Spouse Visa and NHS Access: Healthcare Guide
Understanding your NHS entitlements on a spouse visa is important for your health and financial planning. The Immigration Health Surcharge gives you broad access to the NHS, but there are some services that are not included. This guide explains what you can and cannot access.
- Section
- Spouse & Partner Visa
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Last checked
- 2 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
- The IHS gives you access to most NHS services including GP and hospital care.
- Register with a GP as soon as possible after arriving in the UK.
- Dental care and prescriptions in England have separate charges.
- Maternity care is fully covered under the NHS.
- After ILR, you no longer pay the IHS.
Spouse visa holders who pay the IHS have access to NHS services on the same basis as permanent residents. This covers GP care, hospital treatment, maternity services, and more. Dental care and prescriptions in England have separate charges.
The Immigration Health Surcharge
When you apply for a spouse visa, you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of the application. The IHS is currently £1,035 per year and is paid upfront for the full duration of your visa. This payment gives you access to NHS services.
The IHS applies at each stage of the 5-year route — the initial visa and the extension. Once you receive ILR, you no longer pay the IHS and access the NHS as a permanent resident.
Full details on the IHS are on the GOV.UK IHS page.
What Is Covered
- GP services: Consultations, referrals, and ongoing care
- Hospital treatment: Emergency, outpatient, and inpatient treatment
- Maternity care: Antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care
- Mental health services: Through your GP or NHS referral
- Sexual health services: Free to everyone regardless of visa status
- Accident and emergency: Free to everyone
What Is Not Covered by the IHS
- NHS dental care: Dental treatment has its own charges (currently in bands from £27.90 to £332.10 in England). Emergency dental care is available through NHS 111.
- Prescriptions in England: Standard charge of £9.90 per item. A prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) saves money if you need regular prescriptions. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Eye tests and glasses: Not covered. You pay for optical care privately, though some people qualify for NHS-funded eye tests.
Registering with a GP
Registering with a GP should be one of your first steps after arriving in the UK. The process is simple:
- Find your nearest GP surgery using the NHS website or app
- Contact the surgery and ask to register as a new patient
- Complete a registration form (GMS1)
- You may be offered a new patient health check
GP surgeries cannot refuse to register you based on your immigration status. You do not need proof of address to register, although it helps to have one. If a surgery turns you away, contact NHS England.
Maternity Care
Maternity care is fully covered under the NHS for IHS payers. This includes:
- Antenatal appointments and scans
- Hospital delivery or home birth with NHS midwife
- Postnatal care
- Health visitor services for you and your baby
Register with a GP and tell them you are pregnant as early as possible. They will refer you to midwifery services.
No Recourse to Public Funds
Spouse visa holders are subject to a "no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) condition. This means you cannot claim most means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, etc.). However, NRPF does not affect your NHS access — the IHS covers your healthcare.
Child Benefit is a public fund, so a person with the condition cannot claim it, although a British or settled partner can claim it in their own name. Payments that are not public funds include Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Sick Pay, Maternity Allowance and other contribution-based benefits. For more on the NRPF condition, see the complete spouse visa guide.
After ILR
Once you receive indefinite leave to remain, you are treated as a permanent resident for NHS purposes. You no longer pay the IHS on future applications, and you access the NHS on the same terms as a British citizen. This is one of the practical benefits of reaching settlement.
Next Steps
Register with a GP as soon as possible after arriving. Familiarise yourself with the NHS services available to you. If you need dental care or regular prescriptions, factor these costs into your budget.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Can I use the NHS on a spouse visa?
Yes. Spouse visa holders who have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) are entitled to use the NHS on the same basis as a permanent resident. This includes GP services, hospital treatment, maternity care, and mental health services.
What does the Immigration Health Surcharge cover?
The IHS covers all NHS services that are free to permanent residents, including GP consultations, hospital treatment, surgery, maternity care, and mental health services. It does not cover dental treatment (except emergency NHS dental), prescriptions in England (free in Scotland, Wales, and NI), or optical care.
How do I register with a GP on a spouse visa?
Contact your local GP surgery and ask to register. You do not need proof of address or immigration status to register with a GP. Some surgeries may ask for ID, but they cannot refuse to register you because of your visa status. GP registration is free.
Do I have to pay for prescriptions on a spouse visa?
In England, you pay the standard NHS prescription charge (currently £9.90 per item) unless you qualify for an exemption (such as being pregnant, on certain benefits, or having a pre-payment certificate). Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
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.