The Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa is for individuals who wish to receive private medical treatment, act as an organ donor or be assessed as a potential organ donor to an identified recipient in the UK.

The Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa is a sub-category of the Standard Visitor route, which is a route for persons who wish to visit the UK for a temporary period.  A Visitor who is coming to the UK for private medical treatment may be granted entry clearance for up to either 6 or 11 months.

The Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa route does not lead to settlement in the UK and all visitors must make a separate application, even when travelling as part of a group.

Requirements for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa

In order to qualify for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:

• You are a visa national (a non-visa national can normally seek entry as a Visitor on arrival at the UK border);
• You are genuinely seeking entry to the UK for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes;
• You will not undertake any prohibited activities;
• You have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit (including travel, maintenance and accommodation costs) without working or accessing public funds;
• You will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
• You will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home;
• Your application does not fall for refusal under the general grounds for refusal;
• You have obtained an Electronic Travel Authorisation, if required.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy when applying for a UK Private Medical Treatment Visa may vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

To discuss your Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa application with one of our immigration barristers, contact our UK Visit Visa lawyers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

Visa National Requirement

A visa national is someone who, by reason of their nationality, requires a Visit Visa in order to enter the UK as a Visitor.  Visa nationals must generally apply for a Visit Visa before travelling to the UK.

The Home Office has published a list of nationalities that are required to apply for a Visit Visa prior to travelling to the UK as a Private Medical Treatment Visitor.  The list includes a number of exceptions, which allow certain visa nationals to seek entry as a Private Medical Treatment Visitor on arrival in the UK.

A non-visa national can normally seek entry as a Visitor on arrival in the UK.   A non-visa national must still satisfy the requirements for entry as a Visitor and so, on arrival, should be prepared to explain, for example, the purpose of their visit and how they will be maintained and accommodated in the UK, as well as their return travel arrangements. 

EU citizens are non-visa nationals and can seek entry as a Visitor on arrival in the UK without needing to apply for a Visit Visa.

As well as preparing Private Medical Treatment Visa applications for visa nationals, our barristers regularly assist non-visa nationals to satisfy the requirements for entry as a Visitor on arrival in the UK.

Visit Visa for Private Medical Treatment in the UK

In order to qualify for a UK Private Medical Treatment Visa you will need to have arranged your private medical treatment before you travel to the UK.

In support of your Private Medical Treatment Visa application you will need to provide a letter from your doctor or consultant in the UK detailing your medical condition requiring consultation or treatment, the estimated costs and likely duration of any treatment (which must be of a finite duration) and where the consultation or treatment will take place.

If you intend to receive NHS treatment under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement between the UK and another country, then you will need to provide an authorisation form issued by the government of that country.

As part of your UK Private Medical Treatment Visa application you will also need to satisfy the Home Office that you have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit and treatment.

Patients Seeking to Visit the UK for Private Medical Treatment for More Than 6 Months

If you wish to apply for an 11-month Private Medical Treatment Visa for the purpose of receiving private medical treatment then you must also provide evidence from your doctor or consultant in the UK that the proposed treatment is likely to last for more than 6 months, but not more than 11 months.

If you intend to receive NHS treatment under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement between the UK and another country then you must also provide an authorisation form issued by the government of that country which clearly states that the proposed treatment is likely to exceed 6 months, but not last more than 11 months.

The Home Office will expect to see a clear need for you to be in the UK to receive treatment for a period of more than 6 months and that you have enough funds to meet all costs.

You may also need to provide a valid TB test certificate, if required.

UK Visit Visa for Organ Donation

You will need to satisfy the Home Office that you genuinely intend to donate an organ to, or be assessed as a potential organ donor for, an identified recipient in the UK with whom you have a genetic or close personal relationship.

A genetic relationship would be where the donor is a blood relative to the identified recipient in the UK.  A close personal relationship would typically include the visitor’s spouse, partner or close friends.

You will need to provide written confirmation of medical tests to show that you are a donor match to the identified recipient, or that you are undergoing further tests to be assessed as a potential donor to the identified recipient.

