Visit Visa For Private Medical Treatment
The Visit (Standard) Visa for Private Medical Treatment is designed for non-EEA nationals who wish to come to the UK for the purpose of receiving private medical treatment and that you will not be able to receive treatment from the National Health Service (NHS).
Eligibility:
In order to be granted a Visit (Standard) – Private Medical Treatment visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you are a genuine visitor. This means that you:
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Will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
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Maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without using public funds
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Will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home;
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Are genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes and will not undertake any prohibited activities;
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Must satisfy the medical inspector that there is no danger to public health, if they have a communicable disease
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Show any proposed course of treatment is for a limited period
In addition, you must:
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have arranged your private medical treatment before you travel to the UK;
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produce satisfactory evidence of the medical condition requiring consultation or treatment;
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confirm arrangements for the consultation or treatment at your own expense;
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provide a letter from your doctor or consultant detailing the medical condition requiring consultation or treatment, the estimated costs, likely duration of any treatment (which must be of a finite duration) and where the consultation or treatment will take place.
If you are applying for an 11 month visit visa for the purposes of private medical treatment you must also provide evidence from your medical practitioner in the UK that the proposed treatment is likely to exceed 6 months but not more than 11 months and if required, provide a valid TB certificate.
Additional requirements apply if you are coming to the UK to donate an organ.
Duration of Visa:
Most visitors will need to make an application for a visit visa from their country of residence, before travelling. However, nationals of some countries are exempt from this requirement and can simply apply for a visitor visa at the UK border.
A Visit (Standard) – Private Medical Treatment visa will allow you to stay in the UK for up to 6 or 11 months. Within the period for which your visit visa is valid, you may enter and leave the UK multiple times, unless the visit visa is endorsed as a single or dual-entry visa.
Extension of Stay of Visa under Private Medical Treatment:
In order to qualify for extension of stay as a visitor for private medical treatment, you must:
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continue to meet all of the requirements stated above (apart from seeking entry)
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produce evidence from a registered medical practitioner who holds an NHS consultant post, or who appears in the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, of satisfactory arrangements for private medical consultation or treatment, and its likely duration and, where treatment has already begun, evidence as to its progress
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show they have met any costs and expenses incurred for their treatment in the UK
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have sufficient funds available to them in the UK to meet the likely costs of their treatment and must intend to meet those costs
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not have been admitted to the UK under the Approved Destination Status Agreement with China.
Anyone wanting to extend their stay in the UK, for private medical treatment, must provide a letter from a registered medical practitioner. The practitioner must hold a National Health Service (NHS) consultant post, or appear on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC).
If you wish to obtain advice or legal assistance in respect of your immigration matter, we offer an affordable and confidential consultation at a fixed fee with and experienced immigration lawyer where we can answer your questions and explain the processes that will apply. Your consultation fees will be set off against your instructions to the firm if you go on to instruct us.
For more information or to book an initial consultation, please contact us.