Healthcare
This page explains what healthcare you will be able to receive free of charge while you are living in the United Kingdom.
You will be able to receive healthcare from the National Health Service (NHS). Some or all of this may be free of charge depending on your residency status and how long you have been living in the United Kingdom.
Permanent residents of the United Kingdom do not have to pay for treatment by a general practitioner (GP) or at a hospital.
Permanent residents on a low income may qualify for extra free healthcare such as NHS prescriptions, dental care, sight tests and vouchers to help you buy glasses. More information is on the Jobcentre Plus website.
If you are a visitor to the United Kingdom or have temporary permission to live here (we call this limited leave to remain), you may be able to register with a GP in your area and receive free treatment. The GP can decide whether or not to register you. You may not be able to receive the full range of hospital treatment, because you must be a permanent resident or have lived here for a year to qualify for it. This applies even if you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.
You can find out more about this in the Department of Health leaflet 'Did you know that you may have to pay for hospital treatment whilst here?'. Some health services are free of charge to everyone. These are:
- treatment given in an accident and emergency (A&E) department or in an NHS walk-in centre that provides services similar to those of an A&E department;
- treatment for certain infectious diseases (but for HIV/AIDS only the first diagnosis and counselling that follows it are free);
- compulsory psychiatric treatment; and
- family planning services.
Certain categories of people are able to receive the full range of hospital treatment, including asylum applicants whose application is still being considered, anyone who has lived here legally for the previous 12 months, and diplomatic staff. For the full list, see the Deparment of Health leaflet.
A few categories of visitors are able to receive treatment for conditions that occurred after their arrival in the United Kingdom. This includes residents of the European Economic Area, or a country with which the United Kingdom has a bilateral healthcare agreement. The Department of Health leaflet gives more details.
If you are not in one of the categories that are able to receive free treatment, you may be asked to pay for any hospital treatment you receive. You may therefore wish to ensure you have health insurance to cover your stay in the United Kingdom.
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Terms explained
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British citizen
British citizens have the right to live in the United Kingdom permanently and are free to leave and re-enter the country at any time. British citizenship is given to people who have a close connection with the United Kingdom, which includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. A close connection may be by birth, adoption, descent, marriage, registration or naturalisation.
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European Economic Area
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU) but citizens of these countries have the same rights to enter, live in and work in the United Kingdom as EU citizens.
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Limited leave to remain
Permission to stay in the United Kingdom temporarily, for the length of time stated on your visa.