Health, Insurance and Support

If you are coming to the UK to study for more than 6 months (i.e. studying with us for a calendar year from January-January), you will be able to receive treatment under the National Health Service (NHS) as a result of paying an NHS surcharge as part of your Student Visa application. You should register with a General Practitioner (GP) upon arrival in Manchester - your hall will be able to give you a list of local GPs, or you can register with the Robert Darbyshire Practice on campus - https://rdp.org.uk/register-with-the-practice/register-with-the-university-gp-service/. If you plan to travel outside the UK, it is essential that you take out extra health insurance to cover you during any overseas trips you make, as the UK NHS will not cover you if you are injured/unwell whilst you are outside the UK.  

If you are coming to study at Manchester for less than 6 months, you MUST take out comprehensive health/personal insurance before travelling to the UK, as you will not be covered by the NHS. However, if you become unwell, you can go to a local GP as a one-off, and s/he will advise you what you should do next. You will be billed for any treatment. For non-emergencies you can also visit Manchester Royal Infirmary’s (MRI) Walk-In Centre which is located next to the Accident & Emergency Department. MRI is on Oxford Road, opposite the Whitworth Park residences and it is open 10am-10pm.  

The University of Manchester does not have an insurance policy that you can purchase, and we cannot advise on suitable policies – each student must source the policy that is best for their individual needs. We recommend that ALL students (including full year) maintain their own insurance, as there are long waiting lists to be seen by the NHS.  

Note that the NHS does not cover dental/optical treatment so we advise you to visit your dentist/optician before you leave your home country.