What Is The NHS Surcharge? The NHS is something that British people are naturally very proud of. It is something that all natural British citizens are entitled to and therefore they receive free healthcare. From 6 April 2015, all non-EEA nationals applying for a long-term UK visa have been required to pay an NHS Surcharge that is normally referred to as the Immigration Health Surcharge. Once this has been paid, the holder of the visa will be entitled to free NHS healthcare although this doesn’t include dental care, prescriptions or eye tests.
What Is The NHS Surcharge & what are the benefits?
In practice, this means that if you have a Thai wife living in the UK on a UK Spouse Visa she would be entitled to free healthcare. She would be required to pay the annual £200 fee but it should be stressed that she wouldn’t be entitled to be treated any quicker than anyone else buy viagra new zealand online. Also, it should be noted that your Thai lady’s visa will NOT be granted if she doesn’t pay the surcharge as it is a condition of the visa.
- The health surcharge forms part of the visa application, you must pay the fee online at the time of your application. Once you have paid the fee you can then pay the visa application fee, and book the appointment to submit biometrics.
When do you pay the immigration health surcharge?
Although the process of paying for the NHS Health Surcharge is quite straightforward, it needs to be paid 7 prior to completing your visa application if applying from Thailand. If you are transferring a visa in the UK, for instance changing from a UK Fiancée Visa to UK Spouse Visa, the Immigration Health Surcharge would need to be paid 10 days in advance.
NHS surcharge for a Spouse visa application
As you would imagine, when applying for any service, it is important that you include all the information that is requested. The application can be made online via the Immigration website. Most of the process is quite obvious but we would advise that you use the services of a professional visa company to assist you with all elements of any visa application. The information that you will need to hand is:
- Name
- Nationality
- Date of Birth
- Passport Number
- The Type of Visa Being Applied For
- Email Address
- The Visa Application Centre (if applying from Thailand)
Once the application has been processed and paid for, you will receive a reference number that needs to be added to the UK Spouse Visa application form. Naturally, if you have dependents that will be living with you in the UK, they too will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. Once everything has been completed accurately and on time, the process of applying for a UK Spouse Visa can begin. Obviously, any delays in completing paperwork or making payment will result in delays when processing your visa application.
What if the visa application is refused?
If for any reason your visa application is refused the Immigration health surcharge will be refunded.
How long does it take to get my immigration health surcharge fee refunded?
Home office guidance states that Refunds are normally paid within 6 weeks of the application outcome
If you would like more information about the application for either Immigration Health Surcharge or apply for a UK Spouse Visa we recommend using a professional company. As the only OISC accredited company in Thailand, Thai Visa Express are in a perfect position to assist you with all your visa requirements. So, if you would like more information, call us on: +66 (0)80 102 2328, +66 (0) 38 420 313 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8059, email us on: info@thaivisaexpress.com or alternatively contact us via our website.