gal122

Hi there,

After some serious talks with my kiwi husband about living in the UK, he has decided to give it a go on a trial basis (up to a year). I'm British and been living in NZ for over 5 years but am terribly homesick :-(

I still have my British passport and my husband plans to apply for UK Ancestry visa. I'm curious to know about getting NHS treatment, do you have to be a taxpayer to receive free NHS treatment?

Thanks,
Claire

lgabriel73

You are able to access NHS services as soon as you return to the country. All you need to do is register with a local GP. You will need your NHS number which I assume you still have. NHS is not connected to paying any taxes it is open to all UK citizens who reside permanently in the UK.

formula

No. As a Brit, you can use your British national health service when you return to reside in the UK, subject to rules on how long you spend outside the UK in any year. Under present rules, on your return you will have immediate access to the NHS

The UK has just passed a law (Immigration Act 2014) that means your husband may have to pay an NHS levy for visa holders. This will be paid when the applicant pays for their visa and returned if their visa is refused. Expensive discretionary treatment will not be covered by the NHS on this levy. The levy isn't optional. Access to free NHS on this levy, will expire when the visa expires.

I said "may" (excuse the pun) as we don't know yet when it will start; or which visas they will start with; or whether it will apply to those already in the UK and wanting to renew their visa. Nor do we know how much it will be, but they have said it will be less than the cost of private insurance. All we know is that the Act states the levy will be for all visa holders unless they have ILR.

cityboys1911

okay so we have been out of the country for 12 years, we became US citizens but still have our UK passport do we still qualify for NHS we return to the UK next year

dunroving

Thar depends whether you are coming back to visit or to take up residence.

cityboys1911

take up residence

SanDiegogirl

Then you will be eligible for the NHS.

gal122

My husband has to agreed to give it 6 months plus and I'm hoping he'll end up staying in the UK. Would he be eligible to go on NHS?

dunroving

As per comments above, visiting = no; returning with the intention to take up residence = yes. I'd say ignore the details of the conversations you and he have had - you both intend to take up residence. Don't overcomplicate things.

formula

If that 6 months is entering on a visitor visa, then no free NHS and he wouldn't be able to work anyway on a visitor visa.

However, he going to apply for an Ancestry visa which is work visa for more than 6 months. The Ancestry visa is for over 6 months and he will be residing in the UK, therefore he has access to free NHS under the rules.

If the new NHS levy is in, he will be offered this when he applies for his Ancestry visa as he has a visa for over 6 months and this will still give him access to free NHS.

It's visitors; those with a visa of less than 6 months and some EU citizens and their dependants (if the EU citizen isn't working in the UK), who have to pay for their NHS usage.

Your husband can change his mind about living in the UK and return home any time he wants to, without any problems with having used the NHS during the time he resided in the UK on his Ancestry visa.

If he changes his mind again, he can come back to the UK on that visa as long as it hasn't expired and use the NHS for free again, just so long he has come back to reside in the UK again and is not just visiting.

So stop worrying. As you can see, on an in date Ancestry visa and while living in the UK as his home, he is allowed to use the NHS for free.