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<p>All people in the United Kingdom are able to access the National Health Service.
However, since the UK has a residency based healthcare system, charges for most non-primary
care services will apply to those people that are neither ordinarily resident in the
UK, nor exempt from charge under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations
2015, as amended.</p><p> </p><p>European Union citizens who are currently ordinarily
resident in the UK are treated in the same way as ordinarily resident UK nationals
for the purpose of receiving NHS-funded healthcare. There is no requirement for European
Economic Area nationals to have a ‘right to reside’ in the UK under the Free Movement
Directive, nor to exercise treaty rights or hold Comprehensive Sickness Insurance,
in order to meet the ordinary residence definition.</p><p> </p><p>For EU citizens
resident in the UK by the end of the implementation period and in scope of the Withdrawal
Agreement, their entitlement to free NHS services will not change, as long as they
continue to be ordinarily resident in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>When EU citizens living
in the UK apply to the EU settlement scheme for UK immigration status, they will not
be required to demonstrate they have held comprehensive sickness insurance as a qualifying
criteria. The settlement scheme will be open to all EU citizens resident in the UK
by 31 December 2020, including EU citizens studying in the UK. Those granted pre-
or settled status under the settlement scheme will continue to have access to the
NHS as long as they are ordinarily resident in the UK and therefore be able to access
care as a UK national would.</p><p> </p><p>EU students in the UK at the end of the
implementation period will also have a European Health Insurance Card. Under the Withdrawal
Agreement they can continue to use this during their stay to access needs arising
healthcare.</p><p> </p>
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