A fuel pump comprising: a housing; an inlet port for receiving low pressure feed fuel; a pumping chamber within the housing for pressurizing the feed fuel; an outlet port for discharging the feed fuel after pressurization; a fuel delivery module mounted in the housing, including an inflow passage for receiving feed fuel from the inlet port, a delivery passage for delivering feed fuel to the pumping chamber, a valve seat between the inflow passage and the delivery passage, and a valve member movable between a first position against the seat whereby the valve member closes fuel flow to the delivery passage and a second position away from the seat whereby the valve member retracts from the seat to open fuel flow to the delivery passage; an actuation module attached to at least one of the delivery module and housing, including an electromagnetic coil assembly that is operatively associated with the valve member for moving the valve member between the first and second positions; wherein the actuation module is hydraulically isolated from the fuel delivery module, characterized in that the delivery module is internal to the housing and has a lower portion that is hydraulically sealed (136, 140) against the housing; the actuation module is attached to the lower portion of the delivery module and projects entirely external to the housing; the actuation module has a first magnetic pole, a surrounding coil, and a magnetically conductive outer jacket; the lower portion of the delivery module defines a second magnetic pole magnetically coupled to the first magnetic pole and includes said valve seat; the valve member is ferromagnetic; and the valve member has a sealing face directly magnetically coupled to the electromagnetic coil through the first and second magnetic poles (130, 138), whereby the coil is selectively energizable to generate a magnetic flux path directly through the sealing face of the valve member and a sealing surface of the seat. a housing; an inlet port for receiving low pressure feed fuel; a pumping chamber within the housing for pressurizing the feed fuel; an outlet port for discharging the feed fuel after pressurization; a fuel delivery module mounted in the housing, including an inflow passage for receiving feed fuel from the inlet port, a delivery passage for delivering feed fuel to the pumping chamber, a valve seat between the inflow passage and the delivery passage, and a valve member movable between a first position against the seat whereby the valve member closes fuel flow to the delivery passage and a second position away from the seat whereby the valve member retracts from the seat to open fuel flow to the delivery passage; an actuation module attached to at least one of the delivery module and housing, including an electromagnetic coil assembly that is operatively associated with the valve member for moving the valve member between the first and second positions; wherein the actuation module is hydraulically isolated from the fuel delivery module, characterized in that the delivery module is internal to the housing and has a lower portion that is hydraulically sealed (136, 140) against the housing; the actuation module is attached to the lower portion of the delivery module and projects entirely external to the housing; the actuation module has a first magnetic pole, a surrounding coil, and a magnetically conductive outer jacket; the lower portion of the delivery module defines a second magnetic pole magnetically coupled to the first magnetic pole and includes said valve seat; the valve member is ferromagnetic; and the valve member has a sealing face directly magnetically coupled to the electromagnetic coil through the first and second magnetic poles (130, 138), whereby the coil is selectively energizable to generate a magnetic flux path directly through the sealing face of the valve member and a sealing surface of the seat.