Immigration Medical Exam in Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Canada, Australia, US and UK (2026)

Most permanent residence applications need a medical exam, and it cannot be done by your own doctor or at any clinic in the UAE. Each country appoints its own doctors, known as panel physicians, and each has its own rules on when you must be examined. Getting the timing wrong can cost you weeks, or force you to pay for a second exam. This guide explains how it works for Canada, Australia, the US and the UK when you live in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or anywhere else in the UAE.

Checked on 5 October 2026 against IRCC, the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the US Department of State and GOV.UK. Sources are listed at the end. Approved clinic lists change, so always use the official list for your destination country.

How immigration medicals work

A blank desk calendar, navy folder, pen and face-down smartphone.

Only approved doctors. Each country publishes its own list of approved doctors and clinics in the UAE. A report from any other clinic is rejected.
The clinic sends the results. For Canada and Australia, the clinic uploads your results directly to the immigration authority through a system called eMedical. You do not carry a sealed report.
The doctor does not decide. The panel physician examines you and records the results. The immigration authority decides whether you meet the health requirement.
Every family member. Usually every person on the application needs an exam, including children, even if some family members are not moving with you.
Your passport does not matter here. Where you live decides which clinic list you use. Living in the UAE, you use the UAE clinics.

Quick comparison by country

Country	When to do it	What you need to book
Canada (Express Entry)	After your Invitation to Apply, before you submit	Passport and the clinic’s upfront medical process
Australia	When Home Affairs asks, or upfront through My Health Declarations	A HAP ID from Home Affairs
United States (immigrant visas)	After you get your interview date, before the interview	Your interview appointment letter
United Kingdom	Only a TB test, and most long-term UAE residents do not need one	See the UK section

Canada

The rule changed in 2025. Since 21 August 2025, Express Entry applicants must complete the medical exam before submitting their permanent residence application. Many websites still say to wait for IRCC instructions. That is the old rule.

When: after you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). IRCC advises against doing it before an ITA.
Why timing matters: you have 60 days from your ITA to submit, and the medical must fit inside that time. Book an appointment as soon as you are invited.
What you upload: the clinic gives you an Upfront Medical Report form (IMM 1017B), which you upload with your application as proof of the exam.
Validity: results are generally valid for 12 months from the exam date. If you do not become a permanent resident in that time, you may need a new exam.
Where: use IRCC’s panel physician search on canada.ca and choose United Arab Emirates. IRCC-approved doctors are listed in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

For the full Canadian process, see Canada PR from the UAE.

Australia

HAP ID first. You cannot book without a HAP ID, a health identifier from Home Affairs. You usually get it in ImmiAccount after lodging your visa application, together with the list of exams you need.
Upfront option. If you have not lodged yet, you may be able to get a HAP ID through the My Health Declarations service and do the exam early.
Where: outside Australia, you must use a Home Affairs approved panel physician. Find the list for the UAE on the Home Affairs website.
Which tests: Home Affairs decides based on your age, visa type and history. Common tests are a medical exam, a chest X-ray and blood tests. Your HAP ID letter lists exactly what you need.
Deadline: your request letter gives a timeframe. If you cannot meet it, tell Home Affairs through ImmiAccount.

You can check whether the clinic has submitted your results using your HAP ID in eMedical. For the full process, see Australia PR from the UAE.

United States

For US immigrant visas processed at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, you must have the medical exam with one of the embassy’s designated doctors in the UAE before your interview. The embassy lists these doctors in its medical exam instructions, with clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Results from other clinics are not accepted.

Book as soon as you receive your interview date.
Bring your vaccination records. US immigrant visa applicants must meet vaccination requirements, and missing vaccines can be given at the exam.
Follow the embassy’s instructions for that specific interview, as requirements are listed in the appointment documents.

US visitor visas do not need a medical exam. See our US visa appointment guide.

United Kingdom: the TB test

The UK does not ask for a full immigration medical. It asks some applicants for a tuberculosis (TB) test if they are coming for more than 6 months.

Whether you need it depends on where you live, not your passport. You need a TB test if you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months and either live in a country on the UK’s TB list, or lived in a listed country for more than 6 months and moved to an unlisted country within the last 6 months.

