If you owe money to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), and it has been added to your immigration record, it could have serious consequences. You could be refused a visa or stopped at the UK border. This could cause significant disruption to your travel plans and have wider implications for your immigration status in the UK. This article will outline what those consequences are, how you might get an NHS debt, and what you can do if you find yourself in this situation.
How you might get an NHS debt:
If you have treatment at a hospital or specialist clinic in the UK, known as secondary care, you will usually need to pay for it unless you are ordinarily resident in the UK, have paid the immigration health surcharge as part of your current UK visa, or are exempt from the surcharge. If you do get charged for treatment, the NHS trust which treated you should send you an invoice.
It’s worth noting that primary healthcare is free for everyone, including visiting a GP, accident and emergency services, detection and treatment of certain infectious diseases, and other free services.
When do you need to pay:
If you do receive an invoice for treatment, you will have two months from the date on the invoice to pay. If you don’t pay within this time, the debt may be added to your immigration record, depending on how much debt you have.
For citizens of the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, the debt will be added to your immigration record if it’s worth £500 or more for treatment since 1 July 2021. For citizens of other countries, the debt will be added to your immigration record if it’s worth either £1,000 or more for treatment since 1 November 2011, or £500 or more for treatment since 6 April 2016.
How to pay:
If you need to pay an NHS debt, you should contact the NHS trust which treated you. Instructions on how to pay will be on the invoice if you received one. If you cannot pay the debt in full, you may be allowed to pay it in instalments.
Once you have paid the debt in full or agreed to pay in instalments, it will be removed from your immigration record. This means it will not affect any future visa applications or your entry to the UK. However, if you agree to pay in instalments and do not keep up with your payments, the debt may be added back to your immigration record.
If you think a debt has been wrongly added to your immigration record, you can make a complaint to the Home Office. It’s important to take action quickly to resolve any NHS debts and avoid any potential problems with your immigration status or travel plans.
By : Jenny Comani