The £558 fee is just the start — the health surcharge usually costs more. Get the full bill in 30 seconds.
1. How long is your course?
A UK Student visa costs £558 to apply for (April 2026 rate, the same inside or outside the UK) plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 per year of your visa — and the surcharge is usually the bigger number. Your visa lasts longer than your course: courses of 12 months or more get an extra 4 months added. A one-year master’s therefore costs about £1,722 in total (£558 fee + £1,164 IHS), and a three-year undergraduate degree about £3,274 (£558 + £2,716). Dependants each pay the same fee and surcharge, but since January 2024 only postgraduate research students and government-sponsored students can bring them. If you stay on afterwards, the Graduate visa (the post-study work route) adds £937 plus £1,035 per year in surcharge.
£558 from 8 April 2026, whether you apply from outside the UK or extend or switch from inside the UK. Optional extras cost more — the priority service (a decision in around 5 working days) is roughly £500 on top.
£776 per year of your visa, at the discounted student rate (the standard adult rate is £1,035). You pay for each full year, plus £388 for a leftover part-year of 6 months or less, or the full £776 if the part-year is longer than 6 months. It’s paid upfront as part of your application and covers NHS care for your whole stay.
Because your visa outlasts your course. Courses of 12 months or more get 4 extra months after the end date; courses of 6–12 months get 2 extra months. The surcharge is calculated on the visa length, not the course length — so a one-year master’s pays for roughly 16 months, which is £1,164 (£776 + £388).
Each dependant pays their own £558 application fee plus £776 per year in health surcharge — the same as you. But check eligibility first: since January 2024, only students on postgraduate research courses (like a PhD or research master’s) and government-sponsored students can bring a partner or children.
£937 for the application plus £1,035 per year in health surcharge at the standard adult rate. It currently lasts 2 years (3 for PhD graduates), making the total £3,007. For new applications from 1 January 2027 the visa shortens to 18 months, which brings the total to about £2,490.
Three common ones: a tuberculosis (TB) test if you’re applying from a country on the Home Office list (typically £65–£110); the priority decision service if you’re short on time (around £500); and your maintenance funds — you don’t pay these to anyone, but you must show money sitting in your account for 28 days to cover fees and living costs, or your application is refused.
Only in limited cases — mainly if your visa application is refused or withdrawn, or if you paid twice. Leaving the UK before your visa expires does not get you a partial refund, so there’s no way to claim anything back if you finish your course early and go home.
Figures are the Home Office rates published for April 2026 and may change. This tool gives general information, not immigration advice — check gov.uk for the fee that applies on the day you apply.