UAE Medical Fitness Test for Residence Visa
Current guide to residence medical screening, disease categories, occupational tests, EHS fees, documents, result timelines and Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Northern Emirates service channels.
The medical panel, fee and turnaround depend on the applicant’s occupation, emirate and service provider. Do not treat a private express package as the statutory UAE-wide medical-fitness rule.
The medical panel is not identical for every applicant
The federal medical-fitness framework distinguishes the standard residence examination from additional occupational/category screenings. The original page incorrectly described HIV, Hepatitis B/C and syphilis as a universal blood panel.
The current framework also includes pulmonary-TB and leprosy screening, while pregnancy testing and Hepatitis-B vaccination apply to defined categories.
Who needs residence medical fitness?
UAE Government guidance states that residence-visa applicants aged 18 and above must undergo a medical test to establish medical fitness. The examination is part of the residence issuance/renewal process and is performed through approved medical-fitness channels.
The applicant should use the medical-fitness centre approved for the relevant emirate and immigration file. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates do not necessarily use identical service interfaces, fees or centre lists.
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Standard Residency Medical Fitness Examination
Authority: Official UAE medical-fitness framework; the actual provider depends on the emirate and competent health authority.
| Screening point | Current guidance |
|---|---|
| Result / processing | Medical examination takes about 40 minutes; the official UAE service describes report/result issuance as generally 1–2 days. |
| Fee | No single UAE-wide fee. EHS currently publishes AED 250 per application for its standard medical-fitness examination under Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2025. |
| Screening components |
|
Standard federal screening framework
- 👤 Age 18 or above for residence medical fitness.
- 🩸 HIV/AIDS screening for covered expatriate residence applicants.
- 🫁 Pulmonary tuberculosis examination for new expatriates and residence renewals under the federal framework.
- 🦠 Leprosy examination for new expatriates and residence renewals.
- 📑 Additional occupational screening depends on the applicant’s work category.
- 🏥 Examination must be performed through a designated/approved medical-fitness provider.
Category-specific additional screening
| Domestic workers / babysitters | Hepatitis B testing; pregnancy test applies to female domestic workers. |
| Nursery / kindergarten supervisors | Hepatitis B testing under the federal occupational category rules. |
| Barbers / beauty salons / health clubs | Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C screening. |
| Certain healthcare workers | Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C screening as determined under the health-authority rules. |
| Syphilis | Limited to the categories specified in the federal regulation; health personnel working in health facilities are expressly excluded from this examination. |
TB results: important distinction between first residence and renewal
New residence applicant
Under the federal framework, new expatriates who are found to have old or active pulmonary tuberculosis are generally considered medically unfit for initial residence, subject to the statutory exceptions listed in the regulation.
Residence renewal
For renewals, the regulation provides a different route for certain old/active pulmonary-TB cases: a “subject to treatment” fitness certificate and one-year residence can be granted while the applicant follows the directly observed treatment programme, subject to the regulation and medical-authority follow-up requirements.
Current EHS fee structure
| EHS service | Published fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Medical fitness for work/residency | AED 250 | Standard EHS expatriate medical-fitness application. |
| Pregnancy test | AED 50 | Female domestic workers and other workers who request the test for the stated work/residency purposes. |
| Hepatitis B vaccine — first dose | AED 50 | Limited to the occupational categories specified by the federal rules. |
| Hepatitis B vaccine — second and third doses | Free | Under the EHS fee table. |
Documents normally used for residence screening
- 📘 Passport copy / original passport as required by the centre.
- 🛂 Entry permit for a new residence application or residence/Emirates ID documentation for renewal.
- 📸 Passport-style photograph where required by the service channel.
- 🪪 Emirates ID application or current Emirates ID for relevant renewals.
- 📄 Sponsor/employer documents where the service requires them.
Where to test
Use the approved medical-fitness channel for the emirate that handles the residence file.
- Dubai: Dubai Health/DHA designated medical fitness centres.
- Abu Dhabi: Department of Health disease prevention / approved medical-fitness services.
- Northern Emirates: Emirates Health Services facilities and approved centres.
Related UAE Tools & Guides
2026 VerifiedFrequently Asked Questions
Official sources checked for 2026
These are primary UAE government, legislation and health-authority sources. This page is not certified, verified or endorsed by ICP, GDRFA, DHA, DoH, EHS, MOHAP or Smart Salem.