Medical Test for UAE Visa: Who Needs It, Fees, Diseases Checked and Results

Last updated: 30 October 2026

The medical test for UAE visa applications is a short health screening that every expat aged 18 or over must pass before a residence visa is issued or renewed. It is a blood test, usually with a chest X-ray, and it checks that you are free of communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. Children under 18 do not take it.

Where you go depends on the emirate: Emirates Health Services (EHS) centres in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and parts of Dubai, Dubai Health centres in Dubai, and SEHA screening centres under the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi. This guide covers who needs the test, what it checks for each job group, the fees, how to book, how results arrive, and what happens if a result comes back positive.

Medical test for UAE visa: who needs it

Every foreign national aged 18 or over who applies for a new residence visa or renews one must take the test. u.ae states that a residence visa requires applicants aged 18 and above to undergo a medical test to prove they are medically fit.

• New employees who enter on an employment entry permit and are then stamped for residence.
• Residents renewing their visa, every time the residence is renewed, not only the first time.
• Family members aged 18 or over, such as a wife, husband or adult child, sponsored on a family residence visa. The u.ae document list for dependants includes a medical fitness certificate for those above 18.
• Domestic workers, such as housemaids, nannies and private drivers, who also take extra tests.

Children under 18 are not tested. The test is part of the residence process, so it does not apply to a tourist stay. If you are bringing your family over, our guide to the family visa in the UAE shows where the medical fits between the entry permit and the Emirates ID.

Which authority runs the test in your emirate

Three health authorities run visa medicals in the UAE, and the emirate that issues your residence decides which one you use. Fees, booking apps and centres differ between them.

Dubai Health’s service page says the exam is for all individuals applying for or renewing UAE residency. In practice, your employer’s PRO or the typing centre that files your visa usually starts the medical application for you, and you only go to the centre with your documents.

What the visa medical test checks

Everyone is screened for HIV, tuberculosis and leprosy, and some job groups are also tested for hepatitis B, syphilis or pregnancy. The extra tests depend on your occupation on the visa, not on your nationality.

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 5 of 2016, which amended the 2008 medical examination system, u.ae lists six tests for expats entering for work or residence: HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, pregnancy for domestic workers, leprosy, syphilis and tuberculosis. Abu Dhabi’s Visa Screening Standard splits them by job group like this:

u.ae adds food handlers and restaurant and cafe workers to the groups that must test negative for syphilis and hepatitis B. In Abu Dhabi, you can skip the hepatitis B vaccine if you show attested proof of vaccination or a positive antibody report that the screening doctor accepts.

The chest X-ray is the TB check. Dubai Health lists blood collection and a chest X-ray as the two main steps, and DOH requires an X-ray for everyone over 18 in Abu Dhabi, except pregnant women and a few medical exceptions.

Medical test for UAE visa fees by emirate

Expect to pay about AED 250 to AED 270 for a standard test in most of the UAE, and AED 700 or more for a same-day result. Domestic workers and salon or health staff pay more because of the vaccine and extra tests.

The Dubai figures come from the Dubai Health Authority’s official fee schedule, Administrative Resolution No. 66 of 2021. The EHS figures are the category fees reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News: a AED 250 test plus AED 10 printing, with AED 50 for the hepatitis B vaccine and AED 50 for a pregnancy test where needed. EHS fees are now set by Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2025, in force since 16 March 2025, so confirm the amount on the EHS payment screen before you pay.

Gulf News has reported SEHA’s faster options in Abu Dhabi at AED 350 for fast track and AED 500 for premium with a 24-hour result. Check the price shown in the SEHA Visa Screening app before you pay, and ask any typing centre to split the government fee from its own charge.

How to book and take the test

You apply for the medical first, then visit the centre for a blood sample and X-ray that takes well under an hour. The order of steps is the same in every emirate; only the portal changes.

1. Get your entry permit or renewal started. For a new visa you need the entry permit; for a renewal, your current residence and Emirates ID.
2. Submit the medical application. In Dubai, use the Salem Portal or Dubai Health channels. In Abu Dhabi, book a slot in the SEHA Visa Screening app. In the other emirates, fill in the EHS form online or at a typing centre. Many employers file this step for you.
3. Pay the fee online or at the centre, and pick a standard or faster service.
4. Visit the centre with your original passport or Emirates ID. Staff check your identity, draw blood and take the chest X-ray.
5. Get vaccinated if your job needs it. Nannies, housemaids, nursery staff, salon and health club workers and health facility staff receive the hepatitis B vaccine.
6. Wait for the result by SMS and email, then continue with the residence and Emirates ID application.

The old federal service card puts the exam itself at about 40 minutes. Opening hours differ a lot between centres, and many standard centres close in the early afternoon, so check the hours of the one you pick.

Documents to bring

Bring your original passport and a copy of your entry permit or residence visa. The exact list varies slightly between authorities.

• Original passport, and copies of the first and second pages for EHS.
• Copy of the entry permit (new visa) or residence visa (renewal). Dubai Health asks for the e-visa copy.
• Original Emirates ID for renewals.
• One recent passport-size photo with a white background.
• The completed registration or application form.
• For EHS: a copy of the sponsor’s passport if a person sponsors you, or the commercial licence if a company does.
• Any vaccination records, especially hepatitis B proof if your job group needs the vaccine.

Results and the medical fitness certificate

Standard results usually arrive within 24 hours in Dubai and within 1 to 2 days at EHS centres, by SMS and email. The fit result goes to the visa system, so you rarely need to carry a paper certificate anywhere.

Dubai Health lets you check the status of your test on its website. Khaleej Times reports that EHS results are sent automatically to GDRFA for Dubai residence files. Once the result is fit, the residence and Emirates ID steps can continue. ICP’s residence terms for renewals ask for a medical examination with a fit result, so a pending medical is a common reason why a renewal stalls; our Emirates ID renewal guide covers the other steps on the same form.

