Medical treatment for international students

Students on courses of six months or longer

All international students studying in the UK for six months or more are eligible to receive full health care under the National Health  Service. This includes hospital treatment as an in-patient, the treatment of pre-existing conditions, full maternity services and registering as a patient with a doctor / general practitioner (GP). The spouse and dependant children accompanying an international student in the UK are also entitled to the same health care benefits as outlined above.

Registering with a |Doctor / General Practitioner (GP)

You should register with a GP as soon as possible, because doctors' consultations and the provision of other NHS services, e.g. non-emergency hospital treatment, depend on it. To find the nearest GP go to http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx and enter your post code.

Charges

All internationa students described above are subject to the same statutory charges, e.g. for prescriptions, dental and optician's treatment as anyone else in the UK, but you may also apply  for exemption from charges. To apply for exemption you should fill in an HC1 form, available from NHS hospitals, walk-in centers and GPs. This claim form is also available on request by calling the Health Literature Line on 08701 555 455 (then press 3). You may be eligable for full or partial exemption of charges. Qualofying for free or reduce cost prescpription is not regarded as a recourse to public funds by the Home Office and so will not infringe your student visa conditions nor will it jeopardise any application for an extention of stay in the UK.

If you are pregnant or have given birth within the last 12 months. you are automatically eligible for free prescriptions and do not need to apply for exemption from charges.

Students on courses of less than six months

If your course of study is for less than six months, emergency hospital tretment will be provided but only the treatment given in a NHS Accident and Emergency department is free of charge. Once you are admitted on to a ward or given an outpatient appointment, charges will apply. GPs may agree to treat you without charge, but this will usually be limited to urgent treatment that cannot be delayed until you return home. You will have to pay for any other treatment as a private patient. It is therefore very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration of your visit to the UK. If do not have insurance, private treatment could prove very expensive.

Some countries have reciprocal health care agreements with the UK. If you are studying here for less than six months, you should seek advice from the health authorities in your home countryto check what treatment will be covered. You may still need to take out limited or even full medical insurance depending on the particular arrangements.