International students and the NHS

Can international students use NHS services for free?

Full-time international students aged 18 or over who are studying in the UK for longer than six months need to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to use NHS services. This costs £776 per each year of your stay and is charged as part of your online immigration application. Any dependants coming with you also need to pay the IHS.

International students studying in the UK for less than six months will not be able to pay the IHS to use NHS services, so will need to take out private medical insurance instead.

Do international students need to register with the NHS?

You can get an NHS number by registering with a GP. You will need to take a letter from the institution you are studying at, your passport and any immigration or visa documents. Your university or college might have an international students officer to help with this.

Although you do not need an NHS number to use NHS services, it is useful to have for things like accessing your medical records or getting prescriptions.

Are all NHS services free after paying the IHS?

The following NHS services are free at the point of use for international students:

Like UK residents, you will need to pay NHS charges for the following services (unless you are exempt).

Find out more about international students and the NHS.