Registering with a GP and using the NHS as an international student

You paid the Immigration Health Surcharge with your visa. That gives you the same access to the NHS as a UK resident for the length of your visa, but nothing happens automatically: you need to register with a GP (a local doctor) to use it.

What the surcharge covers

• GP appointments, including phone and video consultations
• Hospital treatment, including A&E and specialist referrals
• Maternity care
• Mental health services through your GP
• Most vaccinations

What still costs money

• Prescriptions in England: £9.90 per item (free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). If you take regular medication, a prepayment certificate (£32.05 for three months, £114.50 for a year) is cheaper after three items.
• Dental treatment: NHS dentists charge banded fees from £27.40; many do not take new NHS patients, so register early or expect private prices.
• Eye tests and glasses: from around £25 for a test; glasses are private.

Registering with a GP

1. Find a practice near your term-time address on nhs.uk ("Find a GP").
2. Register online through the practice's website or the NHS "Register with a GP surgery" service, or ask for a GMS1 form at reception.
3. You do not need proof of address, proof of ID or immigration status to register; a practice cannot refuse you for lacking them. Bringing your passport and university letter speeds things up.
4. You will get an NHS number by letter or text within a couple of weeks. Save it: the AnyRoot app's UK essentials locker has a slot for it.

Register in your first fortnight, before you need it. A practice can take a week or two to process a new patient, and you cannot book a routine appointment until it does.

Getting seen

• Routine problems: book through the practice's app or phone line at 8 am; many practices now triage online first.
• Same-day urgent but not life-threatening: call 111 or use 111.nhs.uk. They will direct you to a pharmacy, an urgent treatment centre or a GP slot.
• Pharmacies: can treat seven common conditions (sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, uncomplicated UTIs in women) without a GP appointment under Pharmacy First.
• Emergency (chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, stroke signs): call 999 or go to A&E. It is free at the point of use.

Mental health

University counselling services are free and separate from the NHS; most offer appointments within two weeks. Your GP can also refer you to NHS Talking Therapies, which you can self-refer to online in England.

Meningitis and other vaccinations

Universities recommend the MenACWY vaccine for new students under 25; it is free through your GP. If you did not have the MMR vaccine as a child, ask for it too. Bring a record of your childhood vaccinations if you can.

Before you fly

Pack any regular medication with a copy of the prescription, enough for six to eight weeks. Some medicines are controlled in the UK and need a letter from your doctor to bring in; check the GOV.UK list before travelling.