Join the surgery

Registering with a GP practice

To register permanently, you’ll need to complete a registration form:

You will also need to complete a medical history questionnaire.   Please visit the sections above for Heriot-Watt University Student or Non-Student in order to complete the relevant questionnaire for you.

When you register with us, it’s recommended that you provide information to confirm your:

  • identity
  • address

This means you can be matched to your existing NHS records. You shouldn’t be delayed or refused registration at a GP practice if you can’t provide identification or proof of address.

Anybody in Scotland can access primary care services at a GP practice without charge.

Registering as a Temporary Resident

You can only register with a GP practice if you’re staying in the area for more than 3 months. If you’re not, you may still be treated but as a Temporary Resident.

You can also use the Access to Healthcare. This is a GP registration card to help you register with a GP Practice. The card gives information on your rights to accessing healthcare. You can find the card on the Health Literacy Place website.

For more information on being treated as a Temporary Resident please contact your nearest GP practice.

Help for Non-English Speakers

These fact sheets have been written to explain the role of UK health services, the National Health Service (NHS), to newly-arrived individuals seeking asylum. They cover issues such as the role of GPs, their function as gatekeepers to the health services, how to register and how to access emergency services.

Special care has been taken to ensure that information is given in clear language, and the content and style has been tested with user groups.

Open the leaflets in one of the following languages:

 English  Farsi  Urdu
 Albanian  Bengali  Hindi
 Arabic  Croatian  Lithuanian
 Bulgarian  Punjabi  Polish
 Chinese (Cantonese)  Somali  Portuguese
 Chinese (Mandarin)  Gujerati  Spanish
 Russian  Turkish  French
     

 

Page last reviewed: 29 September 2025
Page created: 26 June 2025