Medical Treatment Visitor Visa UK
The UK is a destination for people seeking private medical treatment. This guide explains how to visit the UK for medical treatment, what evidence you need, and how to extend your stay if treatment takes longer than expected.
- Section
- Visitor Visa
- Reading time
- 8 min
- Last checked
- 15 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
- Private medical treatment is a permitted activity on a Standard Visitor Visa.
- You must show the treatment is pre-arranged and you can pay for it.
- A Standard Visitor visa is £135 for up to 6 months.
- For treatment longer than 6 months: an 11-month visa for £234, or a 6-month extension from inside the UK for £1,172.
- NHS treatment is not free to visitors, apart from emergency A&E and treatment your own government pays for.
- You need a letter from the treating doctor confirming the treatment plan.
You can visit the UK for private medical treatment on a Standard Visitor Visa. The treatment must be pre-arranged and privately funded. This is one of the few visitor categories that allows an extension from inside the UK. This guide covers the requirements, evidence, and extension process.
Requirements
To visit the UK for medical treatment on a Standard Visitor Visa, you need:
- Pre-arranged treatment. A letter from the UK hospital or clinic confirming the treatment, expected duration, and cost.
- Financial evidence. Proof you can pay for the treatment, accommodation, and living costs. See our financial evidence guide.
- Medical history. A letter from your home country doctor explaining your condition and why you need treatment in the UK.
- Standard visitor requirements. Valid passport, intention to leave, ties to your home country.
Private vs NHS Treatment
Treatment on a visit is normally private. You are not entitled to free NHS treatment except for emergency A&E care. If you receive NHS treatment, you will be charged at 150% of the NHS rate. There is one exception: you can be treated at an NHS hospital if your own government pays for it under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement. For that you must provide an authorisation form issued by your government saying it will pay. For more on how the NHS works for different visa holders, see our visitor visa NHS guide.
Treatment Lasting Longer Than 6 Months
Any visit for medical treatment lasting more than 6 months needs a Standard Visitor visa, whatever your nationality — an Electronic Travel Authorisation is not enough. There are two ways to do it.
- Apply before you travel for a Standard Visitor visa that lasts up to 11 months. It costs £234.
- Visit for up to 6 months and extend from inside the UK for a further 6 months. Each extension costs £1,172. There is no limit on how many times you can extend, and the fee is charged each time.
To extend from inside the UK:
- Get a letter from your treating doctor explaining why the extension is needed
- Apply online on GOV.UK
- Show you can pay for continued treatment and living costs
Depending on where you come from, a stay of 6 months or more may also need a certificate showing you do not have tuberculosis. See our tuberculosis test guide.
For more on extensions, see our visitor visa extension guide.
Costs
- Visa fee: £135 (Standard Visitor visa, up to 6 months)
- 11-month visa: £234, applied for before you travel, for treatment lasting more than 6 months
- Extension fee: £1,172 for a further 6 months from inside the UK, each time you extend
- Treatment costs: Vary by treatment and provider
- No IHS: Visitors do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge
See our visitor visa cost guide and UK visa fees guide for more.
Organ Donation
You can also visit the UK as a living organ donor, including to be assessed as a possible donor match. You can only donate to a family member you are genetically related to (a sibling or parent, for example) or to someone you have a close personal relationship with, such as a partner or friend. You must show that the person receiving the organ is legally allowed to be in the UK.
You need a letter from the lead nurse of the transplant team, a specialist registered with the General Medical Council, or a registered NHS consultant. It must confirm that you are a donor match or are being tested as a possible one, your relationship to the recipient, and when and where the transplant or tests will take place. The letter should be dated no more than 3 months before you arrive in the UK.
Next Steps
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Can I get medical treatment in the UK on a Visitor Visa?
Yes. You can receive private medical treatment in the UK on a Standard Visitor Visa. The treatment must be pre-arranged and you must be able to pay for it. A standard visit is up to 6 months. If the treatment will take longer, you can apply before you travel for a Standard Visitor visa that lasts up to 11 months and costs £234, or visit for 6 months and apply to stay a further 6 months from inside the UK for £1,172.
Can I use the NHS on a Visitor Visa?
Visitors are not entitled to free NHS treatment, except for emergency A&E treatment, so treatment is normally private and pre-arranged. There is one exception: you can be treated at an NHS hospital if your own government pays for it under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement, and you provide an authorisation form from that government.
Can I extend my visa for ongoing medical treatment?
Yes. You can apply from inside the UK to stay for a further 6 months, for a fee of £1,172. There is no limit on how many times you can extend, but it costs £1,172 each time. You need a letter from your treating doctor explaining why the extension is needed.
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.