COVID-19 Vaccinations for Overseas Visitors | QCS

COVID-19 Vaccinations for Overseas Visitors

Dementia Care
May 25, 2021

We have received multiple questions about overseas visitors and how they access the COVID-19 vaccine and I recognise there is a lot of confusion including:

  • Who is eligible if visiting from overseas?
  • What age groups can be vaccinated?
  • Do individuals need to register with an NHS GP provider to access a vaccination?
  • Is there a cost to obtain the vaccination?
  • Does someone need to be able to be in the UK for long enough to receive both doses?

No charges for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, treatment, and vaccination

Overseas visitors to England, including anyone living in the UK without permission, will not be charged for:

  • Testing for COVID-19 (even if the test shows they do not have COVID-19)
  • Treatment for COVID-19, including for a related problem called multisystem inflammatory syndrome that affects some children
  • Vaccination against COVID-19

No immigration checks are needed for overseas visitors if they are only tested, treated, or vaccinated for COVID-19.

Accessing COVID-19 vaccination and NHS numbers

Individuals do not require an NHS number or GP registration to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and should not be denied vaccination on this basis. Individuals who do not have an NHS number or are not registered with a GP are still entitled to free COVID-19 vaccinations.

While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice if the practice is delivering the COVID-19 vaccinations.

  • If an individual has an NHS number, they can find it through this online tool
  • If an individual does not have an NHS number, they should contact 119
  • If someone is denied care because they do not have an NHS number, they can contact NHS England’s customer contact centre

COVID-19 translated advice and guidance

This guidance on COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination free of charge has been translated into 40 different languages by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The following resources are also available in various languages:

Doctors of the World has provided translated COVID-19 resources informed by government and NHS advice.

The International Organization for Migration has set up the COVID-19 Migrant Information Service, which provides multilingual information on COVID-19 measures and support in the UK context. The aim is to support migrants who may face language barriers when reading complex information.

The information is available in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Romanian. It relates to 5 important areas of everyday life that have been significantly affected by COVID-19: health, employment, benefits, housing, and immigration.