The health surcharge that Indian professionals, students and others have to pay while applying for a UK visa for six months or more will double from later this year, raising the overall cost of the travel document. The current health surcharge, introduced in 2015, is £200 per person per year, and it will rise to £400. The discounted rate of £150 for students will go up to £300 per year, the department of health and social care announced on Monday. The department said doubling the health surcharge is intended to better reflect the actual costs to the National Health Service (NHS) of treating those who pay the surcharge. The surcharge offers access to health care services that are far more comprehensive and at a much lower cost than many other countries.”Migrants with indefinite leave to remain are exempt from the surcharge.

Source: Hindustan Times February 05, 2018 13:41 UTC