The request from the case officer lands in your inbox: please complete your medical. You may wonder whether your regular doctor will do, or which clinic in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to use. The official rules define this step clearly and cover almost everything needed to plan it from the UAE.
At a glance
- Canada, Australia and New Zealand all require a government-approved panel physician, not your family doctor.
- Canada: results for permanent residence applicants are valid for 12 months; since 21 August 2025, Express Entry applicants must complete the medical upfront, after their invitation but before applying.
- Australia: you need a HAP ID before you can book, and results go through the eMedical system where it is available.
- UK: a TB test is needed if you are coming for 6 months or more and have lived in the UAE for 6 months or more; the certificate is valid for 6 months from the x-ray.
- You pay for the exam yourself, and the cost differs from one clinic to another, so confirm it when you book (as at September 2026).
Canada: panel physicians, the upfront option and the 12-month clock
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is clear on one point. Only a doctor it has approved, known as a panel physician, can perform the immigration medical exam. If your family doctor’s name is not on IRCC’s list, you cannot use them.
IRCC lets you choose a panel physician anywhere in the world, even in a different country from where you live. You pay for the exam yourself, and the cost differs from one doctor to another. IRCC’s “Find a Panel Physician” tool warns that your chosen physician may not be available when you book, and the clinic may suggest an alternate panel physician or an authorised replacement.
Two rules shape your timing. Since 21 August 2025, Express Entry applicants must complete the medical exam upfront, after their invitation to apply but before submitting it. Some other categories, including certain students, workers and visitors, may also complete their exam in advance. And for permanent residence applicants, results are valid for 12 months. If you do not come to Canada as a permanent resident within that time, you may need to repeat the exam.
IRCC defines “excessive demand” as a health condition likely to raise medical wait times in Canada, or cost more than the Canadian per-person average for health and social services. It applies to most foreign nationals, but not refugees, protected persons, or certain family-class sponsored people, including dependent children, spouses and common-law partners. See our Canada immigration page for the full sequence.
Australia: HAP ID, eMedical and the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth
Most Australian visa applicants must meet the health requirement: being free from any disease or condition that could be a threat to public health, a threat to the community, or that would cause significant costs or demand on Australia’s health and community services. Depending on the visa, your family members might also have to meet it even if they are not migrating with you. A Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) assesses the examination results.
Outside Australia, you must be examined by one of the Department of Home Affairs’ approved panel physicians or clinics. Before you can book, you need a HAP ID, the Health Assessment Processing ID. The clinic cannot locate your case in eMedical without it, so treat the HAP ID like a boarding pass: no number, no appointment.
In countries where eMedical is available, results must be submitted electronically unless an exception applies. Australia also has an upfront route, My Health Declarations, which lets some applicants complete health examinations before lodging the visa application and obtain a HAP ID for it. It is not available for all visa subclasses.
When the MOC gives advice, they can only consider your medical situation, not your other personal circumstances. Private health insurance, or enough money to pay for treatment, cannot be taken into account. Our Australia immigration page covers the rest of the process.
New Zealand: an acceptable standard of health
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) assesses whether applicants need a medical assessment to show they have an acceptable standard of health, and checks that the applicant meets the visa’s criteria before it can approve a residence or temporary visa.
The panel physician rule mirrors Canada and Australia. Where INZ has an approved list of panel physicians, which includes the UAE, the certificate must be completed by a listed panel physician; only in a country with no panel physicians can a general registered medical practitioner complete it. INZ’s panel doctor search at immigration.govt.nz/paneldoctors is the official locator.
Most people submit health information electronically through their panel physician using eMedical. If that is not possible, the clinic sends the form directly to INZ’s Health Assessment Team in Auckland.
INZ is open about why the check exists: health screening does not discriminate against individuals but assesses the likely impact of a condition on New Zealand’s public health services, special education services and public health. Citizens, residents and people on work visas of 2 years or more get automatic access to the public health system, with no option to opt out. Our New Zealand immigration page covers the pathways.
The UK: a TB test rather than a full medical
The UK does not ask for a full medical for most visas. It asks for a tuberculosis (TB) test when all three of the following are true: you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and you were living there or in another listed country within the last 6 months. The UAE is a listed country.
