« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
SECTION 5 A QUICK GUIDE TO REGISTERING OVERSEAS PATIENTS
78. Overseas visitors should be registered with a GP if they are temporarily or permanently resident in Scotland, subject to the following conditions:
Workers
79. Workers (from both EEA and non- EEA countries) lawfully present in the UK should be registered as permanent resident patients. They should produce evidence of their employment in the form of a letter from their employer and evidence of their residence status in the form of a valid resident permit/ work visa.
80. Temporary workers should be registered as temporary resident patients provided they will work in the UK for less than 3 months.
Students
81. Students ( bothEEA and non- EEA) must produce evidence in the form of a letter of acceptance from the University, or a letter from the Director of Studies (confirming dates and duration of relevant course) or other sufficient evidence (e.g., UCAS acceptance letter plus matriculation card or ERASMUS exchange confirmation letter etc.)
82. Non- EEA students must also show evidence of a valid student visa.
83. Those students who are on courses of less than 3 months should only be registered as temporary residents.
Self Sufficient
84. EEA or Swiss nationals who are not working or studying may be granted permanent residence in the UK if they have sufficient funds to support themselves without being a burden on the state. This is assessed by the Home Office. If approved, the person will receive a letter from the Home Office confirming their permanent leave to remain. Until a GP sees this letter, they should be registered as a temporary resident patient.
Spouses or Registered Civil Partners
85. If the visitor is the spouse or registered civil partner of a UK national, or an EEA national resident in the UK, then they should be registered as permanent residents. Evidence of this would be a marriage certificate, civil partnership registration certificate, passports/identity cards, same registered address etc. (good judgement should be used here).
86. Spouses or registered civil partners of residents (either UK, EEA or non- EEA) who are nationals of countries out with the EEA should be able to prove they have leave to remain. This will be granted in the form of a letter from the Home Office or a stamp in the passport. They should be registered as a resident. There is no need to wait until they are granted the right to permanent residence/ UK nationality.
'A8' Countries plus Romania And Bulgaria
87. The "A8" accession countries are: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, which all joined the European Union in 2005. Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union in 2007. Nationals from these countries who are not presenting as self-employed should be registered under the Worker Registration Scheme if they are working for more than one month. They will have work permits as evidence of this. They should then be registered in the same way as other EEA nationals (as above).
Others
88. Everyone who has been given permanent leave to remain should have a 'no time limit' stamp in their passport, a Home Office travel document (a passport substitute for those people who are unable to obtain passports in their home countries) or a letter from the Home Office granting indefinite leave to remain. Until they show evidence of the grant of permanent leave to remain, people who do not fall into any of the categories for exemption detailed above should be charged for treatment ( unless it is a case of emergency treatment) and should not be registered.
« Previous | Contents | Next »