UAE Medical Fitness Test Update: If you’ve started the process for a UAE residency visa, the UAE medical fitness test is the next important step. This test is mandatory for all applicants aged 18 and above and must be completed before visa stamping and Emirates ID registration.
According to UAE law, any family member who is older than eighteen must do a medical fitness exam. However, what is it really, and how can you apply for one? Learn more below.
Who Needs the UAE Medical Fitness Test?
According to UAE law, every foreign national applying for a new residency visa or renewing an existing one must undergo a medical fitness test. However, individuals under the age of 18 are exempt from this requirement.
What is a medical fitness certificate?
A medical fitness certificate is a required document that validates the applicant’s freedom from communicable diseases. It is strictly necessary for all foreign citizens applying for or renewing a UAE residency visa. Residents under the age of eighteen are exempt.
You can take your medical fitness test after receiving your entry permit and before proceeding with visa stamping and Emirates ID registration. The certificate is valid for the length of the residence visa it accompanies: one to three years for normal visas, and five or ten years for golden visa holders.
What tests are run?
All visa applicants must undergo two obligatory screenings for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB).
Apart from HIV and tuberculosis, the following types of workers are expected to test negative for syphilis and Hepatitis B:
- People working in nurseries.
- Domestic workers, such as housemaids, nannies, and drivers.
- Food handlers and personnel in restaurants and cafes
- employees of salons and beauty centers
- Workers at a health club
Female domestic workers must also have a negative pregnancy test.
For new residency visas, applicants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are also checked for pulmonary tuberculosis using a chest X-ray. However, visa renewals just require a blood test.
Documents needed for the medical fitness test
After applying for your UAE residency visa at an Amer center in Dubai or at Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) facilities in other emirates, you can schedule your medical fitness exam.
To minimize delays and issues, make sure you are completely prepared and have all of your documentation on hand before leaving. Please bring the following documents with you:
- A copy of the entry permit (if it is a new visa) or a copy of your residence visa (if it is a visa renewal).
- Original passport.
- Emirates ID (if you are renewing your visa)
- Recent passport photo.