Do I need a permanent residency status to receive treatment abroad on the NHS?

In the last few weeks we have received a lot of messages from you asking if you can be treated abroad with NHS refund on the basis of the cross-border directive without having the permanent residency status in the UK.


The answer to this question is yes, for treatment abroad with NHS refund, you do not need a right to permanent residence. You need to prove that you are ordinarily resident in England and that you are entitled to NHS care. When applying for a refund, you must prove that you lived in England before and after treatment.


How to prove that you are ordinarily resident in England?

The evidence that the NHS recognizes are letters with your name and surname sent to the address you provided. It can not be any type of letter – it must be an official document.


When applying for reimbursement of treatment costs to the NHS, a minimum of two following documents will be needed:

The first one is a bank statement (financial data may be blurred) showing payments in England before and after the date of treatment.

The second document is for example:

–Council tax account
–A water, gas or electricity bill
–Tax document, excluding forms P45 and P60
–Official letter from the social benefits fund confirming the right to benefits or retirement / disability pension.

 

If you do not have access to a bank account statement, you will need to provide three documents – at least one of the above list and two from the following list:


–Driving license
–A landline phone bill
–Mobile phone bill
–Housing contract
–Letter from a lawyer confirming the purchase of real estate
–A letter from the NHS
–Letter from the employer


Am I entitled to NHS care?


If you work and pay taxes in England, do not worry, you have the right to treatment in the NHS.
During the application you will need to provide your National Insurance and NHS numbers.


If you have any doubts about whether you qualify for treatment abroad at the expense of the NHS, fill in the contact form – we will get back to you within 24 hours.