Health and safety
Safety
Telephone frauds and scams
Universities have been made aware that there is a telephone scam in operation which is targeting international students. The caller claims they are from UK Visas and Immigration, and instructs the student to verify the number they are calling from (0207 035 4848) on the www.gov.uk website. The caller may ask the student to verify personal information such as their name, address or passport number. The caller may inform the student that they have not paid for an immigration service, and that they are calling to take the payment over the telephone. They may also claim that a failure to pay will result in the police or the Home Office being informed.
Please note that UK Visas and Immigration do not contact students via telephone asking for payments. If UK Visas and Immigration do need to speak with a student, they will either write directly to the student themselves or to their Tier 4 Sponsor.
If you do receive a call like this, please hang up and report it to the University and the police.
• Do not give out any personal information, or confirm that any personal information they have is correct.
• Do not pay them any money.
Useful information:
- NTU's International Student Support
- Find information on frauds, tricks and scams from UK Visas and Immigration
- UKCISA - the UK Council for International Student Affairs
- ActionFraud - the UK's national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre
In general, Nottingham is a safe place to live, but you are advised to take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your belongings. For example, we recommend that you take out adequate insurance. Endsleigh is a company that specialises in insurance cover for students and is recommended by the National Union of Students. They offer a package specifically for international students.
Health
Settling in a new country involves getting used to a lot of differences and can mean going through many changes in terms of environment, climate, food, customs, and culture. In these busy and sometimes stressful times, it is important that you take care of your health and wellbeing. See the Healthy NTU section of the NTU website for more information on this.
All international students who are studying in the UK for six months or more will be required to pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their visa application and are entitled to free healthcare on the National Health Service (NHS). Their spouse and children who are with them in the UK are also entitled to free healthcare, provided they hold a dependant visa. Free healthcare includes consulting a doctor (also known as a General Practitioner or GP) and treatment in a hospital, including emergency treatment. Charges apply for prescriptions and specific GP services, e.g. travel vaccinations.
If your course lasts for less than six months, it is important that you take out medical insurance to cover your stay in the UK, as you will not normally receive free healthcare except in limited situations.
Detailed information about healthcare and NHS entitlement can be found on the UKCISA website.
EEA, EU, and Swiss nationals will need to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before coming to the UK for their studies. This card entitles the holder to full free NHS treatment. Please refer to our information for EU and EEA students for further information.
We recommend that all international students register with a doctor soon after their arrival in the UK. It will make it easier for you to access medical services if you get ill.
