NHS Choices How to Register with a GP

Contact the GP surgery and ask to register with them. They will usually ask you to complete a form called a GMS1 (PDF, 72kb), giving details such as:

• your name and address
• your date of birth
• your NHS number (if you know it)
• other information, such as the name and address of your previous GP
• your views on organ donation

Some GP surgeries will also ask to see proof of your identity. For example, they may ask to see:

• photo identity, such as your passport or driving licence
• proof of your address, such as a recent council tax bill or utility bill (a gas, electricity, water or phone bill, but not a mobile phone bill) 

If Living in private accommodation. you should take your tenancy agreement as proof of address! 

The GP surgery will send the GMS1 to your local NHS Commissioning Board area team. Your medical records will then be transferred to the new surgery.

Temporary registration

If you want to see a GP and are visiting an area for more than 24 hours but less than three months, you can apply to register with a GP surgery as a temporary resident. The application can be made using form GMS3 (PDF, 80kb).