This page gives the most up-to-date information following Brexit, and it will be added to and changed over time, so please keep checking back for updates. For more information visit the Scottish Government’s website.
If you work anywhere outside the UK you can get healthcare from the NHS in Scotland if you lived in the UK legally for more than 10 years before moving abroad and:
If you work in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can get healthcare from the NHS in Scotland if you:
The UK has special healthcare arrangements with some countries and territories outside the EEA. If you live in one of those countries or territories, you can get some healthcare from the NHS when visiting Scotland.
Find out which countries and territories which have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK
When registering you may be asked to show the following documents:
If you don’t have the documents they ask for, NHS staff may not be able to treat you as an NHS patient. You may need to pay for any care you receive.
Free healthcare for UK passport holders and their families who normally reside overseas is dependant on their particular circumstances. There are, however, some treatments that may incur a cost.
If you are registered as an NHS patient your partner and children might also qualify for healthcare. If you have children they must be aged under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education.
If you have a UK passport and you move to Scotland to live permanently, you can get healthcare from the NHS.
In order to receive care, you will need to register with a GP as soon as you arrive in Scotland.
Find out how to register with a GP.
When registering you may be asked to show:
If you don’t have the documents they ask for, NHS staff may not be able to treat you as an NHS patient and you may need to pay for any care you receive.
Find out more about accessing NHS services and treatments.
Free healthcare for UK passport holders and their families is dependent on personal circumstances. There are, however, some treatments that may incur a cost.
If you are registered as an NHS patient your spouse or civil partner and children will also qualify for healthcare. If you have children they must be aged under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education.
Staff at the GP surgery will ask you to fill in a form to register your family. You may need to show your marriage or civil partnership certificate and birth certificates for your children to complete the process.
If you receive a UK pension or UK war pension, you can get NHS healthcare when you visit Scotland if you spend at least:
If you live abroad all or most of the time and need treatment when visiting Scotland, you will be able to get this from the NHS if you meet one of the following requirements:
If you have an EHIC card, you will also be able to get NHS treatment for a condition or illness that you had before coming to Scotland.
If you don’t have an EHIC card, you may be able to get treatment for an illness or condition that you had before you came to Scotland, if it gets worse after you arrive. It is up to the doctor providing treatment to decide whether to treat you as an NHS patient.
If you are a UK pensioner and need treatment, NHS staff may ask to see the following to help them decide if you should be treated as an NHS patient:
If you don’t have these documents, you may need to pay for any treatment you receive.
If you receive a UK state or war pension your partner and children might also qualify for healthcare. If you have children they must be aged under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education
Last updated:
16 August 2023