London Emergency & Healthcare Card

Q: Can a visitor see a GP in London?

Yes. GP and practice nurse consultations sit outside the NHS charging regulations and are free to everyone, and a visitor can register with a practice as a temporary patient. Tests, scans and prescriptions arranged through the GP can still be charged to an overseas visitor.

In an emergency now

Dial 999 or 112. Ask for ambulance, police or fire.

Both numbers reach the UK emergency services and calls are free. Call when there is an immediate threat to life or serious danger. If you urgently need medical help but it is not life-threatening, call NHS 111.

999UK emergency 112Same, works Europe-wide

Call 999 straight away for

Chest pain, or signs of a stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech
Serious difficulty breathing
Heavy bleeding that will not stop
Loss of consciousness, or someone who cannot be woken
A serious accident, a bad fall, or severe burns
A severe allergic reaction
Any situation where someone's life is at immediate risk

What the operator will ask you

Where you are. A street name and building number, a postcode, or the nearest junction or landmark. Inside a station or venue, name it and the floor or platform.
What has happened, and to how many people.
The person's age and condition — conscious, breathing, bleeding.
The number you are calling from, in case you are cut off.

Stay on the line. The operator can talk you through what to do until help arrives, and they will tell you when to hang up.

Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired: text 999 from a registered phone, or use the Relay UK service. Registration is free and must be done in advance — text register to 999 before you travel.

111

NHS 111

Free, 24 hours. Urgent medical help when it is not life-threatening, and the right call when you are unsure what you need.

101

Police, non-urgent

Report a non-emergency crime or contact the police about something that is not happening now. Call 999 if there is immediate danger.

116 123

Samaritans

Free, 24 hours, from any phone. For anyone struggling to cope or needing to talk to someone.

999

Coastguard & river

Someone in trouble in the Thames or any water: 999, ask for the Coastguard. Do not go in after them.

Tool 12 of 12

Which service may help, and could charges apply?

The part visitors get wrong is not the phone number. It is turning up at A&E with something a pharmacist could have sorted in ten minutes, or assuming everything is free and finding out later that it was not.

Runs in your browser — selections are not sent to or saved on our server

Who you are

Where are you visiting from?

This gives a cautious general indication only. The NHS provider decides which charging rules and exemptions apply to you.

What you need

Choose the closest description

Call 999 or 112 for an immediate threat to life. Otherwise, NHS 111 can help you choose the right service.

Answer both questions, then select Show me where to go.

General information about NHS services in England, not medical or immigration advice, and not a substitute for calling 999 or 111. Only a clinician can judge whether treatment is urgent. Charging rules for overseas visitors are set by the Department of Health and Social Care and can change — checked 27 August 2026. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ. Confirm your own position with the hospital or on NHS.uk .

Fill this in before you fly

Your emergency card

The details someone may need if you could not give them yourself. Build, copy or print the card without saving it, or choose to keep it in this browser for up to 30 days.

Card details stay in your browser — they are not sent to or saved on our server

Your name

Your mobile

Where you're staying in London

A postcode is the fastest way to tell an operator or a taxi where you need to be.

Emergency contact back home

Travel insurer

Policy number

Allergies, conditions and medication

Only enter what you would want a paramedic to know. Do not save sensitive details on a shared device.

Building, copying or printing does not save these fields. Save to this device stores an unencrypted copy in this browser for up to 30 days. Browser extensions, other scripts on this website, device backups or anyone using the device may be able to access it.

Your card — edit freely before printing

Print it and keep a paper copy in your wallet, separate from your phone. A dead battery is the most common reason people cannot reach any of this.

Common questions

What visitors ask us

What number do I call in an emergency in London?

Call 999 or 112 when there is an immediate threat to life or serious danger. Both numbers reach the UK emergency services and calls are free. Ask for ambulance, police, fire or Coastguard. For urgent medical help that is not life-threatening, call NHS 111 instead.

Is A&E free for tourists in London?

Treatment in A&E, urgent treatment centres, walk-in centres and minor injuries units is free to everyone regardless of nationality or immigration status. That exemption ends at the point you are admitted as an inpatient or given an outpatient appointment, and treatment beyond that point can be charged to overseas visitors.

Will I be charged for NHS treatment as an overseas visitor?

A&E services and treatment at NHS urgent treatment centres, walk-in centres and minor injuries units are free to overseas visitors until admission or a follow-up outpatient appointment. Charges may apply to other hospital treatment; non-exempt overseas visitors are generally charged 150 per cent of the NHS tariff. A valid EHIC or GHIC may cover medically necessary state healthcare during a temporary stay. The NHS provider decides what applies to an individual case.

Can a visitor see a GP in London?

Yes. A visitor staying in the area for more than 24 hours but less than three months can ask to register as a temporary patient, although the practice can refuse if it has no capacity. You do not need identification, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register. Tests, scans, prescriptions and hospital treatment arranged through the GP may still carry charges.

What is NHS 111?

A free 24-hour phone and online service for urgent medical problems that are not life-threatening. Trained advisers assess what you describe and direct you to the right service, which may be a pharmacy, an urgent treatment centre, a GP appointment or an ambulance. It is the right first call when you are unsure.

Where is my information stored?

The card fields stay in your browser. This tool does not send them to or save them on the iLoveLondon.com server. Building, copying or printing does not save them. If you choose Save to this device, an unencrypted copy remains in this browser for up to 30 days or until you clear it. Do not save sensitive details on a shared device.

Disclaimer

This card is provided free of charge for general guidance only, on an “as is” basis, as a preparation aid to help you gather the right details and reach the right service quickly. It is not medical advice, immigration advice or legal advice, and it is not a substitute for dialling 999. In an emergency, call 999 or 112 first.

Only a clinician can judge whether treatment is urgent or immediately necessary. The guidance here describes NHS services in England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate differently. Entitlement to free treatment depends on your individual circumstances, including your nationality, immigration status and how long you have been in the UK, and the rules are set by government and change from time to time. Anything shown here may be out of date or may not apply to you, so always confirm your own position with the hospital's overseas visitor team or on NHS.uk.

The card fields stay in your browser. This tool does not send them to or save them on the iLoveLondon.com server. Building, copying or printing does not save them. If you choose to save, an unencrypted copy remains in that browser for up to 30 days or until you clear it. Browser extensions, other same-site scripts, device backups and anyone using a lost, stolen or shared device may be able to access it.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, iLoveLondon.com accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, injury, damage, delay or inconvenience arising directly or indirectly from use of this tool or reliance on the information it provides. Nothing in this disclaimer excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Official sources

Information checked 27 August 2026.

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