Health Care

All international students who are on a continuous course of 6 months or longer, are eligible to register with the National Health Service. Students on shorter courses should make sure that they have bought Health Insurance before they arrive in the UK.

Once you have registered with the Health Service, most treatment is free. However, charges are made for prescriptions, dental care and optical checks. The situation with regard to treatment for pre-existing medical conditions (including pregnancy) is not clear and is liable to change over the period of your course. If you know that you are suffering from a medical condition which may require treatment while you are in the UK, you must be aware that charges may be made for such treatment. You are advised to consider taking out Health Insurance. If you do decide to bring your family, you should be aware that only your spouse and any of your children under 16 years of age or those in full-time education up to 19 years of age will be allowed to register with the National Health Service. No other members of your family will be eligible to register and, should they become ill during a visit, they will be expected to pay for treatment, which could be expensive.

Jointly Supervised Courses - Students on these courses have to be in the UK for 6 months or longer continuously, in order to be entitled to NHS care. If you are in this category, then you must take out medical insurance before you come to the UK. If you need to see a doctor while you are here and you do not have medical insurance you will have to pay medical costs.

Courses of less than 6 months - if you are on a course of less than 6 months you should take out health insurance unless you come from an EEA country or a country with a reciprocal health agreement. The treatment is limited to an illness which occurs after your arrival in the UK. You may have to pay for treatment for
pre-existing conditions in which case you are strongly recommended to take out medical insurance before you leave for the UK.

Most of our Partner Universities have Health Centre schemes. The costs range from £15-£25 a year, and covers admission to the Health Centre and Physiotherapy at the discretion of a Health Centre Physician. This is independent of the NHS, and has no effect on the eligibility requirements for joining the NHS. The fee has to be paid during registration.