partial refund. If a dependant is refused, only that dependant’s IHS is returned, rather than the whole family’s payment.[3]
When extending or switching visas inside the UK, an overlapping period paid twice must reach six months to qualify for an overlap refund. Refundable overlap is rounded down to complete six-month periods: 15 months produces a 12-month refund, while less than six months produces none.[3]
Compare the decisions, granted periods and overlap for each applicant. Looking only at the amounts charged on two payment receipts may obscure which person and period a refund concerns.
Settlement does not refund the unused visa period
Global Talent permission can be requested for up to five years at a time. Depending on the route and eligibility, settlement may be available after three or five years. That possibility does not mean IHS paid for a longer visa will be returned when settlement is sought earlier.[2][3]
GOV.UK lists applying for indefinite leave to remain among circumstances that do not generate a refund. An indefinite-leave application itself normally carries no IHS, but exemption on the new application and repayment of a previous charge are separate questions.[3][4]
When choosing a visa period, compare the immediate cost with future application plans and eligibility uncertainties. Do not include an unestablished refund in the family budget.
Check who receives the money
The ordinary refunds described above are automatic and go back to the original card or account. A person who paid on your behalf receives the refund. Keep each applicant’s IHS reference, payment receipt and decision together.[3]
Separate reimbursement arrangements exist for qualifying health and care workers and certain other groups. Their eligibility conditions need their own assessment; the ordinary refund rules do not replace those schemes.
Official sources
General policy information; individual circumstances and the competent authority’s requirements govern each application.