Medical certificate requirements,country by country

Of the destinations we serve, Spain and Greece require one as part of the long-stay visa application, and Thailand requires its own Embassy form for long-stay categories. Many other countries satisfy the same public health objective through private health insurance or post-arrival screening instead, so a certificate is not universally needed. Always check the documentation list published by the consulate handling your application.

No. The requirement applies to long-stay national visas — generally any stay beyond 90 days. Short-stay Schengen visits to Spain or Greece, and tourist entry to Thailand, do not require a medical certificate.

The two countries frame the requirement differently. Spain asks the doctor to declare that the applicant is free from diseases with serious public health repercussions under IHR 2005, which is assessed from medical history. Greek law additionally requires the certificate to address other infectious, contagious and parasitic diseases, and in practice this means supporting evidence on tuberculosis and syphilis. Greece also specifies its own certificate form rather than accepting a letter.

Not usually. Each certificate is prepared to the wording and format the receiving consulate expects, and Greece and Thailand both use their own forms. If you are applying to more than one country, you will need a separate certificate for each.

Yes, and we would prefer you send it to us. Where a consulate supplies a specific document, that version takes precedence over any general template. Forward it when you order and our doctor will complete that form.

An apostille is a certificate issued by the FCDO confirming that a UK document carries a genuine signature, so that authorities in another Hague Convention country will accept it. Spain requires it. Thailand asks instead for notarisation by a notary or the diplomatic mission. For Greece, confirm the position with the Consulate handling your application.

Spanish applications generally require a sworn Spanish translation of the apostilled certificate. Thai applications do not usually require translation. Both apostille legalisation and sworn translation are arranged through our partner, The Apostille Service, rather than by us.

For Spain, four to six weeks before your consulate appointment allows time for both the certificate and the apostille while staying inside the 90-day validity window. For Greece, allow longer, since you will need to arrange TB evidence and a syphilis blood test first. Greek documents are also generally expected to be dated within one month of submission.

Your GP can write a letter, but apostille legalisation requires a signature from a doctor registered with the FCDO — a separate registration from the GMC that most NHS practices do not hold. Our doctors hold both, so your certificate can be legalised and submitted without difficulty.