Registering with a GP in the UK: 2026 Guide for Expats & New Residents
A complete 2026 guide to registering with a GP in the UK. How expats and new residents join a GP surgery, required documents, NHS registration rules, timelines and what to expect.
Updated 13/01/2026
For anyone arriving in the UK, registering with a local GP is the gateway into the entire healthcare system. Without it, routine NHS care becomes difficult, specialist treatment becomes fragmented, and the sense of security that underpins life in Britain’s healthcare system never quite settles into place.
Yet for expats and new residents, GP registration can feel opaque. There is no single national office, no central sign-up portal, no formal “welcome pack” explaining what to do. Instead, the system relies on local GP surgeries, regional NHS structures and a set of rules that are clear once understood but rarely explained to newcomers.
This guide walks you through the process of registering with a GP in 2026, step by step, from finding the right surgery and completing your application to understanding what happens after registration and how your GP becomes your long-term healthcare partner in the UK.
- Why GP Registration Matters
- Who Can Register with a GP in the UK
- How to Find a GP Surgery Near You
- Documents Required for GP Registration
- How to Register with a GP (Step-by-Step)
- What Happens After You Register
- Using Your GP and NHS Services
- Changing GP Surgeries
- Registering Children and Family Members
- Temporary Registration and Visitors
- FAQ: GP Registration in 2026
Why GP Registration Matters
The GP is the cornerstone of the UK healthcare system. In practical terms, almost all non-emergency medical care begins with your GP. Prescriptions, referrals, mental health support, chronic condition management, maternity care and specialist appointments are all coordinated through this relationship.
Without GP registration, access to the NHS becomes reactive and disjointed. You may still receive emergency treatment, but routine care becomes significantly harder to navigate.
For expats, registering with a GP is often the moment when the NHS finally feels real: when healthcare becomes embedded in daily life rather than an abstract entitlement.
>> Read more UK National Health Service (NHS): How It Works in 2026 – Complete Guide
Who Can Register with a GP in the UK
Anyone living in the UK can apply to register with a GP, regardless of nationality or immigration status. The NHS does not require proof of citizenship to register with a GP.
Eligibility for free NHS treatment, however, depends on residency status and, for most visa holders, payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge. But GP surgeries are not immigration enforcement agencies. Their role is to provide care, not to police status.
In practice, this means expats, students, family migrants, refugees, and people without fixed accommodation can all register with a GP.
How to Find a GP Surgery Near You
GP surgeries operate within defined local catchment areas. When choosing a GP, location matters more than anything else.
Most new residents begin by searching for GP surgeries close to their home. Each surgery publishes its registration policy, opening hours and services. Some specialise in student care, family medicine, mental health, women’s health or long-term conditions.
In large cities, patients often have several options. In rural areas, there may be only one surgery serving a wide region.
Choosing a GP is not permanent. You can change later if needed.
Documents Required for GP Registration
Most GP surgeries will ask for:
Proof of identity (passport or ID card)
Proof of address (tenancy agreement, utility bill or bank statement)
However, NHS guidance is clear: lack of documentation should not prevent registration. If you do not yet have proof of address or your documents are delayed, the surgery should still register you.
This principle protects vulnerable patients and ensures access to care is not blocked by bureaucracy.
How to Register with a GP (Step-by-Step)
Registration begins by contacting the GP surgery directly, either in person or through their website. Most surgeries now offer online registration forms.
Once you submit your details, the practice will process your application, assign you an NHS number if you do not already have one, and confirm your registration.
The process usually takes between a few days and two weeks.
What Happens After You Register
After registration, you will receive confirmation and may be invited for a new patient health check. This appointment helps the GP understand your medical history, current medications and any ongoing conditions.
Your GP becomes your first point of contact for almost all future healthcare needs.
Using Your GP and NHS Services
Once you are registered, your GP becomes the centre of your healthcare life in the UK. In practical terms, this means that almost every non-emergency interaction with the NHS flows through this relationship.
Appointments in 2026 typically follow a blended model. Most surgeries offer a combination of in-person consultations, telephone appointments and online forms. Many conditions are now initially assessed through digital triage, where you submit symptoms electronically and are then directed to the appropriate clinician.
Prescriptions are issued electronically and sent directly to your chosen pharmacy. Test results, referrals and follow-up care are managed through the surgery’s patient portal or the NHS App, creating a single digital record that travels with you throughout the NHS.
For expats, this integrated approach can feel unfamiliar at first, especially for those used to directly booking specialists. But over time, most people come to value the continuity of care and the sense that one clinician understands their history in full.
Changing GP Surgeries
There is no limit to how many times you can change GP surgeries in the UK. People move house, change jobs, relocate within cities or simply feel their current practice is not the right fit.
Changing GP is straightforward. You simply apply to register with a new surgery and your records are transferred automatically through the NHS system. There is no need to formally deregister from your old practice; the new registration replaces it.
Continuity of records is one of the NHS’s quiet strengths. Your medical history follows you wherever you go.
Registering Children and Family Members
Each individual must be registered separately, including children. Parents or guardians can complete registration forms on behalf of minors.
Registering children promptly is particularly important for vaccinations, developmental checks and school health requirements. Family members on the same visa or settled status enjoy the same NHS rights once registered.
For families arriving in the UK, GP registration often becomes the first major administrative milestone of settling in.
Temporary Registration and Visitors
If you are staying in the UK for a short period — typically between 24 hours and three months — you can request temporary registration at a GP surgery without becoming a permanent patient.
This is useful for visitors, temporary workers and people between addresses. Temporary registration allows access to GP care without transferring records permanently.
Emergency care remains available regardless of registration status, but temporary GP registration can be invaluable for routine treatment while in the UK.
FAQ: GP Registration in 2026
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Yes. GP registration is not an immigration check. However, eligibility for free treatment depends on your status and payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge.
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You can still register. Lack of documentation should not prevent registration.
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Most registrations are completed within one to two weeks.
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You must usually live within the practice’s catchment area, but you may choose among available surgeries locally.
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No. GP appointments are free for those eligible for NHS treatment.
Registering with a GP is the moment healthcare in the UK becomes real. It is when the NHS shifts from an abstract entitlement into a living, functioning system that supports your daily life.
For expats and new residents, this step often brings a profound sense of reassurance. Healthcare becomes predictable, coordinated and grounded in continuity rather than crisis.
In 2026, the process is simpler, more digital and more accessible than ever before — yet it remains rooted in the same principles that have defined the NHS since its birth: care based on need, delivered with dignity, and available to all who make the UK their home.
