Prescriptions for UK Visa Holders: Costs, Exemptions, and How It Works
Understanding how NHS prescriptions work is important for visa holders settling in the UK. This guide explains prescription charges, exemptions, prepayment options, and differences across the four UK nations.
- Section
- Practical Life in the UK
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Last checked
- 10 March 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
- People who have paid the immigration health surcharge access NHS prescriptions like UK residents.
- England charges £9.90 per prescription item; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are free.
- Exemptions exist for pregnancy, certain medical conditions, age, and low income.
- A prepayment certificate costs £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months, whatever you are prescribed.
- You can bring up to 3 months of personal medication into the UK.
Visa holders who have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge can access NHS prescriptions in the same way as UK residents. In England, there is a per-item charge with various exemptions available. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, prescriptions are free for everyone.
How NHS Prescriptions Work
Once you are registered with a GP in the UK, you can receive prescriptions for medication through the NHS. Your GP, hospital doctor, or other authorised prescriber writes a prescription, and you collect the medication from a pharmacy.
If you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa application, you are entitled to access NHS prescription services on the same basis as a permanent resident.
Prescription Charges in England
In England, there is a standard charge per prescription item. It is £9.90 per item. Each medicine counts as a separate item, so three different medicines mean three charges — £29.70. Some items are always free, including contraceptives and medicine given to hospital inpatients.
Many people qualify for exemptions from this charge. You do not pay if you:
- Are under 16, or are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education, or are aged 60 or over
- Are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, and hold a valid maternity exemption certificate
- Have one of the listed medical conditions (such as diabetes treated with medication, epilepsy needing continuous treatment, or cancer) and hold a valid medical exemption certificate, which lasts 5 years
- Are a war pensioner and the prescription is for your accepted disability
- Get Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or get Universal Credit and your take-home pay in the last assessment period was under the limit
- Hold an HC2 certificate (full help with health costs) from the NHS Low Income Scheme. An HC3 certificate gives partial help
New Style Jobseeker's Allowance and New Style Employment and Support Allowance do not give free prescriptions on their own, and neither does Pension Credit Savings Credit on its own.
Prescriptions in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all abolished the prescription charge, so NHS prescriptions there are free regardless of age, income or medical condition. It is a devolved decision and applies to residents including visa holders. It follows where you are registered rather than where you happen to be: the Welsh Government describes free prescriptions as covering patients registered with a Welsh GP who get their prescriptions from a pharmacy in Wales.
This can be a significant financial benefit if you take regular medication. The location you choose to live can therefore affect your healthcare costs.
Prepayment Certificates
If you live in England and do not qualify for free prescriptions, a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) can save you money. There are two options:
- 3-month PPC: £32.05, covering every item prescribed in those 3 months.
- 12-month PPC: £114.50, covering every item prescribed in those 12 months.
The NHS says a 3-month certificate saves money if you need more than 3 items in 3 months, and a 12-month certificate if you need more than 11 items in a year. You can buy one from the NHS Business Services Authority.
Bringing Medication to the UK
GOV.UK says you can bring up to 3 months' supply of medicine into the UK. Anything above that will be taken away unless you have a personal licence from the Drug and Firearms Licensing Unit. If you are not a UK resident, carry a letter from your prescriber giving your name, your travel dates to and from the UK, a list of your medicines with quantities, doses and strengths, and the prescriber's signature. Medicine containing a controlled drug must be carried in hand luggage. Keep medication in its original packaging with the pharmacy label.
Some medications that are available over the counter in other countries are controlled substances in the UK, and vice versa. Check the GOV.UK guidance on travelling with controlled drugs before you travel.
Once in the UK, register with a GP promptly to arrange ongoing prescriptions. Your GP may need to review your medication and may prescribe UK-available equivalents if your current medication is not available here. Our Home Office contact guide can help with any immigration-related healthcare queries.
No Recourse to Public Funds and Prescriptions
The "no recourse to public funds" condition on many visas does not affect your ability to access NHS prescription services. Prescription charges (and exemptions based on age, pregnancy, or medical conditions) are part of the NHS and are separate from the benefits system.
Some exemptions are linked to benefits that are public funds, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, and those routes are closed while the condition applies. The NHS Low Income Scheme is different: it is not on the Home Office list of public funds, so applying for an HC2 or HC3 certificate is open to people with a no recourse to public funds condition. Exemptions based on age, pregnancy and medical condition are likewise unaffected, and so is a prepayment certificate, which anyone can buy.
Dental Prescriptions
Dental prescriptions follow the same rules as other NHS prescriptions. If your NHS dentist prescribes medication (such as antibiotics for a dental infection), you collect it from a pharmacy and pay the standard prescription charge unless you are exempt.
Next Steps
Register with a GP as soon as you arrive in the UK. If you take regular medication, ask your GP to set up repeat prescriptions so you can order refills easily. Consider a prepayment certificate if you live in England and need multiple prescriptions.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Do visa holders have to pay for NHS prescriptions?
In England the charge is £9.90 per prescription item. Exemptions exist on grounds of age, pregnancy, certain medical conditions and low income. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland NHS prescriptions are free.
How can I get free prescriptions in England?
The NHS Business Services Authority lists free prescriptions for people under 16, aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education, or aged 60 or over; people with a valid maternity exemption certificate or medical exemption certificate; people on Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or on Universal Credit with take-home pay under the limit; people with an HC2 certificate from the NHS Low Income Scheme; and war pensioners, for their accepted disability. The NHS Low Income Scheme is not on the Home Office list of public funds, so a no recourse to public funds condition does not close it off.
What is a prepayment certificate?
An NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) lets you pay a fixed amount to cover all your prescriptions for 3 or 12 months. A 3-month PPC costs £32.05 and a 12-month PPC costs £114.50. The NHS says a 3-month certificate saves money if you need more than 3 items in 3 months, and a 12-month certificate if you need more than 11 items in a year. You can buy one from the NHS Business Services Authority.
Can I bring medication from my home country to the UK?
GOV.UK says you can bring up to 3 months' supply of medicine into the UK, and anything above that will be taken away unless you have a personal licence. If you are not a UK resident you must carry a letter from your prescriber giving your name, your travel dates, a list of the medicines with quantities, doses and strengths, and the prescriber's signature. Medicine containing a controlled drug must be in hand luggage. Once in the UK, register with a GP for ongoing prescriptions.
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.