Healthcare in the UK for international students

EEA Nationals

If you come from a European Economic Area (EEA) country for less than 6 months, you and your family qualify for full NHS treatment. You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you come to the UK. This entitles you to treatment.

Students studying with us for 6 months or more require a visa, and therefore will need to pay the NHS surcharge to access treatment.

If you are Swiss, or a national of one of the EU member states who has come to study in the UK from Switzerland, you will have the same healthcare eligibility as EEA nationals. However, this may not apply to you if you are a national of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have been resident in Switzerland before coming to the UK.

If you are not from an EEA country, you’ll still qualify for some NHS treatment if you meet the following conditions:

• If your course lasts for 6 months or more, and you acquire a visa, you must pay the NHS surcharge before being entitled to free medical treatment. Your family will also be entitled to NHS treatment, if they are living with you as dependants.
• If your course is for less than 6 months, you will have to pay for any treatment as a private patient. It is therefore very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration of your visit to the UK.

You can find more detailed information on the UK CISA website.