Private Medical Treatment

Medical Treatment Visitors is for the purpose of having private medical treatment in the UK. There are certain requirements, which need to be fulfilled in order to make a successful visit visa application under this category.

How To Come:
To come to the United Kingdom for medical treatment you must be able to show that:

• You meet the requirements for leave to enter as a visitor;
• If suffering from a communicable disease there is no danger to public health;
• Your course of treatment is for a limited period of time;
• You have made satisfactory arrangements for the consultation or treatment you need;
• You have enough money to pay for any treatment and to support and accommodate yourself without working or help from public funds; and
• You plan to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your treatment.

Requirement of Documentation
This part  explains what documents you should have when coming to the United Kingdom as a visitor for private medical treatment. It is helpful if you have as many of these as possible:

• A letter from a general practitioner who is a consultant for the NHS or who is on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, confirming that satisfactory arrangements for private medical treatment have been made, how long the treatment will last and, if your treatment has already started, how it is progressing;
• Evidence of savings available to you to pay for your treatment;
• A letter from your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period. The letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer and in what job(s);
• If you are self-employed, evidence of your business activities and financial standing;
• Evidence of any property you own in your home country;
• If you are a student, a letter from your school or college stating which course you are on, its start and finish dates and the dates of the holiday period during which you intend to visit the United Kingdom;
• It may also help if you can show that you have family or social ties and responsibilities to return to;
• Evidence of any firm travel plans you have made; and
• Bank statements going back over a period of several months.

How to Extend the Visa
You can apply to extend your stay by post or in person at one of our public enquiry offices. You should apply before the date your permission to stay ends.
You should complete application form FLR(O), which you can download from the right side of this page. You should read the guidance notes before completing the form. You will need to send the following papers with your application:

• Your passport;
• A letter from a general practitioner who is a consultant for the NHS or who is on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, confirming that satisfactory arrangements for private medical treatment have been made, how long the treatment will last and, if your treatment has already started, how it is progressing;
• Evidence that you have paid for your treatment; and
• Evidence that you have enough money to support yourself and to pay for further treatment (such as your bank statements or savings account book).

How to appeal
If you are able to appeal once you have been refused pemission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom for private medical treatment.
If we refuse your application, the entry clearance officer or the immigration officer will tell you in writing why you have been refused. There is no right of appeal against a decision to refuse entry clearance as a visitor for private medical treatment.

If you travel to the United Kingdom without entry clearance (permission to enter) and are refused permission to enter, we recommend that you apply for entry clearance before attempting to travel to the United Kingdom again.