A practical guide to the UAE residence visa medical fitness test: what is screened, who is exempt, where to go in each emirate, what it costs, and what really happens after a positive result.
Every expatriate aged 18 and over applying for or renewing a UAE residence visa must pass a medical fitness test at a government-approved center. The rules come from Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008: everyone is tested for HIV, pulmonary tuberculosis, and leprosy, and certain occupations are also tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis. In the northern emirates, Emirates Health Services charges AED 260 for general employees plus service center fees and issues results within 24 hours. A fitness certificate is valid for three months for residence purposes.
The single most misunderstood rule is tuberculosis. For a first-time applicant, old or active pulmonary TB makes you medically unfit. For a renewal, the same finding gives you a one-year residence, subject to supervised treatment. The details are below.
What Is the UAE Visa Medical Fitness Test?
It is a public-health screening that confirms you are free of specified communicable diseases before a residence is issued or renewed. Article 6 of Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008 allows the examination only at Ministry of Health preventive medicine centers, government health authorities, and other bodies the Minister designates, so a private clinic result does not count. The result is sent electronically to the immigration authority; you do not carry a paper report.
Timing: for a new visa, the test comes after the entry permit is issued (or after your status is amended if you are already in the UAE) and before the residence is issued. For a renewal, it comes before the new residence is issued. Article 8 makes the certificate valid for three months, so a certificate older than that must be renewed before it can support a residence application.
Who Needs the Medical Fitness Test?
| Applicant | Test required? |
|---|---|
| Employment residence, new or renewal, aged 18+ | Yes |
| Family residence (spouse, parents, children aged 18+) | Yes |
| Investor, partner, Golden, and Green residence, aged 18+ | Yes |
| Anyone under 18 | No (EHS: applicants must be 18 or older) |
| Visit and tourist visa holders | No, the resolution covers work and residence |
| Non-Emirati husband, wife, children, and parents of a UAE national | Excluded from the fitness requirement (Article 4) |
What Tests Are Performed?
Core Tests (All Applicants)
Under Article 2 of the resolution, every applicant is examined for:
- HIV, on first issue and on every renewal
- Pulmonary tuberculosis (the resolution limits TB screening to the lungs), usually by chest X-ray
- Leprosy, on first issue and on renewal
Additional Tests by Occupation
| Occupation | Extra tests |
|---|---|
| Babysitters, domestic workers and similar, nursery and kindergarten supervisors | Hepatitis B, syphilis |
| Workers in barbershops, beauty salons, and health clubs | Hepatitis B and C, syphilis |
| Workers in health facilities | Hepatitis B and C (health personnel are excluded from the syphilis test) |
| Female domestic workers | Pregnancy test |
Sources: Articles 2 and 3 of Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008. New workers in the hepatitis categories who test negative receive the hepatitis B vaccine in three doses and must show the vaccination certificate at renewal. Dubai’s medical fitness notes listed the vaccine at AED 40, charged separately (figure from 2022; confirm at booking).
Pregnant Applicants
Tell the registration desk before any X-ray and bring a pregnancy confirmation. Centers handle the X-ray step differently for pregnant applicants, so ask them to confirm how the TB screening will be completed. For female domestic workers, Article 2(5) gives the employer the choice, in writing, of whether to proceed after a positive pregnancy test.
Step-by-Step Process: How the Medical Test Works
EHS publishes its process (EHS), and the Dubai and Abu Dhabi centers follow the same shape:
- Log in with UAE Pass and book an appointment. Companies with more than 10 workers need delegate cards at EHS.
- Pay the fee.
- Arrive 20 minutes early and check in. Bring one passport photo and your passport or Emirates ID (the Emirates ID is required for renewals).
- Give a blood sample and have the chest X-ray.
- A physician reviews the case.
- Results arrive by SMS and email; EHS issues the report within 24 hours.
No fasting is needed, because the tests look for infections, not blood sugar or cholesterol.
