Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

My Swiss wife has received her spousal visa (leave to remain) valid for 2.5 years, as we all know we had to pay the NHS health surcharge.
Now our health insurance company in Switzerland is telling us that we are required to have Swiss health insurance in the UK. For her it is indefinitely and for me until I receive my UK state pension.
Apparently she has to complete the UK S1 form regarding health access ?

Surely if she has paid the NHS surcharge then she is allowed to access the NHS and register with a doctor where we will be living.
does anyone have experience of this?
Thanks.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Have you asked the Swiss company why they’re saying that? She certainly doesn’t need it from a UK point of view unless she wants to top up her healthcare provision, as you say she can use the NHS. So it must be a Swiss rule? But I’d ask them to clarify.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Well it seems that this S1 form is a reciprocal agreement between UK and EU/EEA countries.
When a Brit goes to the EU/EEA they need to request an S1 from the UK which entitles them to health care in that country, similarly when a EU/EEA citizen goes to UK they need to request the S1 form from their country to give them free health care in the UK.
I'm in the process of talking with the Swiss insurance company to clarify this, it seems that if we continue with Swiss health insurance and get issued with the S1 form for use in the UK then the UK will refund us the Health Surcharge.
I'm thinking of just walking away from this as , as it stands we both have full access to the NHS.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Correct, the S1 allows British people of pension age to obtain medical treatment in an EU country which will be paid for by the UK government/health system.

Never heard of it being used in the UK. Never heard of someone on a spouse visa being refunded the Health Surcharge if having an equivalent S1 form from their home country. Those on spouse visas don't need reciprocal arrangements.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Coming back to this, my wife has her spousal /leave to remain visa valid for 2.5 years.
Will she get a national Insurance number ? or will she have to show her visa when she registers with a doctor ?

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

My wife came to the UK in 2016, so I hope that her experience is still of some use. As regards an NI number, your wife can definitely get one (and she should do so), my wife was given her number within the first week on the basis of a quick phone call. She registered with our GP just by walking in with me and signing up, no need at that time to show any documentation.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Thanks for that, so hopefully when she registers with a doctor she will be given a NI number.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

I don't think that GPs deal with NI numbers, I think she called our local Department of Work and Pensions at the time. The two actions were in fact completely separate, I don't even recall that she was a sked for her NI number by the GP at the time.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

No, the octor will be responsible for directing her to where she gets an NHS number, DWP deal with NI numbers.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

She may already have been given one, if not she has to apply for it - https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

As a matter of interest, even though she has paid the National Health immigration surcharge how will anyone know this?
If she is admitted to hospital how do they check if she is covered or not?
I come back to this as it seems that as she does not have Indefinite leave to remain her status seems unclear. She applied for and received a family visa valid for 2.5 years and not a leave to remain.
Once again, according to the Swiss health insurance company she will need to continue to be insured in Switzerland and be treated in the UK under the S1 agreement. They are also insistant that I as a British citizen having lived in Switzerland for many years will also have to remain with the Swiss health insurance and follow theS1 route until I receive my UK pension after which I can revert to the NHS .
This is all very confusing.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

They are completely wrong. NHS eligibility is based on residency, it has nothing to do with citizenship. The moment somebody is resident in the UK they are covered.

I’d send them this and tell them to stop giving out duff info! https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-enti...t-health-guide

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Thanks, I've seen that link that you posted, and there are 2 points that I'm not clear on namely the ordinarily resident definition, it says that she should have indefinite leave to remain to qualify for secondary healthcare (even though we have paid the health surcharge) "For secondary care services, the UK’s healthcare system is residence-based. This means that you must be living lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis to be entitled to free healthcare. Since 6 April 2015, non-EEA nationals who are subject to immigration control must have the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain at the time of treatment and be properly settled, to be considered ordinarily resident. This requirement will also apply to EEA and Swiss nationals who move to the UK on or after 1 January 2021.

Also that page also says that:
​​​​​​"UK nationals who moved to Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland on or before 31 December 2020 can continue to access healthcare in the UK using their member state’s EHIC, or a UK S1 form."

Meaning that I should get this S1 form .
Still confused!

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

This is simply incorrect. ILR is not required to be considered 'ordinarily resident' in the UK or to receive secondary NHS care free of charge. If this is the 'advice' that is being provided then you can safely ignore them.

Re: Spousal visa and S1 health form - confused
 

Just to update and put a line under this.
We have been in England since August. The main point about this subject in this is that my wife is receiving a pension from Switzerland. Anyone from the EEA (not sure of the ruling for EU) who is residing in the UK and receiving a pension from their home country has to have health insurance from that country and an S1 form issued for the UK authorities.
My wife is now in the NHS system her S1 has been accepted, she is registered with our local medical practice and has the same access to the NHS as everyone else.
The UK overseas health service (OHS) sent the forms to complete for the reimbursement of the health surcharge and everything is proceeding.
The cost of health insurance from Switzerland is more expensive than the IHS so obviously we would have preferred to pay the health surcharge but as I say because she is receiving an overseas pension she has to have the S1.
Hope that will be of help for others from the EEA looking to retire in the UK.