You will need to provide a letter from either the lead nurse or coordinator of the UK NHS Trust’s Living Donor Kidney Transplant team or UK registered medical practitioner who holds an NHS consultant post or who appears in the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council confirming that you meet the above requirements and when and where  the planned organ transplant or medical tests will take place.  The letter must be dated not more than 3 months before the date you intend to arrive in the UK.

The identified recipient should be lawfully present in the UK at the time of the planned organ transplant and be entitled to receive treatment either on the NHS or in a private hospital.

Intention to Leave the UK Requirement for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa

In addition to satisfying the Home Office that you are genuinely seeking to enter the UK for a permitted purpose and that you satisfy the additional eligibility requirements, as part of your application for a Private Medical Treatment Visa you will also need to satisfy the Home Office that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit and will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.

In assessing your application for a UK Private Medical Treatment Visa, the Home Office will consider a range of factors including:

• Your previous immigration history, including visits to the UK and other countries;
• Your financial circumstances as well as your family, social and economic background;
• Your personal and economic ties to your country of residence.

Factors which may cause the Home Office to doubt that you are a genuine visitor include having few or no family and economic ties to your country of residence, whilst having several family members in the UK, previous attempts to deceive the Home Office in an immigration application and discrepancies between statements made by yourself and your sponsor.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa Financial Requirement

As part of your application for a Private Medical Treatment Visa you will need to have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit (including travel, maintenance and accommodation costs) without working or accessing public funds.

Your funds will need to be held in a permitted financial institution.

Your travel, maintenance and accommodation costs may be met by a third party if the third party has a genuine professional or personal relationship with you, they are not, and will not be, in breach of immigration laws and they can support you throughout the duration of your stay as a Visitor.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa English Language Requirement

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa applicants do not need to satisfy an English language requirement.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa Validity Period

If you wish to enter the UK for the purpose of receiving private medical treatment or organ donation, you may apply for a Visit Visa that is valid for either 6 months, 2 years, 5 years or 10 years.  

You may enter and leave the UK multiple times during the validity period of your Visit Visa, unless your Visit Visa is endorsed for a single or dual entry.

Each visit to the UK must not exceed 6 months.

A Visitor who is coming to the UK for private medical treatment may also be granted entry clearance for up to 11 months, provided the additional eligibility criteria mentioned above are satisfied.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa Right to Work

Private Medical Treatment Visit Visa holders are not permitted to work in the UK or, with few exceptions, receive payment from a UK source for any activities undertaken in the UK.

This means that Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitors cannot take employment, establish or run a business as a self-employed person, work for an organisation or business in the UK, undertake a work placement or internship in the UK or otherwise provide or sell goods or services in the UK.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitors are permitted to undertake activities relating to their employment overseas remotely whilst they are in the UK, such as responding to emails or answering phone calls.  However, the main purpose of your visit to the UK should be to undertake a permitted activity, rather than specifically to work remotely from the UK.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitors are also permitted to come to the UK to seek employment and attend job interviews. However, if successful in obtaining employment, you will be expected to leave the UK and seek the appropriate entry clearance prior to commencing work.

Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa Application Fees

The Home Office application fee for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa for a short stay of up to 6 months is currently £100.

The Home Office application fee for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa for a stay of more than 6 months but not more than 11 months is £200.

If you wish to apply for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa that is valid for either 2 years, 5 years or 10 years then the Home Office application fee will be £376, £670 or £837 respectively.

How Our Immigration solicitors Can Help

Our immigration solicitors are experienced in assisting individuals who wish to receive private medical treatment, act as an organ donor or be assessed as a potential organ donor to an identified recipient in the UK.

Whether you are seeking advice on the merits of applying for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa, assistance with preparing a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa application or legal representation to challenge a decision to refuse an application for a Private Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa, our immigration barristers can assist.

We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our client’s needs. We are a highly driven team, dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice to our clients as part of a professional and friendly service.