Health care

The National Health Service provides free treatment (at hospitals and general surgeries) to all who are ordinarily residents in the UK but requires payment for prescriptions, dental care and spectacles.

First aid/emergency treatment is free for all visitors, after which charges are incurred unless the visitor's country has a reciprocal health agreement with the UK.

The following countries have signed such agreements: all EU countries (but Danish residents of the Faroe Islands are not covered), Anguilla, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Channel Islands (applies only if the visitor is staying less than 3 months), CIS countries, Czech Republic, Falkland Islands, Hungary, Isle of Man, Iceland, Malta (for visits up to 30 days), Montserrat, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, St Helena, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovak Republic and Turks & Caicos Islands. The agreements provide differing levels of exemption for other nationalities; full details of individual agreements are available from the Department of Health.