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on June 5, 2024
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Thousands of people a year come from around the world to the UK, in order to receive medical treatment or consultations. So, if you are a non-UK national interested in benefitting from the often world-leading medical expertise in this western European country, you might be seeking to find out what steps you will need to take to make this a reality.
The short answer to the question we posed at the top of this article, is that there isn’t actually a dedicated medical visa for the UK.
If, however, you are among the non-UK nationals who would require a visa in order to come to the UK, you may be able to apply for a Standard Visitor visa. If you take this route, you will need to make clear in your visa application that you are doing so for medical reasons, in addition to fulfilling the UK Government’s specific requirements for medical visitors.
It isn’t automatically the case that any given foreign national who is interested in coming to the UK for medical reasons – such as to receive private medical treatment or donate an organ – will need to secure a visa in advance of their trip. Whether you are required to do so, will depend on where you are from.
Since the conclusion of the Brexit process, the majority of European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals have come under the scope of the UK’s new points-based immigration system. However, it is still the case that such nationals are allowed to visit the UK for as long as six months without having to apply for a visa.
This six-month window also applies to individuals from these regions who wish to visit for medical reasons. This presumes such visitors do not intend to carry out any activity that the UK Immigration Rules forbid them from doing (such as working).
Please note that even if you don’t require a visa to visit the UK for medical reasons, you will still need to satisfy the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements to visit the UK. You might be asked questions at the UK border in relation to your eligibility and the activities that you intend to carry out.
If the medical treatment that you seek in the UK will last longer than six months, you will need to obtain a Standard Visitor visa, irrespective of your nationality.
A slightly different situation applies to Irish citizens, who – thanks to the Common Travel Area (CTA) provisions – are entitled to live, work, study, and access healthcare, social security, and public services in the UK, without the need to apply for permission first.
There are other countries around the world, whose nationals will not usually need to obtain a visa if they wish to visit the UK for medical purposes. For the latest information on the nationalities that do require UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) entry clearance before they will be able to travel as a visitor to the UK, please consult the “visa national list” in the UK Immigration Rules.
The Standard Visitor visa allows foreign nationals to visit the UK for any of a range of permitted reasons – such as tourism, business, or to attend a paid engagement or event – for up to six months. You might be able to apply to stay in the UK on this visa for longer than six months, subject to certain circumstances, such as if you are receiving medical treatment.
You may be able to spend up to six months in the UK on this visa, in order to:
Foreign nationals who are visiting the UK from a member state of the European Union (EU) or Switzerland, and who fall ill or have a medical emergency during their temporary stay in England, can access healthcare using a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by their home country.
If you have an EHIC, this will cover you in the UK for the treatment of pre-existing medical conditions, and for routine maternity care, as long as the reason for your visit to the UK is not specifically to give birth or receive treatment.
You should not consider your EHIC to be a substitute for travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical care in the UK, and nor will it cover any lost or stolen property, or a flight back home.
Visitors to the UK from Norway have the right to access healthcare that is medically necessary. They can access this by showing a valid Norwegian passport.
The broad process of applying for a Standard Visitor visa in order to receive healthcare or to donate an organ in the UK, is as follows:
Submit your application for the Standard Visitor visa online. Presuming you have checked and confirmed that you will definitely require a Standard Visitor visa for your trip to the UK, you will need to apply online for this visa, prior to travelling to the UK and attending an appointment at a visa application centre. You will not be able to apply for the visa any earlier than three months ahead of the intended travel date.
If you are a foreign national visiting England, certain services – including GP and nurse consultations in primary care, GP-provided treatment, and other primary care services – will be free of charge. This will be the case whether you register with a GP as an NHS patient or access NHS services on a temporary-patient basis.
However, with regard to secondary care services, the UK operates a residence-based healthcare system. This means that if someone in the UK wishes to access free healthcare, they must be residing lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis.
The UK uses the concept of “ordinary residence” to determine whether someone has a right to free NHS healthcare. People from non-EEA countries who are subject to immigration control will not be classed as ordinarily resident in the UK unless they have the immigration status of “indefinite leave to remain”.
If, then, you are a foreign national visiting the UK and are therefore not ordinarily resident in the country, you may need to pay for your care when in England. However, exemptions from payment apply for some services and individuals.
Below are examples of services or treatments provided in an NHS hospital that are exempt from charges, which renders them free for all:
Individuals that are exempt from NHS charges, meanwhile, include the likes of:
Prisoners and immigration detainees.
Our UK immigration experts can help you secure a visa for a medical visit
For advice, guidance, and help in relation to all aspects of applying for a Standard Visitor visa to the UK, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Cranbrook Legal team. Our award-winning specialists in UK immigration law have an impressive track record of project-managing overseas nationals’ applications for this visa and receiving positive outcomes from the Home Office.
To learn more about our expertise and how we can manage your visa application for you on a pre-agreed fee basis, please call 0208 215 0053 now, or fill in and submit our online contact form to arrange a free consultation.
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