NHS coverage for expat when retired

Hello all,

My family and I are considering relocating to the UK within the next few years and I am somewhere between 5 and 10 years from retirement. While I know that one can not move to the UK as a retiree and be covered by NHS, what I can not seem to find is information regarding how long I must work and reside in the UK to qualify for NHS as a retiree. For example, I were to relocate to the UK and work for another 5 years, would I then qualify for NHS coverage when I retire? Is there some "magic" number of years needed to qualify (e.g. 1 year, 5 years, etc.)?

Any information that you could provide would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Hello all,

My family and I are considering relocating to the UK within the next few years and I am somewhere between 5 and 10 years from retirement. While I know that one can not move to the UK as a retiree and be covered by NHS, what I can not seem to find is information regarding how long I must work and reside in the UK to qualify for NHS as a retiree. For example, I were to relocate to the UK and work for another 5 years, would I then qualify for NHS coverage when I retire? Is there some "magic" number of years needed to qualify (e.g. 1 year, 5 years, etc.)?

Any information that you could provide would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Welcome to the forum. 

It's not about whether you're retired or not, it's about the right to reside. 

What are your nationalities?   If you are British or move on work or family visas you can use the NHS although would have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa applications until indefinite leave to remain is achieved.

Although there is no retired person's visa any more so perhaps that's what you mean?

Thank you for the reply! We are from the U.S.

My understanding is that ILR typically takes 5 years to achieve. I am not exactly sure what would happen if, for some reason, I decide to retire after 3 years. But I suppose 5 years is a good rule of thumb.

Our other potential option is an ancestry visa as my wife’s grandfather was a UK citizen. But there again, my understanding is that she needs to intend to/be capable of working so employment is still (understandably) a factor.

Welcome to the forum .

Our other potential option is an ancestry visa as my wife’s grandfather was a UK citizen. But there again, my understanding is that she needs to intend to/be capable of working so employment is still (understandably) a factor.

Does your wife hold citizenship of a Commonwealth country?

She would need to be a Commonwealth citizen in order to qualify for the Ancestry visa.

From the UKVI website:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AFAIK employment is not necessary to be eligible for NHS treatment. This year my daughter’s partner got a visa to reside in the USA and moved here without being employed. He later got employment but as part of his visa he paid the NHS surcharge which is set to rise to £1024/year I think. Not sure if that surcharge is dependent on the type of visa but once you have a visa it entitles you to NHS treatment the day you arrive as a resident.

My wife and I are dual citizens and moved to the UK after we retired and were entitled to NHS treatment from the day we arrived. Some folks think that National Insurance pays for the NHS but that is only for the State pension, the NHS is paid for out of general taxation, including the surcharge tax on immigrants with visas.

Find a way to get here and don’t worry about the NHS as that will come with whatever route you take to move here.

Thank you for the reply! We are from the U.S.

My understanding is that ILR typically takes 5 years to achieve. I am not exactly sure what would happen if, for some reason, I decide to retire after 3 years.

If you were on a sponsored work visa, you would have to leave the UK if you retired after 3 years because your visa would be curtailed. On that visa, not only is it 5 years to ILR, but to be granted ILR the employer must confirm that they will continue to employ you.

This is all under present rules. We don't know what changes will be made in the future for visas and the NHS.

Don't think what some on here thought; that they will get exactly the same treatment and drugs they would get in the US but now they won't have to pay for it. The NHS does not cover everything because it is funded by taxes.  You will need to pay for what is not covered.

The NHS waiting lists can be very long which is why many employers offer private insurance for healthcare and dentist treament, but you are taxed on that perk.

There are 4 NHS (one for each nation) and they are a devolved power, meaning that each country decides how much they will spent on their healthcare. NHS England was ringfenced from spending cuts by the Conservatives, but that wasn't done in the other nations run by other political parties.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/13/steve-barclay-offers-scotland-wales-use-private-hospitals/

Even within each nation, some areas will have better treatment/shorter waiting lists than in other areas in that same country. Each Trust run their own budget and each department is given a budget.

AFAIK employment is not necessary to be eligible for NHS treatment. This year my daughter’s partner got a visa to reside in the USA and moved here without being employed. He later got employment but as part of his visa he paid the NHS surcharge which is set to rise to £1024/year I think.

He was on a special type of visa. Wasn't it the Global Talent visa? That's not an easy visa to get and they find jobs in one of 3 fields.

