The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015

Family members of overseas visitors

25.—(1) For the purposes of this regulation, unless otherwise provided, “member of the family” means—

(a) the spouse or civil partner of an overseas visitor; or

(b) a child in respect of whom an overseas visitor has parental responsibility.

(2) No charge may be made or recovered in respect of any relevant services provided to an overseas visitor who is a member of the family of another overseas visitor (“the principal overseas visitor”) and is lawfully present if the principal overseas visitor is exempt from charges under any of the following regulations—

(a) regulation 16 (victims of human trafficking);

(b) regulation 20 (members of the regular and reserve forces, Crown servants and others);

(c) regulation 21 (NATO forces).

(3) No charge may be made or recovered in respect of any relevant services provided to an overseas visitor who is a child who—

(a) is born in the United Kingdom to a parent who is exempt from charges by virtue of—

(i) regulation 10 (immigration health charge); or

(ii) regulation 11 (overseas visitors who have made applications for entry clearance or leave to remain prior to the commencement of the immigration health charge);

(b) is aged 3 months or less; and

(c) has not left the United Kingdom since birth.

(4) Subject to paragraphs (5) to (7) of this regulation, no charge may be made or recovered in respect of any relevant services provided to an overseas visitor who is a member of the family of a principal overseas visitor if—

(a) the overseas visitor is lawfully present in the United Kingdom;

(b) the overseas visitor is visiting the United Kingdom with the principal overseas visitor; and

(c) the principal overseas visitor is exempt from charges under—

(i) regulation 12 (EU rights);

(ii) regulation 13 (overseas visitors who are treated as if entitled under the social security coordination regulation); or

(iii) regulation 22 (war pensioners and armed forces compensation scheme payment recipients).

(5) Where the overseas visitor is a member of the family of a principal overseas visitor who is exempt from charges under—

(a) regulation 12 (EU rights); or

(b) regulation 13 (overseas visitors who are treated as if entitled under the social security coordination regulation),

the exemption in paragraph (4) only applies if both the conditions in paragraphs (6) and (7) are satisfied.

(6) The first condition is that—

(a) the overseas visitor—

(i) where paragraph (5)(a) applies, does not have an enforceable EU right of the kind described in regulation 12; or

(ii) where paragraph (5)(b) applies, would not have an enforceable EU right of the kind described in regulation 13 if the United Kingdom had opted in as described in Article 27(2) of Regulation 883/2004 and was listed in Annex IV to that Regulation; and

(b) the reason that the overseas visitor does not, or would not, have an enforceable EU right of the kind described in those regulations is because the overseas visitor is not recognised as a member of the family (within the meaning in Article 1(i) of Regulation (EC) 883/2004 or any other relevant regulations or agreements which provide for an enforceable EU right of the kind described in regulation 12 for family members) of the principal overseas visitor.

(7) The second condition is that the relevant services provided to the overseas visitor are services that the overseas visitor would be entitled to receive without charge by virtue of an enforceable EU right under regulation 12 or 13 if the overseas visitor had such a right.

(8) None of the provisions of this regulation affect any entitlement which any member of the family of an overseas visitor may have to an exemption from charges for relevant services by virtue of an enforceable EU right or any other exemption which they may be entitled to in their own right.