How to register with a GP

How to register with an NHS GP practice in England, what you do and do not need, your rights, and what to do if a practice says it is full.

Published 2026-06-16 · A general guide, not legal, medical or financial advice.

Registering with an NHS GP is free, and you have more rights than many people realise. Importantly, you do not need proof of address, identification, an NHS number or settled immigration status to register, although a practice may ask for these to help with the process. Nobody should be turned away simply for not having them.

How to register

• Find practices near you and check their CQC rating and report first, which you can do on CareRadar.
• Register online through the NHS "register with a GP surgery" service, or ask the practice for a registration form (the GMS1 form) to fill in.
• You can usually register with any practice that has an open list and whose catchment area covers where you live, not only the closest one.
• If you are away from home for up to three months you can register as a temporary patient elsewhere without losing your main registration.

Your rights

• You can choose your practice, within its catchment area, and you can change practice without giving a reason and without needing permission.
• You can ask to see a particular GP, though it cannot always be guaranteed.
• Everyone is entitled to register, and to receive emergency and immediately necessary treatment, regardless of immigration status.
• You have a right to see your medical records and to have your data kept confidential.

If a practice says it is full

A practice can only refuse to register you for reasonable, non-discriminatory reasons, such as a genuinely closed list, and it must tell you the reason. If you cannot find a practice with an open list, contact NHS England, which has a duty to help you find one and to allocate you to a practice if necessary.

Choosing well

If you do have a choice, it is worth comparing practices on more than convenience, especially when registering an older relative who will rely on the practice heavily. CareRadar lets you compare GP practices in your area by their CQC rating, the five key-question scores, and their full rating history, so you can weigh quality alongside location before you commit. Once registered, you can still switch later if the practice is not right for you.