This guide is for internationals who have just moved to England and want to see a family doctor through the NHS. After reading it, you will know who can register with a GP surgery, what information you need, how the process works and which NHS services are free for newcomers.
- Who can register with a GP in England
- What you need to register
- How to register, step by step
- Children, carers and temporary patients
- What is free for newcomers
- If a surgery refuses to register you
- FAQ
Who can register with a GP in England
The NHS guidance on registering with a GP surgery says that everyone in England can register with a GP surgery, or change surgery, for free. This includes people visiting from abroad, who can register as temporary patients.
This guide covers England only. The government’s migrant health guide notes that Scotland has published separate guidance on charges for overseas visitors, and that Wales has separate information for overseas visitors. People in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland should check the rules for their nation.
Most people register with a surgery near where they live. Some surgeries accept patients from outside their area, for example people who live elsewhere but work nearby. The NHS warns that registering out of area may affect home visits, urgent and out-of-hours care, and community services such as physiotherapy and midwife appointments.
What you need to register
You are only asked for basic information: your name, date of birth and address. You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status. An NHS number can make it easier to find your medical records, but you do not need one to register.
The form also asks for:
- the name and address of an emergency contact
- the name and address of your current GP, if you have one
- the name and address of your carer, if you have one
The registration form is known as the GMS1. People who are not ordinarily resident in the UK are asked supplementary questions about any valid non-UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or S1 form and, if applicable, whether they consider themselves exempt from charges for hospital care.
A surgery may occasionally ask for extra details, for example to help transfer your medical records. If you do not have a permanent address, you can register using a temporary address or the surgery’s own address.
How to register, step by step
Most surgeries in England accept online registration through the NHS website:
- Enter a postcode, or use your location, to find surgeries in the area.
- Choose a surgery that offers online registration.
- Fill in the form. This takes about 15 minutes for each person.
- Wait for confirmation. This usually arrives within 5 days of the surgery getting your details, but it may take longer.
You can also fill in a paper form at the surgery, download the paper form and take it in, or use a form on the surgery’s own website where one is offered.
Once registered, you can use the NHS App to change surgery later. Your old surgery is told automatically when the new registration goes through.
Children, carers and temporary patients
Registering a child
Children under 16 usually need to be registered by a parent or guardian, using a separate form. The parent may need to be registered at the same surgery, provide proof of ID and address for the child, such as a birth certificate, and show ID proving they are the parent or guardian. The child’s personal health record (the “red book”) can also help.
Registering someone you care for
Paid, unpaid, foster and young carers can register the person they care for. If someone over 16 cannot make decisions about their care, a relative, their main carer, a lasting power of attorney or a court-appointed person under the Mental Capacity Act can register them.
Temporary registration
You can register as a temporary patient for up to 3 months by completing a temporary services form, available from surgeries. The government guide describes a temporary patient as someone in the area for more than 24 hours and less than 3 months. After 3 months, you can re-apply as a temporary patient or register permanently.
What is free for newcomers
GP and nurse consultations, treatment provided by a GP and other primary care services are free to everyone in England, whether registered permanently or as a temporary patient.
Hospital care, known as secondary care, is different. It is residence-based: to receive it free, a person must be “ordinarily resident”, meaning living lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis. Others may be charged in England, although some services and groups are exempt.
Services free to everyone, provided the person did not travel to the UK to seek that treatment, include:
- A&E, walk-in centres, minor injuries units and urgent care centres
- diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and some communicable diseases, including HIV and TB
- family planning services, excluding termination of pregnancy and infertility treatment
- the NHS 111 telephone advice line
Since 6 April 2015, non-EEA nationals applying for a visa to stay in the UK for more than 6 months have paid the immigration health surcharge, unless exempt. From 1 January 2021, this also applies to EEA and Swiss nationals. People who have paid it can use the NHS in a similar way to someone ordinarily resident. Refugees and asylum seekers are among the groups exempt from hospital charges. Questions about an individual immigration status belong with a regulated adviser (OISC) or a solicitor (SRA).
If a GP gives you an NHS prescription, normal NHS charging rules apply. The official pages do not state the prescription charge itself.
If a surgery refuses to register you
A surgery may refuse registration if it is not accepting new patients, you live outside its area, or you were previously removed from its list. It needs reasonable grounds and cannot refuse because of a medical condition, a protected characteristic such as age, disability, race, religion or sex, or a lack of proof of address or immigration status.
A surgery that refuses must write to you within 14 days explaining why. It must still provide immediately necessary treatment free of charge for up to 14 days, though this can vary with circumstances. For help, you can contact your local integrated care board (ICB), Citizens Advice, local Healthwatch or the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
FAQ
Do I need a visa or proof of address to register with a GP in England?
No. The NHS states that you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status. You give your name, date of birth and address, and a surgery cannot refuse you for lacking proof of address or immigration status.
Does it cost anything to see a GP?
No. GP and nurse consultations and GP treatment are free to everyone in England, including temporary patients. Hospital care is residence-based and may be charged to people who are not ordinarily resident or exempt.
How long does registration take?
The online form takes about 15 minutes per person. Confirmation usually arrives within 5 days of the surgery receiving your details, though it can take longer.
Do I need an NHS number to register?
No. An NHS number makes it easier to find your medical records, but you can register without one.
Official sources: nhs.uk · gov.uk
Last verified: 26 September 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Immigration advice in the UK may only be given by advisers regulated by the OISC or by solicitors regulated by the SRA.
Sources
- nhs.uk: Register with a GP surgery, accessed 26 September 2026 (archived copy)
- gov.uk: NHS entitlements: migrant health guide, accessed 26 September 2026
