Pip007

Is the spouse visa holder eligible for an NHS number and access to NHS services immediately upon arrival in UK. If not, what is the procedure and/or time frame? Many thanks.

spouse of scouse

They're eligible to access NHS services as soon as they arrive in the UK. You need to go to the local GP and register with them - take your biometric residence permit, passport and preferably proof of address. The GP practice will help you obtain an NHS number.

Pip007

Many thanks.

spouse of scouse

You're very welcome Pip.

Pip007

While you're still there could I ask you three more questions?

1. The Spouse Visa application asks for a date that we would like to enter UK. How can we answer this if we don't know how long the application process takes? Is there a way to enter a 'made up' date in the future in a way that won't balk the system, and if so what's a good estimate to use? I guess I'm really asking what do most applicants enter?

2. Once the visa is received is there a set period of time during which we must arrive in the UK? We are both living outside the UK (I am a British citizen) in the USA. Been here for 20 years. We can't safely start to dismantle everything in USA until we know for sure we get the visa. But we also can't hop on a plane to UK as soon as we get the visa either. It will take us 3-4 months to settle everything here first. So, asking this another way as an example: Could we get the visa then arrive in UK 4 or 6 months later? Would the visa duration start from when we receive it or from when we enter UK?

3. Again, because we can't immediately move to UK as soon as we receive the visa, we can't realistically rent a property in UK at the time of applying. But the application requires a residence address. Again this is not straightforward for us as we are BOTH currently outside the UK. How is this best handled?

Many thanks.