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Hello,
Apologies if this is a repeated topic but I wanted to get some additional opinions. I have been a student in the UK for about 8 years (undergrad and PhD) and I submitted an application for UK naturalisation. As far as I understood, if you have had medical cover in another EU country during period of being a student, the comprehensive sick insurance (CSI) requirement can be met that way. Annoyingly, my home country Bulgaria used to issue a document called S041 (equivalent to E104 or something like that) which basically states you had medical cover. I know some Bulgarians used that to get citizenship. However, not sure if this is Brexit related, but Bulgaria no longer issues that. I managed to obtain a document from Bulgarian National Revenues Agency stating that I have uninterrupted medical coverage and translated that in English. That was the only document I could include. Also added a covering letter explaining that. Obviously, like many other Europeans, I was not aware at the time of being student that I had to have CSI and fell into the same trap as many. Nothing I can do now apart from getting that proof.
However, now I received an email from Sopra Steria who checked my documents and said I am missing mandatory documents for CSI proof. Does this mean they are not willing to accept that as proof? Has anyone else here updated alternative documents to CSI together with a covering letter? Which section did you upload it under and if known, what was the outcome of your application?
I have my appointment on Saturday and it is not too late to alter what documents I can submit/ re-write my covering letter but I could really use some advice from anyone with experience. Many thanks!

There are two consideration:

The Bulgarian document you have

by reference to the Free Movement document https://www.freemovement.org.uk/compreh ... _Insurance

Another way to prove comprehensive sickness insurance includes past coverage under your home country’s social security system. This is a method that can be used in particular by citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and the Netherlands if they were issued certain documents giving them the right to receive healthcare in the UK at the expense of their home country.

It would help if you posted an anonymised version of the translated document you received from the Bulgarian National Revenues Agency so that the exact wording can be seen.

If the Bulgarian document you have is not accepted by the HO as being equivalent to CIS

Refer to the current AN guide:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... l_2021.pdf

If you did not have CSI, please explain in your application why you did not and whether you were aware you needed to hold it. You can tell us about any additional factors that may help us decide your application at section 7.10 of the form.

If you make out a good case, including for example that you thought the Bulgarian document you are submitting did provide the required medical cover, the HO may grant you naturalisation by discretion.

gbozhanova wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:39 pm

I received an email from Sopra Steria who checked my documents and said I am missing mandatory documents for CSI proof.

Sopra Steria is a commercial organisation that handles the biometrics and paperwork on behalf of the HO but they are not involved in decision making. I would tell them that the Bulgarian document you are submitting is proof of the medical cover required - let the HO decide

Hello!
Many thanks for your detailed response and assistance.
I have attached a link to an anonymised photo of the document (apologies I was not sure how to add it to this post). I realize that this document is not ideal and before there used to be a specific document issued for the purpose of proving health coverage. The way it works in Bulgaria is that I provide a document proving my student status (issued by my UK University) to the National Revenue Agency who then update the system so that the Healthcare Fund knows I have health coverage. However, the healthcare fund claimed they can no longer issue me with a document proving that (before it used to be the S041 form which they no longer issue). So that was the only document I was able to obtain. But it is essentially the same thing, it shows I am covered in another country.
I will try and explain that in the cover letter and ask for discretion and I hope that works..
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The certificate you reproduced is not ideal because it doesn't say that your health coverage extends to other EU countries, i.e. that if you use the NHS the Bulgarian system will reimburse the NHS, but since this is the only document you have upload it together with a covering letter drafted on the principles set out is in the AN Guide as well as your understanding of how the Bulgarian system worked pre-Brexit.

Best of luck and please keep the forum informed of the outcome.

Haven't sent my application yet but I also got an S041 official form proving that I was covered in the last 10 years by the Italian healthcare system. Got it translated in English by a registered translator.

Thank you all, I will aim to outline the case in the letter and keep everyone posted!

If you didn't use the NHS during your time in the UK, you can mention it as a kind of mitigating factor. At the moment, you have to play with the cards you have in hand.

Good luck!