Emergency Healthcare for Visa Holders in the UK
Knowing how to access emergency healthcare is essential. In the UK, emergency treatment is available to everyone regardless of immigration status. This guide explains your rights, when to call 999, when to go to A&E, and when to use NHS 111.
- Section
- Practical Life in the UK
- Reading time
- 7 min
- Last checked
- 3 September 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Accident and emergency treatment is free for everyone, whatever their immigration status. The charge starts on admission as an inpatient or at a follow-up appointment.
- Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies. Ambulance services are free to everyone.
- NHS 111 gives free urgent medical advice at any hour, on any day.
- The Immigration Health Surcharge puts you on a UK resident’s footing rather than making the NHS free: prescriptions and dental treatment are still charged at the resident rate.
Accident and emergency treatment is free for everyone in the UK, whatever their immigration status; the charge starts on admission as an inpatient. This guide covers when to call 999, when to go to A&E, when to call NHS 111, and what the Immigration Health Surcharge does and does not pay for.
When to Call 999
Call 999 immediately for life-threatening emergencies:
- Chest pain or suspected heart attack
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
- Stroke symptoms (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty)
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- Serious accidents or injuries
Ambulance services are free. Do not hesitate to call because of your immigration status. No one will check your visa status at the scene of an emergency. See our NHS access guide for your general healthcare entitlements.
When to Go to A&E
Go to A&E (Accident and Emergency) for:
- Broken bones or suspected fractures
- Deep cuts or wounds requiring stitches
- Severe burns
- Head injuries with loss of consciousness
- Severe abdominal pain
- Suspected poisoning
Accident and emergency treatment is free for everyone under the NHS overseas visitor charging rules. The same applies at a walk-in centre, a minor injuries unit and an urgent care centre. The charging begins only if you are admitted to hospital as an inpatient, or at a follow-up outpatient appointment.
When to Call NHS 111
Call NHS 111 when you need urgent medical help but it is not a 999 emergency:
- You are unsure where to go for treatment
- You think you need to go to A&E but are not sure
- You need medical advice outside GP hours
- You need a dental emergency service
NHS 111 is free from any phone and is available 24/7. Interpreters are available if you need to communicate in another language. If you have not yet registered with a GP, see our GP registration guide.
Your Rights as a Visa Holder
If you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge, you use the NHS on the same basis as a UK resident. Hospital and GP treatment carry no charge. It is not the same as everything being free: prescriptions cost £9.90 an item in England, and NHS dental treatment is charged in England at £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10.
Whether or not the surcharge was paid:
- Accident and emergency treatment is free, up to the point of admission as an inpatient
- Registering with a GP and being seen there is free, and the practice does not have to ask for proof of identity, address or immigration status
- Treatment for listed infectious diseases, including COVID-19, tuberculosis and HIV, is free
- Treatment for a sexually transmitted infection, and family planning services, are free
- Maternity care is never refused, but it is charged afterwards to someone with no exemption
Urgent Care Centres
Many areas have urgent treatment centres or walk-in centres for conditions less serious than A&E but more urgent than a routine GP appointment. They treat minor injuries and illnesses such as sprains, minor burns and infections. Treatment there is free to everyone, on the same footing as A&E.
The NHS website lists the nearest one to a postcode.
Mental Health Emergencies
If you or someone else is in a mental health crisis, call 999 if there is an immediate risk to life. Otherwise, contact NHS 111 or your local crisis team. Many areas have a 24-hour mental health helpline.
Mental health support is available through the NHS. See our guide on community support groups for additional resources. For dental emergencies, see our guide on finding a dentist.
After Emergency Treatment
After emergency treatment, you may be referred for follow-up care with your GP or a specialist. With the surcharge paid, that carries no charge. Without it, a bill can follow for the treatment given after the emergency itself.
An unpaid NHS bill matters to a later application. Under paragraph 9.11.1 of the Immigration Rules, an application may be refused where an NHS body has told the Home Office that the applicant owes charges of £500 or more. The refusal is discretionary, not automatic. Paying or disputing a bill promptly is what keeps it off that list. Understanding the immigration health surcharge helps you know what is already covered.
Further Resources
For NHS entitlement guidance, visit GOV.UK. See also our guides on NHS access after citizenship, cost of living, council tax, and citizenship requirements.
Questions and answers
Can visa holders access A&E in the UK?
Yes. Accident and emergency treatment is free for everyone in the UK, whatever their immigration status. That covers an A&E department, a walk-in centre, a minor injuries unit and an urgent care centre. The charge starts if you are admitted to hospital as an inpatient, or at a follow-up outpatient appointment, unless you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge or are otherwise exempt.
Is NHS 111 available to visa holders?
Yes. NHS 111 is a free health advice service available to everyone in the UK. You can call 111 for urgent medical advice when it is not a life-threatening emergency. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can direct you to the most appropriate care.
Do I need to pay for emergency treatment?
Accident and emergency treatment is free to everyone. Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge does not make the rest of the NHS free: it puts you on a UK resident’s footing, so hospital and GP treatment carry no charge but you pay what a resident pays for prescriptions and dental care. Without the surcharge, and without another exemption, you can be charged once you are admitted as an inpatient or seen at a follow-up appointment — at 150% of the NHS national tariff.
What should I do in a medical emergency?
Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies (chest pain, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, serious injuries). Go to A&E for urgent conditions that are not immediately life-threatening. Call NHS 111 for urgent but non-emergency medical advice.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.