The UAE is not on the list. So if you have lived in the UAE for more than 6 months, you usually do not need a TB test, even if your passport is from a listed country such as India, Pakistan or the Philippines. If you moved to the UAE recently from a listed country, you may need one, and GOV.UK lists approved TB testing clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

A UK TB certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray.

What to bring

An open navy document pouch, blank papers, eyeglasses and a notebook.

Check the clinic’s own list when you book. Usually you need:

Your passport, the same one used in your application
Your Emirates ID
Your HAP ID (Australia), appointment letter (US) or application details (Canada)
Glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
A list of medicines you take
Medical reports for any past or current condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, TB treatment or surgery
Vaccination records, especially for US immigrant visas and for children
Passport photos, if the clinic asks

Bring reports for known conditions. If you have a condition and arrive without your specialist’s reports, the doctor may have to request them later. That can delay your results by weeks.

What happens at the exam

An empty illustrative consultation room with a stethoscope and blank clipboard. — Illustrative clinic setting; not a named or approved provider.

The exact tests depend on the country and your age, but usually include:

Identity check against your passport, and a photo
A medical history questionnaire
A physical exam: height, weight, blood pressure, eyesight, heart and lungs
A chest X-ray, usually for adults and older children
Blood and urine tests, depending on age and country

Answer the medical history questions honestly. Hiding a condition is misrepresentation, which can lead to refusal and a ban. Having a condition does not automatically mean refusal: each country assesses it against its own rules.

Cost

You pay the clinic directly. Prices are set by each clinic and differ by country program, age and the tests required. The immigration fee you pay to the government does not include the medical.

When you call to book, ask for the total price, including the X-ray, blood tests and any vaccinations, and whether children cost less. Compare a few approved clinics if more than one is listed near you.

After the exam

For Canada and Australia, the clinic submits results electronically. Keep any receipt or form the clinic gives you.
If something needs checking, the immigration authority may ask for further tests or a specialist report. Respond quickly.
The clinic will usually not tell you whether you passed. The immigration authority decides.
Watch the validity. Canada’s results are generally valid for 12 months and the UK TB certificate for 6 months. If your application takes longer, you may need to repeat the exam.

Mistakes to avoid

Using a clinic that is not on the official list. The report will not be accepted.
Following old advice for Canada. Express Entry now needs the exam before you submit.
Doing the Canada medical before your ITA. It may expire before you are invited.
Booking Australia without a HAP ID. The clinic cannot find your case without it.
Using a different passport. Use the passport in your application, or tell the authority if it changed.
Forgetting family members. Each person needs their own exam, unless the authority says otherwise.
Paying an agent to “arrange” a medical. You book directly with the approved clinic.

Questions people ask

Can I do my Canada immigration medical in Dubai?

Yes, with an IRCC-approved panel physician listed for the UAE. For Express Entry, do it after your Invitation to Apply and before you submit your application.

Do I need a medical before submitting Express Entry?

Yes. Since 21 August 2025, Express Entry applicants must complete an upfront medical exam and upload proof with their application, unless an exemption applies.

How do I get a HAP ID for Australia?

Home Affairs gives it to you in ImmiAccount after you lodge, or you may get one upfront through the My Health Declarations service before lodging.

Do Indians living in Dubai need a UK TB test?

Usually not, if they have lived in the UAE for more than 6 months. The UK rule depends on where you live, and the UAE is not on the TB test list.

How long is an immigration medical valid?

For Canada, generally 12 months from the exam date. A UK TB certificate is valid for 6 months. Australia and the US set validity through your case, so follow your instructions.

Can my family doctor do the exam?

No. Only doctors approved by the destination country can do immigration medicals.

Related guides

Sources

Department of Home Affairs — Arrange your health examinations: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
GOV.UK — Tuberculosis testing in the UAE: gov.uk
US Department of State — Abu Dhabi immigrant visa instructions: travel.state.gov
IRCC — medical exams for permanent residence and the panel physician search: canada.ca
Express Entry upfront medical requirement from 21 August 2025, as reported by CIC News

Written by Asad Waleed M, Dubai. Asad has lived in the UAE for nine years and researches visa and residence rules from government sources. He is not a doctor, immigration lawyer or consultant, and Sifqa does not process applications. Read the editorial policy.

Last checked 5 October 2026. Rules and clinic lists are rechecked quarterly. Found an error? Email [email protected] — it gets fixed and logged.