You are given a chest x-ray. Only if the x-ray result is not clear may you be asked to give a sputum sample. No other TB tests are needed for the visa application. If the result shows you do not have TB, you receive a certificate that is valid for 6 months from the date of the x-ray, and you must include it with your UK visa application.
Your test must come from a Home Office-approved clinic; certificates from unapproved clinics are not accepted. The Home Office’s “Tuberculosis testing in the UAE” page lists approved clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and has been updated several times, so check it live before booking.
You will not need a TB test if you are a diplomat accredited to the UK, a returning UK resident who has not been away for more than 2 years, or you are coming on a scheme to support people from Ukraine.
Side by side: what each medical includes and how long it lasts
| Country | What the medical includes, as stated officially | Validity, as stated officially |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Immigration medical exam by an IRCC-approved panel physician; mandatory upfront exam for Express Entry applicants since 21 August 2025, some other categories may also complete it in advance. | 12 months for permanent residence applicants; exam may need repeating if you do not arrive as a permanent resident within that time. |
| Australia | Health examinations by an approved panel physician or clinic, booked with a HAP ID and submitted through eMedical where available; results assessed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth. | Not stated in the official pages we reviewed. |
| New Zealand | Immigration medical certificate completed by a listed panel physician, submitted electronically via eMedical where possible. | Not stated in the official pages we reviewed. |
| United Kingdom | Chest x-ray for TB; sputum sample only if the x-ray is unclear; no other TB tests required. | 6 months from the date of the x-ray. |
From the UAE: what this means for you
Each government’s official locator is the place to find panel physicians here, and the UK’s UAE guidance page lists approved TB clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Use those tools: IRCC’s “Find a Panel Physician” search, Home Affairs’ panel physician listing, INZ’s panel doctor search, and GOV.UK’s “Tuberculosis testing in the UAE” page.
Book with the right identifier in hand. For Australia that means your HAP ID. For Canada, decide whether an upfront medical suits your category, because it starts the 12-month validity clock. For the UK, the certificate’s 6-month validity runs from the x-ray date, so time it against your planned application date.
Plan around demand. The UK’s UAE guidance notes that TB appointments are usually available within a few days, but at busy times, especially the UK student visa peak between June and September, you may wait 10 days.
You pay the clinic directly and prices vary. We do not quote clinic fees or recommend one clinic over another; we sequence the medical against the rest of your file so nothing expires early, as our how we work page explains.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my own doctor in Dubai for the Canada medical?
Only if that doctor is on IRCC’s panel physician list. IRCC states you cannot use your family doctor if their name is not on the list.
Does private health insurance help me meet Australia’s health requirement?
No. The Medical Officer of the Commonwealth can only consider your medical situation. Home Affairs says the MOC cannot take into account whether private insurance or the money to pay for treatment would affect your use of public services.
I have lived in the UAE for years and am moving to the UK on a two-year contract. Do I need the TB test?
Under the GOV.UK rule, yes, unless an exemption applies: you are coming for 6 months or more, you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and you were living there within the last 6 months. Only a Home Office-approved clinic can issue the certificate.
What to do next
If a medical request has landed, start with a free eligibility assessment. Call us on 04 357 7796 or book a 20-minute review through our contact page, and we will map the medical step against your timeline. We never promise an outcome; health decisions rest with each government’s own medical assessors, and our role is to keep your file complete, correctly sequenced and still valid when it is read.
Sources
- IRCC Help Centre — How can I find a doctor to do my immigration medical exam? — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IRCC — Find a Panel Physician — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Canada.ca — Medical examination for permanent residence applicants — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Canada.ca — Medical exams (immigration) — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IRCC Help Centre — What does it mean if I’m medically inadmissible for excessive demand reasons? — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IRCC Help Centre — Does medical inadmissibility based on excessive demand reasons apply to everyone? — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Health (meeting the health requirement) — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Arrange your health examinations — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — eMedical — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Immigration New Zealand — INZ 1201 Limited Medical Certificate — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Immigration New Zealand — Acceptable Standard of Health — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- GOV.UK — Check if you need a TB test for your visa application — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- GOV.UK / UK Visas and Immigration — Tuberculosis testing in the UAE — accessed 13 Sep 2026
Not sure which route fits you? Book a free eligibility assessment with our Dubai or Abu Dhabi team. No obligation.
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