Approved Medical Fitness Centers by Emirate
Dubai
Two networks test Dubai residents. Dubai Health (formerly DHA) runs medical fitness centers across the emirate, including its premium centers. EHS also lists Dubai centers for new residency visas: Al Nahda, Salah El Deen, Ibn Battuta, Dragon Mart 2, Al Baraha Smart Center, and Al Refaa (EHS).
Abu Dhabi
Visa screening in Abu Dhabi runs through SEHA’s Disease Prevention and Screening Centers under the Department of Health.
Northern Emirates
EHS lists these centers (EHS):
- Sharjah: Sahara, Al Khibra and Al Daqqa (Al Sajaa), Al Taj Smart Center, Al Shurooq, Weqa, Al Khibrah
- Ajman: Musheirif, Al Nuameia
- Ras Al Khaimah: Dahan, RAKEZ
- Fujairah: Mena Tower, Al Amal
- Umm Al Quwain: Al Madar
A test done in the UAE counts across the country. A test done in your home country does not replace it: Article 11 allows recognition of a GCC-approved home-country exam only on condition that the UAE examination is still carried out on arrival.
Fees and Result Timelines
| EHS category | Who it covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Employees, companies, and workers | AED 260 + service center fees |
| Category B | Private drivers, nannies, housekeepers, nursery supervisors, housemaids | AED 360 + service center fees |
| Category C | Beauty parlor, salon, fitness club, spa, and health care facility workers | AED 310 + service center fees |
Source: EHS, report and result within 24 hours. Dubai Health and SEHA set their own prices, including faster premium tiers, and neither schedule was retrievable from an official page when this guide was updated. Check the price in the Dubai Health or SEHA app when you book, and remember that for an employment visa the employer pays: Article 6(4) of Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 bars employers from charging workers recruitment and employment costs.
How to Check Your Medical Fitness Results
Results come by SMS and email to the contact details you registered, and a fit result goes to the immigration authority automatically. You can also track the result in the app of the network that tested you: Dubai Health, SEHA, or EHS. Keep your phone number active until the residence is issued.
Conditions That Cause a “Fail” (Unfit Result)
| Finding | New residence | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| HIV positive | Unfit, not granted | Unfit, not renewed |
| Old or active pulmonary TB | Unfit, not granted (unless in an exempt group, below) | Fit “subject to treatment”: one-year residence with supervised treatment |
| Leprosy | Not granted | Not renewed |
| Hepatitis B or C (listed occupations only) | Not granted unless the residence purpose is changed within 30 days | Same |
| Syphilis (listed occupations only) | Treated first, then certificate issued | Same |
Source: Articles 2 and 3 of Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008.
HIV
A positive result means residence is not granted or renewed. The resolution lets the Minister or the head of a health authority exempt some cases from the fitness condition at their discretion, but there is no published application route for that exemption.
Tuberculosis: New Applicants vs Renewals
New applicants with old or active pulmonary TB are considered unfit. The resolution makes an exception for first-time applicants who are members of the diplomatic and consular corps, the spouse, children, or parents of a resident expatriate, major investors approved by the health authority, and any other group set by a Ministry committee. Those exempt applicants are treated as fit but must follow the supervised treatment program.
Renewals are different. A resident found with old or active TB at renewal is issued a certificate marked “subject to treatment” and a one-year residence, followed up under the directly observed treatment program (DOTS). Missing three consecutive visits makes the person unfit, and the residence is not renewed. Drug-resistant TB is treated in the UAE until cured, and the residence is then renewed.
If you had TB before and are applying for a first residence in the UAE, get specialist advice before you travel, and bring your full treatment records to the screening.
Hepatitis B and C
Hepatitis screening applies only to the occupations listed above. A positive result in those groups blocks the residence unless the purpose of the residence is changed within 30 days of the result, in practice by moving to a job outside the listed categories. For other applicants, hepatitis is not part of the residence screening.
