Healthcare · Family Health
Registering children and the vaccination schedule
Register children with your GP surgery on arrival — NHS care and the childhood vaccination schedule are free regardless of immigration status.
When you arrive in the UK with children, registering them with a GP surgery should be one of your first tasks. Doing so unlocks free NHS healthcare, vaccinations, and support services that are available regardless of your immigration status. This article walks you through the registration process, the childhood vaccination schedule, and the additional health benefits your children can access.
Registering your children with a GP
You can register your children with a GP surgery free of charge. The process is straightforward and does not require proof of ID, address, or immigration status. Children under 16 must be registered by their parent or guardian, which typically means filling in a separate registration form. Start by finding a GP surgery near you using the NHS website's GP finder tool. You can search by postcode or even text GP to 64746 to receive details of your three nearest surgeries by text message.
Contact your chosen GP surgery and ask to register your children. They will ask you to complete a registration form, such as the GMS1 form. Bring along any documents you have, including vaccination records from your home country. If you have the red book (the UK personal child health record), bring that too, as it helps the surgery check whether your child's vaccinations are up to date.
Most parents and carers register their children with the same GP surgery as themselves. This makes managing family health easier and ensures continuity of care. If a GP surgery refuses to register you, they must write to you within 14 days explaining why.
The Red Book and immunisation records
The Red Book, formally known as the Personal Child Health Record (PCHR), is given to parents at a child's birth by the NHS. It is a crucial record used to track your child's growth, development, vaccinations, and health reviews from birth to age five. If you received a Red Book in your home country or at birth in the UK, keep it safe and take it to all health appointments, as professionals will add important information to it.
The Red Book contains spaces for recording your child's weight and height, all vaccinations given, and health review dates. You can also write in it yourself—recording developmental milestones like first smile or first steps. A digital version called the eRedbook is being rolled out in some areas, which stores health records securely and sends reminders about upcoming vaccinations and health reviews.
When you register your child with a GP, providing a copy of your child's immunisation records from their country of origin helps the surgery identify which vaccines your child has already received. This prevents unnecessary duplicate doses and ensures a smooth transition to the UK vaccination schedule.
The UK childhood vaccination schedule
The NHS provides free vaccinations to all children as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule. These vaccinations protect against serious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal infection, and rotavirus. Vaccinations are not compulsory in the UK, but they are strongly recommended to protect your child and prevent outbreaks in the wider community.
Schedule for children born on or after 1 July 2024
If your child was born on or after 1 July 2024, they will follow the updated schedule that came into effect from January 2026. Key changes include introducing a new appointment at 18 months, where children receive their second MMR dose and a fourth dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine (which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae). The pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) is now given at 16 weeks instead of 12 weeks.
- 8 weeks: First doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine, MenB vaccine, and rotavirus vaccine
- 12 weeks: Second doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine and rotavirus vaccine, plus second dose of MenB
- 16 weeks: Third dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine and first dose of pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13)
- 12 months (1 year): Second pneumococcal vaccine dose, first MMR vaccine, and third MenB dose
- 18 months: Fourth dose of 6-in-1 vaccine and second MMR dose (new appointment)
- 2 to 5 years: Annual flu vaccine
Schedule for children born before 1 July 2024
Children born before 1 July 2024 follow the previous schedule, which includes a second MMR dose at age 3 years and 4 months, and a Hib/Meningitis C booster at 12 months. Your GP surgery will advise you on the correct schedule for your child when you register.
Catch-up vaccinations
If your child has missed vaccinations due to moving from another country, the NHS will arrange catch-up appointments. Your GP will review your child's vaccination history and create a personalised schedule to bring them up to date. Catch-up vaccinations are free and are tailored to your child's age and previous vaccine history. It is important not to delay these appointments, as unvaccinated children are vulnerable to serious preventable diseases.
Free prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests for under-16s
In addition to free vaccinations and GP consultations, all children under 16 in the UK are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, free dental treatment, and free eye tests. These benefits apply regardless of your immigration status, so your children can access these services from the moment they are registered.
Prescriptions
Any medication prescribed by your GP or hospital doctor for a child under 16 is free. Your child does not need to pay the standard prescription charge that applies to adults in England. This is a significant cost saving for families, particularly for children with ongoing health conditions that require regular medication.
Dental care
Children under 16 are entitled to free NHS dental treatment, including check-ups, cleaning, fillings, and tooth extractions. You can find a dentist accepting NHS children patients through your local dental commissioning provider or by asking your GP for a recommendation. Dental care is just as important as any other health service, so register your child with a dentist soon after arrival.
Eye tests
All children under 16 are entitled to a free NHS eye test at an optician. Optometrists can test babies and toddlers using age-appropriate methods, so there is no minimum age. If your child is found to need glasses or contact lenses, you will also receive an NHS optical voucher to help pay for frames and lenses. Eye tests are important for detecting vision problems early and ensuring your child can see properly to learn and develop.
Health visitors and support for young children
For families with children under 5, health visitors offer a free universal support service. Health visitors are specialist nurses or midwives trained in child health and family support. They work as part of the Healthy Child Programme, a national preventative public health programme designed to give all children the best possible start in life.
When you register your child with a GP, you automatically become eligible for health visiting support. All new parents are contacted by their health visitor, so you do not need to arrange this yourself. Health visitors typically offer home visits and hold regular clinics at GP surgeries, children's centres, and health centres.
Health visitors provide advice and support across a wide range of areas, including infant feeding (breast and bottle feeding), sleep, behaviour, child development, and parental emotional wellbeing. They conduct formal health and development reviews at set points—typically shortly after birth, at around 2 to 4 weeks, around 3 months, around 1 year, and around 2 years. They also refer children to specialist services if additional support is needed.
- Home visits and advice on feeding, sleep, and newborn care
- Screening and monitoring of your child's growth and development
- Administration and tracking of vaccinations
- Health reviews and assessments
- Support with parental mental health and wellbeing
- Signposting to local children's centres, parenting classes, and community services
You can contact your health visitor if you have questions or concerns about your child at any time. Many areas now offer text-based services so you can seek advice out of hours. If you are struggling with parenthood, postnatal depression, or other concerns, health visitors are trained to listen and can connect you with additional support.
Key takeaways
- Register your children with a GP surgery as soon as possible after arrival—it is free and requires no immigration status check.
- Bring any vaccination records or Red Book you have; these help your GP ensure your child is up to date.
- The NHS provides free vaccinations, prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests for all children under 16.
- Children born on or after 1 July 2024 follow the updated vaccination schedule, which includes a new appointment at 18 months.
- Health visitors provide free universal support to families with children under 5, including home visits and health reviews.
- All services are free regardless of immigration status, so do not hesitate to register and access the care your children need.
Keep reading — Family Health
Always verify with official sources before acting on the information above.