UK Health and Care Worker Visa From Pakistan: £324 Fee, No Health Surcharge, Care Workers Excluded
The UK Health and Care Worker visa costs £324 or £628 from Pakistan, with no health surcharge, and care workers can no longer apply from abroad. See the rules.
A UK Health and Care Worker visa from Pakistan costs £324 for up to 3 years or £628 for longer, with no immigration health surcharge, and needs a job offer from an approved UK health or care employer. Most jobs must pay at least £25,000 a year or the going rate. Care workers and senior care workers can no longer get this visa from Pakistan. They can only extend or switch inside the UK.
That last point is the one Pakistani applicants most need to know, because care visa offers are still sold in Pakistan. We read the UK government's Health and Care Worker visa guidance on gov.uk on 20 October 2026, part by part. The visa is a type of Skilled Worker visa for doctors, nurses, health professionals and some social care staff.
Doctors, nurses and 31 health job codes can apply from Pakistan
You can apply from Pakistan if your job is in one of the listed occupation codes. They include doctors (2211, 2212), nurses and midwives (2231 to 2237), pharmacists (2251), dentists (2253), radiographers (2254), physiotherapists (2221), social workers (2461) and nursing assistants (6131).
The occupation code is a four digit number for your job. Your employer will tell you yours, or you can look it up in the UK's CASCOT coding tool. Make sure the job description, not just the title, matches the work you will do.
Care workers cannot apply for this visa from Pakistan
Care workers (code 6135) and senior care workers (code 6136) are listed only for people extending, updating or switching to this visa inside the UK, after at least 3 months with the sponsor. So a new applicant from Pakistan cannot use these codes.
Treat any agent who sells a "UK care visa" from Pakistan with deep suspicion. A real Health and Care Worker offer comes with a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) for an eligible code, and the CoS is an electronic record with a reference number, not a paper you buy. You can look up any employer on the UK's register of licensed sponsors for workers. Six other "medium skilled" codes, such as dental nurses, are also only for people who got their CoS before 22 July 2025.
| Job | Code | New application from Pakistan? |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor (GP or specialist) | 2211, 2212 | Yes |
| Registered nurse or midwife | 2231 to 2237 | Yes |
| Nursing auxiliary or assistant | 6131 | Yes |
| Care worker or senior care worker | 6135, 6136 | No, only extend or switch in the UK |
| Dental nurse | 6133 | No, only if CoS was before 22 July 2025 |
The fee is £324 or £628, and there is no health surcharge
The application fee is £324 per person for a visa of up to 3 years and £628 for more than 3 years. Unlike most UK work visas, you and your family pay no immigration health surcharge, and the NHS is free from day one.
You also need £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself, held for 28 days in a row, with day 28 within 31 days of applying. You do not need it if your employer certifies maintenance on your CoS. Some NHS services, such as prescriptions and dental treatment, still cost money.
Most jobs must pay £25,000 or the going rate
For most eligible jobs, you must usually be paid at least £25,000 a year, or the going rate if that is higher. Many NHS roles use the national pay scales by band and area. Some codes, such as laboratory technicians, follow a £31,300 rule.
The £31,300 threshold, or the job's lower going rate if higher, applies to codes 1171, 1231, 1232, 2113, 2114, 3111, 3211, 3212, 6135 and 6136. In some cases, such as being under 26 or a recent graduate, the salary can be lower, but never under £25,000. Your employer must also pay at least the UK minimum wage.
You need B2 English, a TB test and a police certificate
New applicants must prove English at level B2, by an approved English test, a UK degree, or an English taught degree assessed by Ecctis. Doctors, nurses and midwives who passed an English test accepted by their UK regulator are exempt.
For a Pakistani degree taught in English, the assessment is the Ecctis Qualification and Language Service check. Applicants from Pakistan also need a tuberculosis test, which is done at an approved UK TB test clinic in Pakistan.
You need a criminal record certificate when applying from outside the UK, unless your code is 2113, 2114, 3111 or 6132. If you are 28 or over, it covers every country you lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. In Pakistan, that is a police character certificate.
- Get a job offer from an NHS body, an NHS supplier or an adult social care provider with a sponsor licence.
- Receive your CoS reference number from the employer, and apply within 3 months of it.
- Book your English test or Ecctis check, your TB test and your police certificate.
- Apply online on gov.uk through the Skilled Worker form and answer yes to Health and Care Worker.
- Pay the fee and prove your identity at a visa centre or with the UK ID Check app.
- Expect a decision in about 3 weeks, and apply up to 3 months before your start date.
Family can join you, with limits for care roles
Your husband, wife, partner and children under 18 can usually come as dependants, and they also skip the health surcharge. Care workers and senior care workers can bring dependants only in narrow cases, such as working in that role since before 11 March 2024.
The visa lasts up to 5 years and can be extended. After 5 years you may be able to apply to settle, known as indefinite leave to remain. If you want a quicker decision, you can pay for priority or super priority service, which is offered for this visa. The wider Skilled Worker visa is the route for jobs outside health and care.
Common questions
How much is the UK Health and Care Worker visa fee?
£324 per person for up to 3 years and £628 for more than 3 years. There is no immigration health surcharge.
Can I get a UK care worker visa from Pakistan?
No. Codes 6135 and 6136, care workers and senior care workers, are only for people extending, updating or switching inside the UK.
What is the minimum salary?
Usually £25,000 a year or the going rate, whichever is higher. Some codes use £31,300 or the lower going rate.
Do nurses need IELTS for this visa?
Not if they passed an English assessment accepted by their UK regulator. Others need B2 English by an approved test or an assessed degree.
How long does a decision take?
Usually 3 weeks after you apply and prove your identity, according to gov.uk.
How much money do I need in the bank?
£1,270 for 28 days in a row, unless your employer certifies maintenance on your certificate of sponsorship.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 20 October 2026. Every fee, code, salary rule, English rule, document and dependant rule comes from the UK government's Health and Care Worker visa guidance, which we read in full, part by part, on 20 October 2026. The salary details for the listed codes come from its "different salary requirements" part. We did not read the going rates table or the national pay scales, so check your exact band with your employer. We did not apply for this visa. UK rules change often, so confirm the fee on gov.uk on the day you pay.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
