Unpaid NHS debt of 500 pounds or more can lead to visa refusal
21 Sep 2026
If you owe the NHS £500 or more for treatment, it can affect your next visa application. A guide published on 19 September 2026 says unpaid NHS charges at this level can lead to refusal. It says this applies across visit, family, work and settlement routes.
The refusal is discretionary, not automatic. The rules say an application "may be refused". That means a caseworker can choose to refuse, but does not have to.
This is not the same as the Immigration Health Surcharge. The surcharge is paid with your application. NHS debt is made up of unpaid invoices for chargeable treatment. The guide says past surcharge payments do not clear old debts. It also says the debt has no automatic expiry and "travels with the person rather than the address".
Maternity care is a common source of large debts. The guide says: "Maternity care is never withheld for inability to pay, but it is still chargeable where the mother is an overseas visitor." Some care is free, such as accident and emergency treatment until admission, treatment for certain infectious diseases and family planning services.
If you think you may owe money, the guide suggests these steps:
- Ask the NHS trust for an itemised invoice with charge dates.
- Check that each charge was correct and that no exemption applied.
- Pay or settle the debt. Bringing the balance below £500 removes this ground for refusal.
- Keep proof of payment, such as receipts or a nil-balance statement.
- Explain the debt and what you did about it in your application.
Paying the debt only removes this one ground. Any other problems with your application still count.
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