IHS for UK Student Visa from India Using IBRLIVE (2025 Guide)

What is IHS?

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a fee you must pay when applying for a UK student visa. It gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), so you can use healthcare just like a UK resident while you study.

For 2025, the IHS fee is £776 per year of your course. It’s mandatory — without paying, your visa will not be processed.

How much IHS do you pay?

The calculation is simple:

• 1-year course → £776
• 2-year course → £1,552
• 3-year course → £2,328

If your course is longer than a full year, the system automatically calculates and adds the extra months. Remember, the 2 when submitting your visa application.

Problems Students Face When Paying IHS from India

Many Indian students and parents run into challenges when they try to pay IHS using banks or credit cards:

• The exchange rate shown is rarely the rate actually applied.
• Banks and cards often add hidden service charges.
• International card payments fail more often than expected.
• Even successful payments can take days to reflect.

When you are up against strict visa timelines, even small payment delays can create unnecessary stress.

How to get a Refund for IHS? 

An applicant can get a complete refund of the IHS Fee in the following situations:

• paying twice
• the visa application is denied; you have pulled your visa application before the final conclusion

If you obtain less time on your visa than you asked for or if any dependents on your visa application were denied, you may be able to get a partial refund. If a student decides not to come to the UK after acquiring a visa or if they leave the UK before their visa finishes, they will not be able to get their money back.

If you qualify for a full or partial refund, it will be automatically sent to you in the same way you paid within six weeks. 

Why pay IHS through IBRLIVE?

This is where IBRLIVE UK student visa payment services make a real difference. IBRLIVE is an RBI-approved platform for international student payments under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), designed to make the process smooth and secure.

Here’s why it works better than banks:

• Real-time exchange rates with no hidden charges.
• Lower transfer costs compared to banks and cards.
• Faster processing, avoiding delays.
• Fully RBI-compliant, so payments are safe and transparent.

For students and parents, IBRLIVE combines affordability with peace of mind.

How to pay IHS using IBRLIVE’s online Platform?

The steps are straightforward and student-friendly:

1. Create a free account on IBRLIVE.COM
2. Enter your IHS amount in GBP.
3. Pay directly using internet banking or UPI from your Indian bank account.
4. IBRLIVE transfers the funds securely and your IHS is paid.

No long queues, no failed transactions, no extra charges.

Why students prefer IBRLIVE over banks?

Three reasons stand out:

• Cost and clarity – You see exactly how much you’re paying in INR upfront, with no hidden surprises later.
• Speed – Payments are quick, ensuring you don’t miss visa deadlines.
• Trust – As an RBI-regulated platform, IBRLIVE is fully compliant, making it reliable for something as important as visa payments.

Conclusion

Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a compulsory part of the UK student visa process. While banks and credit cards often make it slow and expensive, IBRLIVE UK student visa payment services ensure it is fast, transparent, and cheaper.

For 2025, the smartest way to pay IHS for UK student visa from India is through IBRLIVE — a platform built to make international student payments easier, safer, and more affordable.