Visa application: medical section

On the application it asks if I have ever recieved medical treatment in the UK. I have been to the GP my husband goes to for small things such as ongoing cough/sore throat and bad antibiotic reaction but they never prescribed anything and I never had to pay for anything. So is that qualified as medical treatment or are they asking about actual treatments?


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That qualifies as having treatment on the NHS.

That qualifies as having treatment on the NHS.

Okay thank you. Also when it asks how long you intend to stay in the UK what do I put? Two and half years? Five years? Indefinitely?


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Okay thank you. Also when it asks how long you intend to stay in the UK what do I put? Two and half years? Five years? Indefinitely?


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Whichever one feels right.  I always put indefinitely (life sentence after all).

That qualifies as having treatment on the NHS.

Sorry to hijack this thread , just realised when my wife filled this section out , she put down no . We thought that this only applied to people that got treatments on a visitor / tourist visa . My wife had various “treatments “ and prescriptions whilst she was in the UK on her Tier 2 visa . Do we need to change this and put yes ? We haven’t submitted the application yet .

Thanks !


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Sorry to hijack this thread , just realised when my wife filled this section out , she put down no . We thought that this only applied to people that got treatments on a visitor / tourist visa . My wife had various “treatments “ and prescriptions whilst she was in the UK on her Tier 2 visa . Do we need to change this and put yes ? We haven’t submitted the application yet .

Yes, you need to put down ALL treatment ever received on the NHS, regardless of the visa you were on. Then you can state that you were not required to pay for it because you were living in the UK on a Tier 2 visa.

They ask to make sure that either:
- you were entitled to get it for free (due to living in the UK on a visa that gave NHS access)
or
- you paid for it if you were not entitled to free treatment (due to having a visitor, fiance or other visa which did not give 'free' NHS access)

If she puts no and then they check the NHS system and find she did receive treatment, they could determine she was using deception in her visa application (which can lead to a 10-year ban from the UK).

Yes, you need to put down ALL treatment ever received on the NHS, regardless of the visa you were on. Then you can state that you were not required to pay for it because you were living in the UK on a Tier 2 visa.

They ask to make sure that either:
- you were entitled to get it for free (due to living in the UK on a visa that gave NHS access)
or
- you paid for it if you were not entitled to free treatment (due to having a visitor, fiance or other visa which did not give 'free' NHS access)

If she puts no and then they check the NHS system and find she did receive treatment, they could determine she was using deception in her visa application (which can lead to a 10-year ban from the UK).

There doesn’t seem to be a section to explain why I got free treatment but was only in the UK on my passport visiting. So I ticked I got treatment and I didn’t pay. Will that cause a problem?


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There doesn’t seem to be a section to explain why I got free treatment but was only in the UK on my passport visiting. So I ticked I got treatment and I didn’t pay. Will that cause a problem?


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There’s an additional information section at the end of the online application. You can explain your circumstances there. That’s what I did.


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There’s an additional information section at the end of the online application. You can explain your circumstances there. That’s what I did.


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Perfect! Thanks


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Yes, you need to put down ALL treatment ever received on the NHS, regardless of the visa you were on. Then you can state that you were not required to pay for it because you were living in the UK on a Tier 2 visa.

They ask to make sure that either:
- you were entitled to get it for free (due to living in the UK on a visa that gave NHS access)
or
- you paid for it if you were not entitled to free treatment (due to having a visitor, fiance or other visa which did not give 'free' NHS access)

If she puts no and then they check the NHS system and find she did receive treatment, they could determine she was using deception in her visa application (which can lead to a 10-year ban from the UK).

Excellent , thank you so much for this . Glad we have decided to take our time to submit the application . Things like these can be horrible . Thanks again for this !!

Does my wife need to write down the exact dates she went to the GP / got prescriptions ? She went perhaps 4/5 times over the last 3 years but it would be difficult to get exact dates .


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Does my wife need to write down the exact dates she went to the GP / got prescriptions ? She went perhaps 4/5 times over the last 3 years but it would be difficult to get exact dates .

I'm not sure exactly what the online application asks for, or what space it gives you to fill it out, but if there's room to write anything you could put something like:
'4 or 5 GP visits with prescriptions issued while living in the UK on a Tier 2 visa between 2015 and 2018'

I have a version of the old paper form (VAF4a) saved on my computer and all it asks for is:
6.17 Have you ever received medical treatment in the UK? Put a cross (x) in the relevant box.
YES  NO
If ‘Yes’ and you were issued with a NHS number please include this here

6.18 Did you have to pay for the treatment? Put a cross (x) in the relevant box. 
YES NO

6.19 Where did you receive the treatment?
Name of hospital/clinic/Doctor’s surgery
Address
Telephone number

There doesn’t seem to be a section to explain why I got free treatment but was only in the UK on my passport visiting. So I ticked I got treatment and I didn’t pay. Will that cause a problem?

These are the present lists of:

-what England will give visitors for free on their NHS.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide

-what Scotland will give visitors for free on their NHS
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Overseas-visitors

-what Wales will give visitors for free on their NHS
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/nhswalesaboutus/budgetcharges/overseasvisitors

There doesn’t seem to be a section to explain why I got free treatment but was only in the UK on my passport visiting. So I ticked I got treatment and I didn’t pay. Will that cause a problem?

If it was treatment that you were entitled to receive as a visitor without paying, that's fine.  However, if it was treatment that you should have paid for, you should settle the bill before applying.  Unpaid NHS bills of £500 or more will result in an automatic visa refusal until the debt is paid.

It's important to note that not being asked for payment is not the same as not needing to pay.  Many NHS staff are not familiar with immigration requirements and do not understand that not billing you could have a serious effect on a future visa application.  If the hospital/surgery/clinic is reluctant to bill you, you must be persistent.  If they continue to be hesitant, have them give you a signed letter confirming that you received NHS treatment from them as a visitor, you have requested an invoice to settle payment, and they ultimately have decided not to charge you.

If it was treatment that you were entitled to receive as a visitor without paying, that's fine.  However, if it was treatment that you should have paid for, you should settle the bill before applying.  Unpaid NHS bills of £500 or more will result in an automatic visa refusal until the debt is paid.

It's important to note that not being asked for payment is not the same as not needing to pay.  Many NHS staff are not familiar with immigration requirements and do not understand that not billing you could have a serious effect on a future visa application.  If the hospital/surgery/clinic is reluctant to bill you, you must be persistent.  If they continue to be hesitant, have them give you a signed letter confirming that you received NHS treatment from them as a visitor, you have requested an invoice to settle payment, and they ultimately have decided not to charge you.

That is super helpful! I just called the GP surgery and asked if I owed anything and explained the visa thing to them and they said that because it is an NHS they do not charge. I asked if maybe I was meant to be charged for a swab I received and she kept saying that I didn’t owe anything at all. Should I get a letter from them? Or just leave it? It was not big treatment and I did not receive any prescriptions.


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That is super helpful! I just called the GP surgery and asked if I owed anything and explained the visa thing to them and they said that because it is an NHS they do not charge. I asked if maybe I was meant to be charged for a swab I received and she kept saying that I didn’t owe anything at all. Should I get a letter from them? Or just leave it? It was not big treatment and I did not receive any prescriptions.


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It's definitely best if you get a letter from them confirming that you don't owe.