If you have not received anything after the stated time, call the centre or the authority before booking a second test. Dubai Health’s number is 800 60.

What happens if a result is positive

The outcome depends on the disease: HIV and leprosy lead to a refusal, tuberculosis usually leads to treatment and a conditional one-year visa, and hepatitis B or C affects only certain jobs. A first reactive blood result is confirmed with a second sample before any decision.

For TB found at renewal in Abu Dhabi, DOH issues the certificate once treatment has started or tests turn negative, with follow-up X-rays every six months for two years. First-degree relatives of residents, among a few other groups, are not reported as unfit over old or active TB.

New visa vs renewal: what changes

The tests are almost the same for a new visa and a renewal; the paperwork and the deadline are what change. Both need a fit result before the residence is stamped.

• New visa: you test after entering on the entry permit, with a copy of that permit. Family members have 60 days from entry to finish the residence, and the medical is the step most often left too late. If those days run out, our guide to the overstay fine in the UAE explains what is charged.
• Renewal: you test with your current residence and Emirates ID. The 2016 Cabinet Resolution made TB screening part of every renewal, and the HIV and leprosy tests are repeated each time.
• Job change: moving to a nanny, salon or healthcare job puts you in a group with extra tests, even on renewal.

Extra rules for domestic workers and food handlers

Domestic workers, nursery staff, food handlers and salon or health club workers face the strictest screening. They are tested for hepatitis B and syphilis on top of the standard tests, and some get the vaccine at the same visit.

• Pregnancy test: female domestic workers must test negative. Abu Dhabi tests female domestic workers below 55 at renewal. Dubai adds AED 50 for this test.
• Hepatitis B vaccine: EHS charges for the vaccine on top of the test, and in Abu Dhabi the course restarts if you cannot show an attested vaccination card.
• Sponsor involvement: in Abu Dhabi, the sponsor is told about a pregnancy or a syphilis result and signs a consent form for follow-up.

This is why a nanny and an accountant pay different fees for what looks like the same visit to the same centre.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the medical until the last week. A suspected X-ray triggers sputum tests that take days, and the residence cannot be issued meanwhile.
• Going to the wrong authority. An Abu Dhabi residence needs a DOH-licensed centre; Sharjah and the northern emirates use EHS.
• Paying VIP when you do not need it. The standard 24-hour or 48-hour service is enough for most renewals started on time.
• Forgetting the Emirates ID at renewal. EHS and Dubai Health both ask for it.
• Not mentioning a pregnancy. Tell staff before the X-ray; in Abu Dhabi it is postponed rather than skipped.
• Booking a second test when the result is late. Call the centre first; results go to the visa system and a duplicate test costs you twice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the medical test required for a UAE visa renewal?

Yes, the medical test is required every time you renew a UAE residence visa if you are 18 or over. u.ae says resident expats must be screened for TB at renewal, and HIV and leprosy are tested for both new and renewing applicants. You need your current residence visa and Emirates ID, and the renewal cannot finish until the result is marked fit.

How much does the UAE visa medical test cost?

A standard UAE visa medical test costs about AED 250 to AED 270. Dubai Health charges AED 250, or AED 270 with Knowledge and Innovation Dirham, for a 24-hour result. EHS fees are reported at AED 260 for most workers, AED 310 for salon and health staff and AED 360 for domestic workers. Faster results in Dubai cost AED 700 or more.

Do children need a medical test for a UAE residence visa?

No, children under 18 do not need a medical test for a UAE residence visa. u.ae limits the requirement to applicants aged 18 and above, and family members over 18 must submit a medical fitness certificate. A child who turns 18 before the next renewal will take the test at that renewal, so plan for it in the family’s visa costs.

What diseases are tested in the UAE visa medical?

The UAE visa medical tests everyone for HIV, tuberculosis and leprosy, using a blood test, a chest X-ray and a short physical check. Domestic workers, nursery staff, food handlers, salon and health club workers are also tested for hepatitis B and syphilis. Female domestic workers take a pregnancy test, and in Abu Dhabi salon and healthcare workers are also tested for hepatitis C.

Can I get a UAE residence visa if I had TB before?

Yes, in most cases you can still get a UAE residence visa if you had TB before, but it comes with conditions. u.ae says applicants with TB scars, active TB or drug-resistant TB receive a conditional fitness certificate and a one-year residence visa, and must complete treatment in the UAE. Follow-up X-rays are then required.

Key takeaways

• The medical test for UAE visa applications applies to everyone aged 18 or over, for new residence visas and every renewal.
• Dubai Health runs the test in Dubai, SEHA and DOH-licensed centres in Abu Dhabi, and EHS in the other five emirates.
• Everyone is checked for HIV, TB and leprosy; domestic, nursery, food, salon, health club and healthcare workers face extra tests and the hepatitis B vaccine.
• A standard test costs about AED 250 to AED 270; same-day options in Dubai start at AED 700.
• Results arrive by SMS and email in 24 hours to 2 days and go straight to the visa system.
• HIV and leprosy lead to refusal; TB usually means treatment and a one-year conditional visa.

Sources

• Health conditions for UAE residence visa, The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
• Preparing to work, u.ae
• General provisions for the residence visa, u.ae
• Medical Fitness Exam for Residency Visa, Dubai Health
• Medical fitness for residence visa, Dubai government portal
• Administrative Resolution No. 66 of 2021 approving charges for medical fitness, Dubai Legislation Portal
• Standard for Visa Screening Program, Department of Health Abu Dhabi
• Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2025 on medical examination fees at EHS facilities, UAE Legislation
• Examination of Medical Fitness for Residency Visa service card, u.ae