Healthcare for overseas visitors

Most healthcare in the UK is provided by the National Health Service (NHS). People who usually live in the UK and are legally allowed to live here are called ordinary residents and get most NHS healthcare free. They may also choose to pay for private healthcare. We have more information about how the UK healthcare system works.

An overseas visitor means someone who is visiting the UK from another country.

It is possible to access healthcare in the UK if you are an overseas visitor. Sometimes you can have free NHS healthcare in the same way as an ordinary resident. For example, if you:

• are a refugee, seeking asylum or a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking (see ‘Refugees’ below)
• have paid the immigration health surcharge.

Other types of overseas visitors may have to pay for NHS healthcare unless it is urgent. Or they may have to show they are covered by insurance or another arrangement such as an S1 form or a reciprocal agreement.

Overseas visitors can also choose to arrange and pay for private healthcare in the UK.

This information is only a general guide. Whether you can have healthcare in the UK may depend on:

• where you come from
• which part of the UK you are in
• your reason for being in the UK
• what type of visa you have
• your family and work situation.

You can find out more from the organisations below or from a UK healthcare provider such as a GP or hospital. Some UK hospitals may have an overseas visitors manager who can give advice.

Before coming to the UK, you should get as much information as possible from your own doctor if you can. This can include medical records, test results and copies of x-rays or scans. If your medical records are not in English, it is helpful to have them translated before you come to the UK.

Some emergency healthcare is always free to everyone in the UK. You never pay for:

• emergency help for life-threatening conditions if you phone 999.
• advice about urgent health problems if you call 111 (in England, Scotland or Wales).
• care at an accident and emergency (A&E) department, walk-in centre, minor injuries unit or urgent care centre.

Other healthcare services that are always free to everyone include:

• testing and treatment for some types of infections and sexually transmitted diseases
• contraception services
• treatment for conditions caused by torture, female genital mutilation, and domestic or sexual violence.

In the UK, your GP is often your first and main point of contact for healthcare. You usually register with 1 GP or a group of GPs (a practice). They treat and manage many health problems. If you need more specialised treatment, they can arrange this for you. This is called making a referral.

GP care is free for:

• refugees
• people seeking asylum
• victims of modern slavery or human trafficking.
• people who have paid the immigration health surcharge.

Other types of overseas visitors may have to pay for a GP appointment. But this varies across the UK. In England, you do not pay for the appointment, but you may still have to pay for any:

• treatment
• tests
• medications
• hospital treatment.

In other areas of the UK, you may have to pay for the GP appointment as well as any other costs.

A GP will not refuse to register you because you are an overseas visitor. But they may refuse because they have registered as many patients as they are allowed. You may have to find another GP to register you.

To register, you may be asked to show your passport, visa or proof of a UK address. You do not have to provide this when registering with a GP, but it is helpful to do so.

Hospital and specialist care are usually arranged by a GP, or because a person has been taken to hospital with an urgent or life-threatening problem.

Hospital and specialist care are free for refugees, people seeking asylum or victims of modern slavery or human trafficking. It is also free if you have paid the immigration health surcharge.

Other types of overseas visitors may have to pay. Or they may have to show they have insurance, or are covered by another arrangement for paying. This might be an agreement between their country of residence and the UK (see ‘Reciprocal healthcare agreements’ below).

If you are applying for asylum in the UK, NHS healthcare is free in the same way as an ordinary UK resident. This includes GP and hospital care, and urgent and non-urgent treatment.

You are allowed this while you apply for asylum, wait for a decision and during any appeals.

If your asylum claim has been refused, you may still be allowed free NHS healthcare. This depends on the area of the UK.

Migrant Help can give advice and support, if you need help to access healthcare or you are not sure of your rights to healthcare. Visit migranthelpuk.org or call their free asylum helpline on 0808 801 0503.

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) lets you have free NHS healthcare if you become ill or need treatment during a visit to the UK. Find more information about EHICs and whether you can apply for one.

The EHIC only covers treatment that cannot wait until you travel home from the UK. It does not cover planned treatment. An NHS doctor will decide if treatment is needed in the UK, or if you can go home to have it.

If you lose or forget your EHIC, you will need to ask the relevant organisation in your home country to fax or email a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC). This gives you the same rights to healthcare as your EHIC. If you cannot get a PRC, you will have to pay for the treatment.

Your EHIC is not the same as travel insurance. For example, it does not pay for your travel home or for private healthcare in the UK.

You can use the NHS in the same way as an ordinary UK resident if:

• you paid the immigration health surcharge
• your visa or immigration application was granted.

You can find more information about the immigration health surcharge at gov.uk.

If you used to live in the UK and are returning to live legally in the UK permanently, you can usually have free NHS healthcare from the day you return.

You may need to show evidence that you will stay in the UK. This can include proof that you have an address in the UK, or proof that you have sold your property overseas. You may also be asked to show your passport or proof that you have been given right of permanent residence in the UK.

You can find more information about returning to live in the UK on gov.uk.

• private hospitals and clinics
• some specialist NHS hospitals that also treat private patients.

You can pay using private health insurance. You can also pay the hospital or clinic yourself.

You will need to arrange the treatment with the hospital in the UK before you travel. You must also check that you are allowed to enter the UK and whether you need a visa. You can find more information on the gov.uk website.

You may be asked to show:

• why you need treatment in the UK
• where and when you are having treatment
• how you will pay for treatment and other costs in the UK
• that you will leave the UK when your treatment or visa ends.

Your doctor, health insurer or private hospital can help you get this information.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.