Healthcare in the UK for international students

The Immigration Health Surcharge: what you already paid for

When you applied for your UK Student visa, you paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) alongside your application fee. The IHS is currently £1,035 per year of your visa — verify the exact rate at gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application↗ before you apply, since it's reviewed periodically. For a three-year undergraduate degree, that's around £3,105, paid upfront when you submitted your visa application.

That payment entitles you to use the NHS on the same terms as a UK resident. You don't pay again when you visit a GP, go to hospital, or need emergency care — with a few exceptions covered below.

The IHS is assessed per person. Dependants — a partner or children — who join you on dependent visas each pay their own IHS separately. Their NHS access works the same way as yours, from the date their visa begins.

If your visa expires and you apply for a new one — a Graduate visa, for example — you pay the IHS again for the new visa period. While a pending application is being decided, your NHS entitlement continues under section 3C leave.

One situation that catches students off guard: some hospitals and walk-in centres ask new patients to show proof of NHS entitlement. You don't have to carry your visa approval letter everywhere, but it's worth saving a digital copy on your phone. If a facility tries to charge you for something IHS payers should get for free, ask to speak to the Overseas Visitors Manager and give your visa details.

How to register with a GP

A GP (general practitioner) is your main point of contact with the NHS. They treat everyday health problems, issue prescriptions, refer you to specialists and hospital departments, and write fit notes (sick notes) for your university when you're unwell. Every person in the UK has one GP practice they're registered with.

Registering is free and has no ongoing cost. It doesn't count against any allowance — there's no limit on how many times you can see a GP.

See our GP registration guide for a step-by-step walkthrough once you have a UK address.

Finding a GP near you

Go to NHS Find a GP↗ and enter your postcode. You'll see surgeries in the area, whether they're accepting new patients, their opening hours, and patient ratings.

You can register with any practice whose catchment area includes your address — you're not restricted to the nearest one. In university towns, many GP surgeries are used to seeing international students and will have staff familiar with student-specific questions. Your university student health centre (if it has one) is often the most practical choice.

If a surgery is full, ask to join its waiting list and register with an alternative in the meantime. You can transfer your registration later.

What you need to register

Bring to the surgery:

• Your passport or BRP card — or a share code for your eVisa if you don't have a physical document
• Proof of your UK address — a university welcome letter, tenancy agreement, or letter from student services is fine
• Your NHS number if you've been given one (most recent arrivals haven't)

The surgery doesn't need to see proof of your IHS payment. They confirm your entitlement through their NHS system.

Many practices now allow online registration through their own website or through the NHS App↗. If online registration is available, you upload a photo of your ID and enter your address. The practice sends confirmation by email, usually within a few days.

You'll also be asked to fill in a new patient health questionnaire — this is routine. It covers existing conditions, medications, and anything you want the surgery to know at the outset. If you take regular medication from home, bring a list using generic (non-brand) names where possible, since brand names vary between countries.

After you register

You'll receive a confirmation letter with your NHS number — a ten-digit identifier used across all NHS services. You'll need it when booking hospital appointments, collecting prescriptions, and using the NHS App. Keep it somewhere accessible.

Once registered, you can book appointments by phone, online through your surgery's website, or through the NHS App. Most practices offer same-day slots for urgent but non-emergency issues — phone early in the morning to get one.

Book a new patient health check if your surgery offers one. This is a chance to mention any ongoing conditions, discuss medications you were taking at home, and flag anything you want monitored. It's also when your GP can set up any repeat prescriptions you need.

What the NHS covers for free

Most NHS services are free at the point of use for IHS payers. That phrase means you don't pay at the time — the cost is covered regardless of how much you use.

Free for IHS payers:

• GP appointments — telephone, video, and face-to-face
• Hospital outpatient appointments (when referred by a GP or A&E)
• Inpatient treatment, including surgery and overnight stays
• Emergency care at A&E
• Maternity services — antenatal appointments, delivery, postnatal care
• Mental health services (see the section below)
• Blood tests, X-rays, and scans ordered by NHS clinicians
• NHS physiotherapy and occupational therapy (on referral)
• Vaccinations recommended by your GP
• Sexual health services — testing and treatment is free and confidential at NHS sexual health clinics↗, no GP referral needed and no details shared with your university

Charged separately for most adults:

• NHS prescriptions in England — flat charge per item (prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
• NHS dental treatment — regulated banded charges
• Optical (eye) care — free NHS sight tests only for under-16s, some under-19s in full-time education, and specific medical conditions; adults without an exemption pay
• Private treatment outside the NHS — the IHS doesn't cover this

NHS prescriptions in England

If you study in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, all NHS prescriptions are free for everyone — skip to the mental health section.

