VoxxArrive · UAE onboarding topic
Medical Fitness Test for UAE Residence Visa: An Employer's Guide
Every expatriate aged 18 or over must pass a government medical fitness test - screening for communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and leprosy - before a UAE residence visa is issued or renewed. The test is carried out only at centres approved by the relevant health regulator (DHA in Dubai, DoH/SEHA in Abu Dhabi, and Emirates Health Services/MOHAP in the other emirates), and the exact tests depend on the worker's occupational category. Standard results are typically issued within 24 hours, with faster express and VIP tiers available at higher cost.
Steps
- Confirm who needs the test - Mandatory for all expatriates aged 18 and over applying for a new residence visa or renewing one - including employment, investor/partner, self-sponsored/freelance and dependent visas. Visit and tourist-visa holders are excluded (DoH Standard 3.3; under-18s are not screened, DoH 5.7.2).
- Identify the occupational category - Screening depth is set by category. Group A = general employees/workers. Group Bi = domestic workers (housemaids, nannies, private drivers) and nursery/kindergarten staff. Group Bii = barbers, beauticians, health-club staff. Group C = healthcare workers. Bi/Bii/C face additional blood tests and hepatitis B vaccination (DoH Standard 5.1–5.3).
- Book an approved screening centre - The certificate is only valid from a centre approved by the emirate's regulator - DHA-approved centres in Dubai, DoH/SEHA (including Capital Health Screening Centre) in Abu Dhabi, and EHS/MOHAP centres elsewhere. Bring the original passport, Emirates ID (for renewals) or entry permit/unified number (for new applicants), and a passport photo (EHS service page; DoH 3.5, 3.7).
- Undergo the examination - Components are a physical examination (for leprosy/notifiable disease), blood tests (HIV plus, by category, hepatitis B & C and syphilis), a digital chest X-ray for pulmonary TB, and - for female domestic workers - a pregnancy test. Pregnant applicants are exempt from the X-ray, which is postponed until two months after the expected delivery date (DoH 5.4, 5.7.2–5.7.3).
- Collect the result and handle abnormal cases - A 'fit' certificate feeds the visa file automatically. A reactive result triggers a confirmatory second blood sample within 7–10 days (DoH 5.6.3). HIV-positive results are reported to the MOI as unfit to reside, with deportation coordinated by the health regulator, sponsor and MOI; hepatitis B/C carriers in some categories are instead given 30 days to switch to an occupation that does not require that clearance (DoH 5.8.2). TB and syphilis are generally treatable with a conditional certificate rather than automatic refusal.
Timeline
Standard processing is typically completed within 24 hours (EHS service page; DoH 5.7.12 requires chest-X-ray results within 24 hours of attendance). Express and VIP tiers can return results the same day - often within a few hours - but exact turnaround varies by emirate and centre. A reactive/positive screen adds a 7–10 day confirmatory retest (DoH 5.6.3), and suspected TB cases add sputum testing over several days to weeks.
Cost & fees
Government (EHS/MOHAP) list fees for the standard 24-hour service are AED 250 for general employees (Category A), AED 300 for salon/gym/health-facility staff (Category C: 250 exam + 50 vaccination), and AED 350 for domestic help and nursery staff (Category B: 250 exam + 50 vaccination + 50 pregnancy test), plus centre printing fees. Express and VIP tiers (faster turnaround, private handling) cost more and vary by emirate and centre. Fees, tier names and turnaround differ between DHA (Dubai), DoH/SEHA (Abu Dhabi) and EHS (other emirates), so always confirm the current price with the specific approved centre.
Your task slice
1 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Book and complete medical fitness test at an approved centre (communicable-disease screening)
Medical fitness certificate
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae) - Health conditions for UAE residence visa
- Emirates Health Services (EHS/MOHAP) - Examination of Medical Fitness for Residency Visa (service, fees, categories, 24-hour processing)
- Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) - Standard for Visa Screening Program, Ref. DOH/SD/ADCPH/CD/VS/1.6, v1.6, Sept 2023 (screened diseases by category, outcomes, legal basis Federal Law No. 14/2014 and Cabinet General Secretariat No. 7/2008)
- Fragomen - Navigating the UAE Residence Visa Medical Fitness Test (Part 1)
Frequently asked
Which diseases does the UAE medical fitness test screen for?
Core screening for all applicants covers HIV, pulmonary tuberculosis and leprosy. Workers in higher-contact categories (domestic staff, barbers/beauticians, health-club and healthcare workers) are additionally screened for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, and female domestic workers take a pregnancy test. This is set out in the DoH Abu Dhabi Standard for the Visa Screening Program and mirrored by DHA and EHS.
Will a positive result automatically get someone deported?
Not for every condition. An HIV-positive result is reported to the Ministry of Interior as 'unfit to reside' and generally leads to deportation, though an exemption may be granted by a decision of the DoH Chairman or the MOHAP Minister. Tuberculosis and syphilis are usually treatable and can lead to a conditional (one-year) certificate with treatment; hepatitis carriers in certain categories may instead be required to move to a role that does not need that clearance within 30 days.
Does everyone need a chest X-ray?
No. Applicants under 18 are not screened at all, and pregnant women are exempt from the chest X-ray, which is postponed until roughly two months after the expected delivery date. Cancer patients regularly exposed to radiation and those who had an X-ray within the previous month may also be excluded, with the pregnancy status confirmed to the sponsor on a consent form (DoH 5.7.2–5.7.3).
What is the difference between the normal, express and VIP tiers?
They differ in speed and setting, not in the tests performed. The standard service returns results in about 24 hours at the government list fee; express and VIP options offer faster (often same-day) turnaround and a more private, streamlined experience for a higher fee. Exact pricing and timings vary by emirate and by the individual approved centre.
How often does the test have to be repeated?
It is required both for a new residence visa and at each renewal (typically every two years, in line with the residence-visa cycle). Renewal screening is slightly lighter in some categories but still covers the core communicable diseases, and hepatitis B vaccination status is re-checked for the relevant worker groups.