Health care in Scotland for UK passport holders living abroad

If you have a UK passport and you live abroad, this factsheet tells
you how you can get health care from the NHS when you are
in Scotland.

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cover of Health care in Scotland for UK passport holders living abroad factsheet


I have a UK passport. I used to live abroad, but I am moving to Scotland. Can I get health care from the NHS?

  • If you have a UK passport and you move to Scotland to live permanently, you can get health care from the NHS.

What do I need to do?

  • You need to contact a GP as soon as possible after you arrive in Scotland, and ask them to register you as an NHS patient.

  • To find a GP, you can phone the NHS helpline on 0800 22 44 88 or look on the internet.

  • When you have found a GP surgery, contact them and make an appointment to register as an NHS patient.


What happens when I register as an NHS patient?

  • When you register at the GP surgery, the staff will ask you for some personal information – for example, your name, address and date of birth.

  • They will ask to see some documents to help them decide if you can register as an NHS patient. If you need hospital care, staff at the hospital will also ask to see those documents. For example, they may ask you to show:
    • your passport, and
    • documents showing that you intend to stay in the UK – for example, the lease or mortgage for your home in the UK, council tax documents, a TV licence, one-­way travel tickets, or a bill for shipping goods to the UK.
      •
  • If you don’t have the documents they ask for, NHS staff may not be able to treat you as an NHS patient. You may need to pay for any care you receive.
  • If you receive health care from the NHS before you are registered as an NHS patient, you may be asked to pay for this. This might happen, for example, if you are waiting to get the documents you need for registering as an NHS patient. After you are registered, any money you have paid will be returned to you.

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I am a former UK resident and I work abroad. Do the same rules apply to me?

  • If you are a former UK resident and you work abroad, you may be able to get health care from the NHS when you are in Scotland. 
  • The factsheet ‘Health care for former UK residents now working abroad’ gives more information on this. The factsheet is available from anywhere you get NHS care. You can also phone the NHS helpline on 0800 22 44 88 to get a copy, or find it on this website. 

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I am a UK pensioner and I live abroad. Do the same rules apply to me?

  • If you are a UK pensioner and you live abroad some or most of the time, you may be able to get health care from the NHS when you are in Scotland. 
  • The factsheet ‘Health care for UK pensioners visiting Scotland’ gives more information on this. The factsheet is available from anywhere you get NHS care. You can also phone the NHS helpline on 0800 22 44 88 to get a copy, or find it on this website. 

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I have a UK passport. I have a home in Scotland and a home abroad. Do the same rules apply to me?

  • You can get health care from the NHS when in Scotland if:
    • you spend at least nine months of the year in the UK, and
    • you have been in the UK for at least six months before making a claim.

The UK has special health care arrangements with some countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). If you live in one of those countries, you can get some health care from the NHS when you are visiting Scotland. For more information, call the NHS helpline on 0800 22 44 88 or ask staff at a GP surgery or hospital.

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Page last edited: 28 April 2010

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