Overseas visitors

Send evidence that you are ordinarily resident in the UK or fall within an exemption category.  The documents you need to provide are listed on the reverse of this letter. These documents will be used to determine your status (all original documents will be returned).

Send your documents to:

If you do not provide satisfactory evidence to support your claim, you will be liable for the cost of any treatment provided to you.  You will be issued with an invoice for the costs of any treatment already provided to you and you will be required to pay the full cost of any future NHS hospital treatment. 

If you would like to discuss your claim please contact Hannah Cheel on 07830 343 878 between 8:30 and 16:30 or Matthew Bulgin on 07830 363 956 between 9:00 and 17:00. Alternatively email dgn-tr.overseasvisitorsteam@nhs.net

If you fall ill or have a medical emergency during your temporary stay in England, then you'll need a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)  issued by your home country. If you can't show a valid EHIC, you may be charged for your treatment.

If your EHIC has been lost or stolen during your visit in England and you need a replacement, then you'll have to contact the relevant organisation in your home country to request a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC).

If you do not have an EHIC and cannot obtain a PRC, you may have to pay for treatment at the standard NHS rate.

You need to ensure you are covered for healthcare through personal medical or travel insurance for the duration of your visit even if you are a former UK resident. If you need NHS treatment and you have not arranged insurance, you will be charged unless an exemption category applies to either you or the treatment. 

If we decide that you are not entitled to free NHS treatment (in accordance with current overseas visitors hospital charging regulations), you will have to pay for your treatment and the full cost of any prescribed medication and asked to sign an ‘Undertaking to Pay’ form.

If you have travel insurance you will have to pay for your treatment first and then reclaim it back from your insurance company afterwards. If for any reason, you require further treatment, additional charges will be made.

You should be aware that under immigration rules 320, 321, 321A and 322, a person with outstanding debts of over £500.00 for NHS treatment that are not paid within 2 months of invoicing, may be denied further immigration application to enter or remain in the UK. 

In the absence of prompt full settlement or a reasonable repayment schedule, non-clinical information relating to this debt is provided routinely to the Home Office and may be used by the Home Office to apply the above immigration rules.  The information will remain active for the purpose of the above rules until the debt is settled and a record of the settled debt will also be retained, both subject to normal limitation periods. 

In the event that you may seek entry to the UK or make an advance immigration application after settling an NHS debt in the previous three months, you are advised to retain and carry evidence of payment for potential examination by Home Office officials.