Study abroad5 min read
UK Student visa in 2026: the health surcharge, your eVisa and work hours
The Draimo team
Short answer
On a UK Student visa you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year, in full when you apply, which gives you access to the NHS. There is no longer a BRP card: your permission to stay is an eVisa, which you view and share through your UKVI account. On a degree-level course you may work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in official vacations.
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Ask about your UK visa
- How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge for a one-year master's in the UK, and when do I pay it?
- How do I prove my right to rent and work in the UK with an eVisa?
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The health surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge for students is £776 a year, paid in full and upfront as part of the visa application. It is charged for the whole length of your permission, which is longer than your course, so a one-year master's usually costs more than one year's surcharge.
Your eVisa and UKVI account
Physical BRP cards are gone. A successful Student visa now gives you an eVisa, a digital record of your status. Create your UKVI account when you are told to, link your passport to it, and keep the passport details up to date if you renew it.
Landlords and employers check your status online with a share code you generate from the account. Keep the account login safe: it is how you prove your right to rent and to work.
Work while you study
- Degree-level course: up to 20 hours a week in term time.
- Below degree level: usually up to 10 hours a week.
- The limit applies to every single week, Monday to Sunday, not an average.
- Full time in your university's official vacations. Self-employment is not allowed.
Where Draimo helps
Ask Draimo what your surcharge comes to for your course dates, what your university needs from you at enrolment, or whether a job fits the 20-hour rule. It reads your university's official pages and links the one it used, and with Agent Mode on a monthly plan it reads the current government guidance too and cites it. Draimo does not apply for you.
Questions people ask
- How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge for students?
- £776 a year in 2026, paid in full when you apply, for the whole length of your visa.
- Do international students still get a BRP?
- No. Your status is an eVisa, which you access and share through your UKVI account.
- How many hours can a student work in the UK?
- Up to 20 hours a week in term time on a degree-level course, usually 10 below degree level, and full time in official vacations.
Sources we checked
- GOV.UK: Student visa
- GOV.UK: pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application
- UKCISA: eVisas
Checked 30 September 2026. Dates and amounts change every year. Draimo reads the current pages when you ask.
Work out your costs and dates for your own course.
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