Overseas Visitors

Overseas visitors and NHS hospital treatment 

NHS hospital treatment is not automatically free to everyone. Eligibility for treatment without charge is based on UK law and your individual circumstances. If you are not ordinarily resident in the UK, you may need to pay for some NHS hospital services unless an exemption or international healthcare arrangement applies. 

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has a legal duty to make reasonable enquiries about a patient’s eligibility and, where required by law, to charge for relevant NHS services. 

What does “ordinarily resident” mean? 

In general, being ordinarily resident means living in the UK lawfully, voluntarily and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of your life. Eligibility is not decided by nationality alone. 

Having a British passport, an NHS number, a UK address, UK property, a UK driving license or registration with a GP does not by itself establish entitlement to free NHS hospital treatment. If you are subject to immigration control, additional legal requirements may apply. 

How we assess eligibility 

We may ask you questions and request documents so that we can assess whether you are entitled to NHS hospital treatment without charge. Evidence may include documents showing: 

• your identity 

• where you normally live 

• your immigration or residency status 

• payment of, or exemption from, the immigration health surcharge 

• cover under an international healthcare arrangement, such as a valid EHIC, GHIC, S1 or S2 

• that you or the treatment you are receiving falls within an exemption set out in law 

The documents needed will depend on your circumstances. The Overseas Visitors Team will explain what information is required. Please provide information as soon as possible, but do not delay seeking urgent medical help because you do not have documents with you. 

Treatment that must not be delayed 

A clinician will decide whether treatment is immediately necessary, urgent or non-urgent. 

• Immediately necessary treatment will not be withheld or delayed because payment has not been made. 

• Urgent treatment will not be delayed where it cannot reasonably wait until you can return to your country of residence. 

• Non-urgent treatment may be delayed until eligibility is confirmed or the estimated charge has been paid. 

Receiving immediately necessary or urgent treatment does not necessarily mean that the treatment is free. Charges may still apply unless you, or the service provided, are exempt. 

Emergency Department treatment 

Treatment provided within the Emergency Department is free of charge. This exemption does not normally extend to treatment provided after admission to hospital, transfer to the care of a non Emergency Department doctor, or at a subsequent outpatient appointment (either face to face or via telephone/online). If you are admitted or referred for further care, that treatment may be chargeable unless an exemption or healthcare arrangement applies. 

Maternity services 

Maternity care is treated as immediately necessary. It will not be withheld or delayed because payment has not been made. However, maternity care is not automatically free and charges may apply unless an exemption applies. 

Services and people that may be exempt 

The charging rules include exemptions for certain services and for some people. Examples may include: 

• diagnosis and treatment of specified infectious diseases and sexually transmitted infections 

• family planning services, excluding termination of pregnancy and maternity treatment 

• treatment required for a condition caused by torture, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse or sexual violence, where the legal conditions for the exemption are met 

• people within specified protected groups, including some refugees, asylum seekers, victims or suspected victims of modern slavery, and eligible family members 

• people covered by the immigration health surcharge, reciprocal healthcare arrangements or qualifying international healthcare documents 

This is not a complete list. Exemptions are defined in legislation and depend on individual circumstances. The Overseas Visitors Team will assess your case against the current rules.