REGISTERING FOR NHS- Can I do this once I've entered the country????

Hello,

I was on another discussion board, but was told the below thing, is this true? Can I use the NHS while on my fiance settlement visa before being married and applying for the remain to stay? As long as pay the surcharge and prove UK address? See below:

 "You can register with the NHS as you arrive in the UK on your fiance visa, but you will need to get some mail in your name first to prove your UK address.

The only difference between being a fiance and being married is that you will be charged by the NHS before you get your FLR(M) visa and you won't be charged anymore once you have it.

So, you should register with the NHS in July/August and then you won't need to worry about it again. When you get your FLR(M) visa, you can inform the GP surgery that you now have a visa with IHS number."

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

You can use the NHS but must be billed and pay the balance before you receive your FLR(M).

If you have insurance, you will be billed 100% of the cost.  If you don't, it will be 150% of the cost.

An unpaid bill of £500 will result in a refusal for FLR(M).

So yes, you can register but you can't receive free services.

I'm the one who wrote that .

And yes, of course you can register as soon as you arrive (though as mentioned, you'll need proof of address to show you live within the catchment area of the GP surgery).

You cannot pay the surcharge because you have a fiance visa and people on fiance visas are not to allowed to access FREE NHS healthcare... and the NHS surcharge is an annual payment which gives 'free' NHS access to people on visas valid MORE than 6 months.

So, while you can register with a GP as soon as you arrive, you will have to pay full price for any and all treatment you receive.

You will need to take out travel/health insurance to cover the length of your fiance visa. If you do NOT have insurance, you will be charged 150% of the full price of your treatment.

Once you are married, you will pay the IHS surcharge with your next visa application.

So, your timeline is:
- take out travel insurance/private health insurance to cover your 6 months on the fiance visa
- get some mail in your name
- register with the GP
- PAY for all treatment you receive, via your health insurance
- get married
- apply for FLR(M) visa, paying the IHS surcharge along with the visa fee
- when you receive your FLR(M) visa, you update your new visa details with the GP surgery, showing you have paid the IHS surcharge
- all your future NHS treatment will now be free (at point of service)

From the UKVI website, regarding paying the IHS surcharge (https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application):

Visitor visas and short-term visas
You don’t have to pay the healthcare surcharge if you’re applying from outside the UK for a visitor visa or any visa that lasts 6 months or less.

You don’t need to use the healthcare surcharge service or get an IHS reference number for your visa application. Instead, you’ll have to pay for any healthcare you get through the NHS at the point you use it.

From the UKVI website, regarding paying the IHS surcharge (https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application):

Ok thank you so much!

what if i am getting married and have a set date at a venue for September 24th, and then plan to go to the office for same day application to receive my FLR (M), would you still suggest i take out and pay for insurance coverage for 6 months?  even when i will only be using it for what looks like 2 months?

Ok thank you so much!

what if i am getting married and have a set date at a venue for September 24th, and then plan to go to the office for same day application to receive my FLR (M), would you still suggest i take out and pay for insurance coverage for 6 months?  even when i will only be using it for what looks like 2 months?

Yes, definitely - otherwise you will be paying A LOT more for your treatment if you don't have insurance, and also you don't know if something will come up and you find you need the insurance for longer than 2 months.

Say, for example, you have to go into hospital and your treatment costs £1,000.
 
- If you have insurance, you will pay £1,000 and then you can claim it back from the insurance company
- If you DON'T have insurance, you will have to pay £1,500 and you won't get any of it back.

P.S. You also may be required to show you have insurance that covers the entire length of your visa.

Yes, definitely - otherwise you will be paying A LOT more for your treatment if you don't have insurance, and also you don't know if something will come up and you find you need the insurance for longer than 2 months.

Say, for example, you have to go into hospital and your treatment costs £1,000.
 
- If you have insurance, you will pay £1,000 and then you can claim it back from the insurance company
- If you DON'T have insurance, you will have to pay £1,500 and you won't get any of it back.

P.S. You also may be required to show you have insurance that covers the entire length of your visa.

yes- i understand. Ok I know now what needs to happen. Thank you so much!

Ok thank you so much!

what if i am getting married and have a set date at a venue for September 24th, and then plan to go to the office for same day application to receive my FLR (M), would you still suggest i take out and pay for insurance coverage for 6 months?  even when i will only be using it for what looks like 2 months?

Maybe you can ask if anyone has a policy that will refund you the unneeded portion after your FLR?

Ok thank you so much!

what if i am getting married and have a set date at a venue for September 24th, and then plan to go to the office for same day application to receive my FLR (M), would you still suggest i take out and pay for insurance coverage for 6 months?  even when i will only be using it for what looks like 2 months?

Have you already received your visa and given notice?  If not, that good be a very aggressive timeline.

Maybe you can ask if anyone has a policy that will refund you the unneeded portion after your FLR?

That's a good question, but I've already asked about this with some companies, and travel insurance companies don't do this. You pay what for the time you are looking for coverage and that's that. Also, if you don't have a retune date they won't cover you, or if you tell them you have a return date and they accept you but then something happens overseas, and they need to reimburse you for what's happened, they will require proof of tickets of the trip etc, so I would hate for it to backfire on me if something did happen and now Im not covered because i really don't have return date.

I think my best bet is to go with Cigna- they are monthly payments and you can cancel at any time, there is no penalty and you aren't required to do a pre-payment on the months you need it. It sound like this is my best bet, since I don't have to worry about losing money for months not used, and also can cancel with out penalty once I don't need it any more, AND also have it in case i do need it for more than the time i think and have proof that i have full coverage while on my visa, as ksand24 mentioned.

Have you already received your visa and given notice?  If not, that good be a very aggressive timeline.

Yes- i have already received visa and given notice of marriage. All of this is confirmed. My set date is Sept 24th. I am not in the country yet. I don't fly out til June 16th, right around the corner. So i am need to sort this out quickly.

I think my best bet is to go with Cigna- they are monthly payments and you can cancel at any time, there is no penalty and you aren't required to do a pre-payment on the months you need it. It sound like this is my best bet, since I don't have to worry about losing money for months not used, and also can cancel with out penalty once I don't need it any more, AND also have it in case i do need it for more than the time i think and have proof that i have full coverage while on my visa, as ksand24 mentioned.

Yes, that sounds by far the best idea!