What is a visa medical?

A visa medical is medical which has been specifically developed to ensure your medical suitability for staying long or short-term within a specific country. The country in question may have their own specific form which needs to be completed as part of the process. This form will indicate the tests or vaccination required to grant the visa.

What countries require a visa medical?

Most countries outside of the EU will require some form of medical if you are applying for a work or residential travel visa. However, we routinely provide visa medicals for the following countries:

Why do I need visa medical?

Each country will have its' own requirements to obtain a travel or work visa. Generally, this is to ensure you either have a suitable vaccination record or that you are not carrying a contagious condition or illness which may impact the locality. Without the visa medical proving that you are medically fit or in line with their own country's requirement you may not be granted a visa.

If it is part of employment, you may also be required to undergo examination to rule that you are medically suitable for a particular role in that country or able to work under specific conditions.

What happens during the visa medical?

As each country has their own specific requirements, each medical will be different. Generally, you will be required to undertake testing and examination which will evaluate your overall medical status. You will usually also be required to undergo some form of sexual health testing for conditions such as HIV or syphilis. Additional screening may include an ECG which may indicate any underlying heart condition.

You may be asked to complete a questionnaire, either by yourself or with the doctor. This will ask you about you or your family's medical history or current medical conditions. We will then ask you to provide a blood and/or urine sample, which will be sent to the labs for testing. If you have any additional screens, we will undertake them or refer you to the appropriate hospital or clinic. Once we have the results of the tests and screens, we will complete the medical form and send this to you. Finally, to access the country in question, you may be required to have had certain vaccinations. If you have not had these vaccines, we can usually provide these to you during the appointment. Some countries will require that you are able to prove either that you have had the vaccine or that you have had the vaccine and you have a level of immunity. We can also provide this testing service.

How much does it cost for visa medical examination?

The cost of the visa medical will vary greatly depending on what is required. Generally, the medical cost is based on 3 things. The cost of the time with the doctor, the cost of the tests and screens and the cost of any required vaccines. We can provide you with an overall costing of your medical. However, we can usually break this down into the component parts so you can see where the expenditure is.

How long before travelling should I have a visa medical?

You should begin the process as soon as you can. In most circumstances the test results are back within a day or two. However, some tests may take longer to come back to us and they then need to be reported on. If you do require vaccination, these can be as part of a vaccine schedule requiring two or more vaccinations. Some schedules can take a number of months to complete and become effective. It does no harm to enquire first about what is required and then you can have a better idea of how much time is required.