Study abroad checklist: Health Insurance

Most countries and some universities require you to either have health insurance or pay for access to their country's national services. You may need to show proof of your health insurance to your university or country of choice as part of your application or visa paperwork.

When travelling anywhere abroad, it's very important to make sure you have good insurance coverage to keep you safe. Once you have insurance, familiarise yourself with the claims process, excess and coverage limits so you know what to do. Keep a copy of your documents with your family or emergency contact so they can help you if they need to.

As part of your UK visa, you will need to pay for access to the national healthcase services. This mandatory charge is called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). You can find out more about this on the immigration healthcare pages on the UK government website.

As of 2023, the IHS costs £470 per year for students. For shorter stays below 18 months, this can be reduced. Once your visa has been granted and IHS has been paid, you will have full access to NHS services.