"You can usually only apply for a Global Talent visa if you have successfully applied for an endorsement to prove that you are a leader or potential leader."
https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

Not sure if that surcharge is dependent on the type of visa .

AFAIK only the Health and Care Worker visa does not require payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge

Those who can find an employer to sponsor them on a Skilled Worker visa, will often find that the employer pays the visa fees and their IHS.


This is the list of the present work visa. Not all these visas lead to ILR.
https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

He was on a special type of visa. Wasn't it the Global Talent visa? That's not an easy visa to get and they find jobs in one of 3 fields.

"You can usually only apply for a Global Talent visa if you have successfully applied for an endorsement to prove that you are a leader or potential leader."
https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

That’s right. Because the visa isn’t tied to a job he chose to pay 5 years worth of the NHS surcharge up front which has turned out to be a good decision given the huge increase that is coming down the line.

If you were on a sponsored work visa, you would have to leave the UK if you retired after 3 years because your visa would be curtailed. On that visa, not only is it 5 years to ILR, but to be granted ILR the employer must confirm that they will continue to employ you.

So I assume the same would apply if I were laid off?

Don't think what some on here thought; that they will get exactly the same treatment and drugs they would get in the US but now they won't have to pay for it. The NHS does not cover everything because it is funded by taxes.  You will need to pay for what is not covered.

I am under no illusions there. I just want to be sure that my family and I have coverage.

Thank you - this is all very helpful.

That’s right. Because the visa isn’t tied to a job he chose to pay 5 years worth of the NHS surcharge up front which has turned out to be a good decision given the huge increase that is coming down the line.

The visa he is on is like  the US Einstein visa; it's the people the UK want. On that visa they get their visa and then find work. They are not tied to any sponsor and don't have to worry about losing their job/getting a divorce and having to leave the UK.

On that visa they choose how long they want the visa to be  between 1 and 5 years and the IHS is payable upfront for every year of the visa. They can extend their visa.  Some can get ILR after 3 years instead of 5 years.

The visa he is on is like  the US Einstein visa; it's the people the UK want. On that visa they get their visa and then find work. They are not tied to any sponsor and don't have to worry about losing their job/getting a divorce and having to leave the UK.

On that visa they choose how long they want the visa to be  between 1 and 5 years and the IHS is payable upfront for every year of the visa. They can extend their visa.  Some can get ILR after 3 years instead of 5 years.

So far it is working out well for both him and the UK government, he has joined an e-games startup company as a director and is actively recruiting IT professionals. His plan is to get UK citizenship, to go alongside his US and Australia citizenship, and retire in 7 years. He owns 2 apartments in Adelaide, his mother lives in one of them, and visits regularly. Our daughter plans to go with him over Christmas, they usually alternate Christmas’s.

So I assume the same would apply if I were laid off?

If the work sponsor does not want to sponsor you anymore, their Certificate of Sponsorship would be withdrawn and your visa curtailed. Your employer must advise UKVI and UKVI would send a letter to you giving you 60 days from that letter before you must leave or find another visa to be able to remain but they can be slow sending the letters sometimes. If the visa didn't have long before the end date, it woud not be curtailed as the visas of you and your family would simply end. It's a criminal offence to knowingly overstay a visa.

During the remaining time on your visa, you and your wife can look for a new sponsor to be able to remain in the UK but any new valid application must be before the visas expire.

This is what happens if your sponsor loses their sponsorship licence.
https://www.gov.uk/employee-lose-sponsor-licence

For NHS England, the bill free access to the NHS ends on the visa end date, even if the visa  holder was part way through treatment. If you live in any of the other three nations (Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales) you would need to read what their NHS does when the visa ends and the person is part way through treatment.

So far it is working out well for both him and the UK government, he has joined an e-games startup company as a director and is actively recruiting IT professionals. His plan is to get UK citizenship, to go alongside his US and Australia citizenship, and retire in 7 years. He owns 2 apartments in Adelaide, his mother lives in one of them, and visits regularly. Our daughter plans to go with him over Christmas, they usually alternate Christmas’s.

That's why these people get special treatment from the country they want to live in and why they are wanted. It's the best visa to get because they are not tied to anyone and they don't have to leave if their visa ends as they can easily renew. They choose how long their want their visa/s to be and if they want Settlement.