In England, there's a flat charge per prescription item, regardless of whether that item is a cheap generic or an expensive branded drug. The charge changes each April — find the current amount at nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies↗. Each line item on your prescription counts separately, so a prescription listing three different medications means three charges.

Who qualifies for free prescriptions in England

You pay nothing if you:

• Are under 16
• Are 16–18 and in full-time education
• Are pregnant or had a baby in the last 12 months (you need to apply for an NHS Maternity Exemption Certificate↗)
• Have a qualifying long-term condition — conditions including diabetes, epilepsy, hypoparathyroidism, and others are listed at nhsbsa.nhs.uk↗
• Receive certain means-tested benefits (this rarely applies to students on a Student visa)

Most international students in England will pay the prescription charge. If you need regular medication, the Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) is worth knowing about before you fill your first prescription.

The Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC)

A PPC caps the total you pay for prescriptions over a set period. You pay one upfront fee and all your prescription items are free for the duration — regardless of how many you collect.

You can get a 3-month or 12-month PPC. If you need more than one prescription item per month, a 12-month PPC will almost certainly save you money. Check current prices and apply at nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-prepayment-certificates↗.

Buy it before you collect your next prescription — you can't claim it back against prescriptions you've already paid for. Apply online, at any pharmacy, or by post. Once active, show the certificate at the pharmacy counter and you pay nothing extra.

Mental health support on the NHS

The NHS provides free mental health care, and as a student you have several routes into it. The fastest isn't always the NHS — your university's own services often move quicker.

University wellbeing services first

Your university will have a counselling and student wellbeing service, separate from the NHS. For the pressures that hit hardest in the first year — adjustment to a new country, academic stress, loneliness, relationship difficulties, sleep problems — this is usually the fastest route. Many offer appointments within a week. Book through your student portal or student services office.

These services are confidential. What you tell a university counsellor is not shared with your academic department without your consent. They can also help you access reasonable adjustments if your mental health is affecting your studies.

The university service is not a crisis service. If your needs are more complex or longer-term, they'll typically refer you on to NHS care.

NHS Talking Therapies

For anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, or PTSD, you can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies↗ — no GP appointment needed. Fill in the form on the NHS website and a local service will contact you for an initial phone or online assessment.

Waiting times vary by area. Four to six weeks is typical; some areas are faster. Therapy is usually delivered by phone, video, or in person. Interpreter services are available — ask when you self-refer.

For a shorter wait, your GP can refer you through the same pathway. A GP referral sometimes moves you up the queue compared to self-referral.

GP route for more serious concerns

If you're experiencing significant depression, an eating disorder, psychosis, complex trauma, or anything that's affecting your ability to function day-to-day, see your GP. They can:

• Prescribe medication if appropriate
• Refer you to a community mental health team (CMHT) for specialist assessment and longer-term care
• Issue a fit note for your university if you need to interrupt your studies or claim mitigating circumstances
• Flag your case for priority if your situation is urgent

Be direct with your GP about how your symptoms are affecting you — how many days a week you struggle to get out of bed, whether you're attending lectures, how your eating or sleep has changed. GPs in the UK treat mental health with the same seriousness as physical health, but they need specifics to refer appropriately.

For in-app resources see our mental health support guide.

If you need help right now

• Samaritans: 116 123 — free, 24 hours a day, every day. You can also email jo@samaritans.org
• Shout (text crisis support): text SHOUT to 85258
• NHS 111: call 111 and say you're having a mental health crisis — they can connect you to a local crisis team
• 999 or A&E: if you or someone else is in immediate danger

None of these require GP registration or proof of NHS entitlement. They're available to anyone in the UK.

GP, walk-in, 111, or A&E: where to go for what

Choosing the right service saves hours of waiting and gets you the right level of care.

Your GP: routine and ongoing care

Use your GP for anything that isn't urgent. New symptoms that need checking. Skin problems, recurring headaches, digestive issues. Referrals to physiotherapy or dermatology. Repeat prescriptions. Fit notes for your university. Contraception and sexual health reviews. Mental health concerns. Childhood vaccinations you missed or need boosters for.

Same-day slots exist at most practices for issues that can't wait a week. Book as early as possible on the day — many practices release same-day slots at 8am and they go fast.

Urgent Treatment Centres and walk-in centres

For problems that can't wait until your GP has a slot but aren't emergencies: a sprained ankle, a minor cut that might need stitches, a urine infection, an ear or eye infection, a non-severe allergic skin reaction. No appointment needed, and most are open seven days a week.

Find your nearest Urgent Treatment Centre or walk-in centre at 111.nhs.uk↗ or by calling 111. These centres are staffed by nurses and sometimes GPs, and they're much faster than A&E for minor injuries.

NHS 111

Call 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk↗ when you're not sure whether your symptoms need same-day attention. 111 uses a triage system — it asks about your symptoms and either advises self-care, books you an appointment at a UTC, dispatches a community nurse, or tells you to go to A&E.

Calling 111 before going to A&E often results in faster treatment on arrival, because the triage team can see 111 has already assessed you. 111 also has an interpreter service: say the name of your language at the start of the call and an interpreter will join.

A&E

Go to A&E — or call 999 first — for genuine emergencies: chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, suspected stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), serious head injury, severe allergic reaction, major trauma, loss of consciousness, or a mental health crisis where you're at immediate risk.

A&E is not faster for minor issues. Triage nurses prioritise by clinical severity, and a sprained ankle waits behind a heart attack. During busy periods, waits of two to five hours are common for non-critical presentations.

NHS dental care

NHS dental care is charged separately from GP care, even for IHS payers. Most adult dental treatment carries a regulated band charge.

In England, NHS dental treatment is grouped into three bands:

• Band 1 — an examination, X-rays if needed, and a scale and polish
• Band 2 — Band 1 plus any fillings, root canal treatment, or extractions
• Band 3 — Band 1 plus more complex work such as crowns, bridges, or dentures

Current band charges are at nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists↗. Once you've paid for a band, any treatment in that band or below is covered within two months, so don't delay getting work done once a plan is agreed.

Finding an NHS dentist that's accepting new patients can be difficult in some parts of England. Options:

• University dental schools: supervised treatment by dental students, significantly cheaper than NHS band charges, and often taking new patients. Ask your university's student services whether there's one nearby.
• NHS Find a Dentist: nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist↗ lists practices showing NHS availability
• NHS 111: if you're in pain and can't find an NHS dentist, call 111 — they can refer you to an emergency dental service

For more on finding NHS dental care see our NHS dentist guide.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different charging rules. In Wales, NHS dental check-ups are free for everyone.

If you're under 18 when you first register with a dentist, check-ups and X-rays are free. Some students aged 16–18 in full-time education may also qualify — ask the practice.

Staying on top of your NHS care

The NHS App↗ is worth setting up once you have your NHS number. After verifying your identity through the app, you can:

• Book and cancel GP appointments
• Order repeat prescriptions
• View your test results and health records
• See and download your vaccination history — useful if you need to show proof
• Access your GP's patient messaging service

Download it from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with your NHS login. If your GP practice is linked to the app (most are), your records appear automatically.

For the first few days before you've registered with a GP, save 111.nhs.uk and the Samaritans number (116 123) in your phone. Those two contacts get you to appropriate help in almost any situation.

FAQ

Do international students get free NHS treatment in the UK?

Yes — if you paid the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your Student visa application, you're entitled to the same NHS services as a UK resident. GP appointments, hospital care, mental health support, and emergency treatment are all free at the point of use. NHS prescriptions in England, dental treatment, and optical care are charged separately for most adults.

Can I use the NHS without registering with a GP?

A&E, NHS 111, walk-in centres, and sexual health clinics are all accessible without a GP. However, registering with a GP soon after you arrive is worth doing — they're the route to referrals, repeat prescriptions, fit notes, and most ongoing care.

What if I need urgent care before I've registered with a GP?

Call NHS 111 or walk into an Urgent Treatment Centre — both treat you without a GP referral. For an emergency, call 999 or go straight to A&E. In a mental health crisis, call Samaritans on 116 123, free at any hour. None of these require you to be registered with a GP first.

Do I pay for prescriptions as an international student?

In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, all NHS prescriptions are free. In England, there's a flat charge per prescription item. If you take regular medication, a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) caps your total spending — see details at nhsbsa.nhs.uk. Students aged 16–18 in full-time education pay nothing.

How do I access mental health support through the NHS?

Start with your university's counselling and wellbeing service — it's usually the fastest first step. For NHS therapy, self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies at nhs.uk without needing a GP appointment. For more serious concerns, see your GP for a specialist referral. In a crisis, call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time.

Can I access the NHS if my visa is about to expire?

Your NHS entitlement runs for the duration of your current leave. If your leave is extended by section 3C while a new visa application is pending, your NHS access continues during that period. Once your leave ends and no extension applies, NHS charges may apply. Check your status at gov.uk/check-uk-visa↗ if you're unsure.