Chronic, Non-Communicable Conditions
Diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable conditions are not among the diseases the resolution screens for.
What Happens If You Receive an Unfit Result?
- Get the written result from the center or app, and note exactly which finding was flagged.
- Expect a confirmatory test. Article 5 applies exclusion only after the confirmation medical examination result is approved, so a single reactive screening result is not the end of the process.
- Use the treatment route where it exists: syphilis (treated before the certificate), TB at renewal (one-year residence with treatment), and hepatitis in the listed jobs (change the residence purpose within 30 days).
- Leave within your grace period if the finding is confirmed and no route applies. Your employer cancels the residence, and the normal grace period rules apply.
Special Cases and Practical Tips
Changing Employers
A job change means a new residence, and the new residence needs a certificate no older than three months. In practice, you test again. See our guide to changing visa status without leaving the UAE for where the test sits in the sequence.
Renewing Your Residence
Renewals need the test too, including HIV, TB, and leprosy screening. It is one step in the Dubai residence visa renewal process, and for employment-specific paperwork see our medical fitness certificate guide for employment visas.
Practical Tips
- Book through the app to avoid walk-in queues.
- Wear a plain cotton top without buttons or graphics for the X-ray.
- Bring treatment records if you have any history of TB.
- If you work in a hepatitis category, keep your vaccination certificate for your renewal.
- Do not book the test too early: a certificate older than three months cannot be used.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the UAE visa medical test check for?
Everyone is tested for HIV, pulmonary tuberculosis, and leprosy under Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008. Domestic workers, nannies, nursery staff, salon and health club workers, and health facility workers are also tested for hepatitis B (and C for salons, health clubs, and health facilities) and, except health personnel, for syphilis. Female domestic workers take a pregnancy test.
How much does the UAE visa medical test cost?
At Emirates Health Services, AED 260 for general employees, AED 310 for salon, spa, fitness, and health care workers, and AED 360 for domestic workers and similar, each plus service center fees. Dubai Health and SEHA set their own prices; check in their apps when booking.
How long does it take to get the result?
EHS issues the report and result within 24 hours. Results come by SMS and email and go to the immigration authority automatically.
How long is the medical fitness certificate valid?
Three months from issue for residence purposes, under Article 8 of Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008. After that, it must be renewed before it can support a residence application.
Will old TB scarring fail my visa medical?
It depends on whether it is your first UAE residence. For a first residence, old or active pulmonary TB makes you unfit unless you are in an exempt group, such as the spouse, child, or parent of a resident. At renewal, it leads to a one-year residence with supervised treatment instead.
Can I do the medical test in my home country?
No. The examination must be done at an approved UAE center. Even where a GCC-approved home-country exam is recognized, the resolution requires the UAE examination to be done on arrival.
Do children under 18 need the medical test?
No. EHS limits the service to applicants aged 18 and over.
Do family members of UAE nationals need the test?
No. Article 4 excludes the non-Emirati husband, wife, children, and parents of a UAE national from the fitness requirement for residence.
What happens if I test positive for hepatitis B?
It only matters if you work in one of the listed occupations. In those jobs, residence is not granted unless the residence purpose is changed within 30 days of the result.
Do I need to fast before the test?
No. The tests look for infections, not metabolic markers, so no fasting is needed.
Official Sources
- Cabinet Resolution 7 of 2008 on the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency (consolidated, with the 2025 amendment)
- Emirates Health Services, Examination of Medical Fitness for Residency Visa (fees, centers, process)
- SEHA Disease Prevention and Screening Centers, Visa Screening
- Dubai Health Authority, Medical Fitness Important Notes
- Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labor Relations (Article 6)
Information current as of September 2026. Verify with official authorities before proceeding.
This guide is for informational purposes only. UAE regulations and fees are subject to change. Always verify current requirements with the relevant official authority before proceeding with any application or transaction.
