Can you use the NHS if you’re not a UK resident?
Yes/no. We will now explain UK residency status and NHS entitlement
The NHS works on a residency based system where anyone who has ‘ordinary residence’ is eligible for free healthcare. There are certain criteria you have to meet to be considered ‘ordinarily resident’ which is not the same as your nationality or immigration status.
You do not automatically get ordinary residence status just because you have a registered GP, own property or pay National Insurance contributions.
Ordinary Residency
You will usually have ordinary residence if you are:
- A British citizen
- An EEA/Swiss national resident in the UK
- A British subject with a right to abode in the UK (for example, one of your parents was born in the UK and was a citizen of the UK when you were born)
- Have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
You cannot have ordinary residence if you are:
- A non-EEA or Swiss national without indefinite leave to remain
- An EEA/Swiss national not resident in the UK
- An undocumented irregular migrant or failed asylum seeker.
Immigration health surcharge
Anyone who is not an ordinary resident is referred to as an ‘overseas visitor’. If you’re visiting the UK for a temporary stay of more than 6 months, you may have to pay the immigration health surcharge at the time of your visa application.
Payment of the immigration health surcharge lets you use NHS healthcare in the same way as someone who is ordinarily resident, for as long as your visa remains valid. This means you are entitled to receive free NHS care including hospital care. You will still have to pay for services that are normally charged for, like dentistry and prescriptions.
The standard surcharge fee is:
- £470 per year for students or those under the age of 18
- £624 per year for everyone else.
There are further certain criteria for people from the EU or EEA:
Visitors from the EEA or Switzerland
If you are visiting the UK from an EEA (European Economic Area) member state, you should bring a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you from your home country. Present this at all health appointments, as it proves your entitlement to receive emergency treatment.
Visitors from outside the EEA
If you are visiting the UK from a non-EEA country, you need to make sure you’re covered for healthcare through personal medical insurance for the duration of your visit. You should bring your insurance documents with you for any health appointments.
Visitors from Ukraine
The government changes its regulations in March 2022 to ensure that anyone who is ordinarily resident in Ukraine but is lawfully in the UK, is exempt from charges for NHS treatment in England.
Summary
We have explained UK residency status and NHS entitlement. We hope you understand it better now.
Other resources
GOV.UK. Prove you have right of abode in the UK. 2022.
Doctors of the World; The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. A short guide to access to NHS Health Care for Migrants. 2018.
NHS. Moving to England from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). 2022.
GOV.UK. How charges for NHS healthcare apply to overseas visitors. 2020.
GOV.UK. NHS entitlements: migrant health guide. 2022.
