| Visa | Partner and children usually come as dependants of the main applicant |
| Health surcharge, children | £776 a year for under-18s |
| School place | Through the local council |
| Child Benefit | £27.05 a week for the eldest child, £17.90 for each further child |
| Childcare | Up to 30 free hours a week, 9 months to 4 years, with status conditions |
| As of | November 2026 |
A visa for the whole family
On most work visas your partner and children can come with you as dependants. Each person makes their own application and pays their own fees. The family also has to show it can support itself in the UK, so the proof of funds grows with every family member.
If you hold status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to bring family members over under certain conditions; if you have British family, look at the family visas. Which route fits your family is covered in our section on visas and residence.
The health surcharge for a family
The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid for each person, for the full length of the visa, up front. Example: three years.
| Person | Per year | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £1,035 | £3,105 |
| Child under 18 | £776 | £2,328 |
| Family of two adults and two children | £3,622 | £10,866 |
GOV.UK, Immigration Health Surcharge, retrieved 2 November 2026; calculation St Matthew
School places: how it works in England
You get a place at a state school in England through the local council. The council tells you which schools there are, which admission criteria apply and how to apply. Every school has admission criteria, and at popular schools distance from home often decides. So your address picks the school, not the other way round.
For the little ones: all three- and four-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school. How the English system is built, from Reception to A levels, is explained in schools in the UK.
Child Benefit
Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 for each further child. You can usually claim it if you are responsible for a child under 16 and live in the UK, or up to 20 if the child stays in approved education or training.
Two catches. First, at higher incomes it is clawed back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which starts at £60,000 of annual income. Second, entitlement depends on your immigration status. On a Skilled Worker visa you cannot claim most public funds. Check this before you count on the money. And check at home what happens to the family benefits you receive there once the family leaves.
Childcare: 30 hours, but not for everyone
Working parents in England can get up to 30 hours of free childcare a week for children aged 9 months to 4 years. You can apply once your child is 23 weeks old. Both parents must be working, or about to start work, and have a National Insurance number.
The point that matters for new arrivals: the person applying needs a British or Irish passport, status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or permission to stay with access to public funds. If you come on a typical work visa, you will often pay for nursery yourself, and nursery in England is expensive. Put it in the budget; our page on the real cost of moving helps with that.
The order for families
How one step leads into the next.
- 1
1. Visas for everyone
Main application plus applications for partner and children, health surcharge for all, proof of funds for all.
- 2
2. Choose where to live by school
Look at schools first, then look for a home. The school place follows the address.
- 3
3. Apply for a school place
With the local council, as early as possible, with an address in England.
- 4
4. A GP for everyone
Register the whole family with a GP practice and have vaccination records translated.
- 5
5. Check what support you can claim
Claim Child Benefit and childcare only if your status allows it.
Frequently asked questions
Can my children come with me on my work visa?
Usually yes, as dependants. Each child needs their own application and pays the health surcharge of £776 a year.
Will I get Child Benefit in the UK?
Child Benefit is paid for children under 16, or up to 20 in approved education. Whether you can claim it depends on your immigration status.
How do I get a school place in England?
Through the local council where you live. Schools have admission criteria, and distance often counts.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa (dependants, public funds); GOV.UK: Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application; GOV.UK: School admissions; GOV.UK: Child Benefit; GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents
