NHS Treatment for Overseas Visitors

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The National Guidance 

The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 (the Charging Regulations) came into force on 6 April 2015 and apply to all courses of treatment commenced on or after that date. The Regulations have subsequently been amended, with changes coming into effect on 1 February 2016 regarding failed asylum seekers, those who had been trafficked and victims of FGM. 

The NHS is a residency-based healthcare system and to be eligible for free NHS treatment and health care you must be resident (live) in the UK. An overseas visitor is any person who does not live permanently in the UK.   

The Charging Regulations place a legal obligation on NHS trusts like ours to establish whether a person is an overseas visitor to whom charges apply, or whether they are exempt from charges. If a person cannot prove they are a UK resident, charges will be made for NHS treatment and health care provided to an overseas visitor.