Visa medical certificates by country: who can write yours, and what it must say
Somewhere on your consulate's checklist there's a line about a medical certificate, and it tells you almost nothing. Whether you need one at all, who can write it, and what has to be on it varies enormously depending on where you're going. Some countries want a short letter from any UK GP. Others won't accept a UK doctor under any circumstances. Here's the whole picture in one place.
Before we start: this article is about the paperwork and the process behind visa medical certificates. It is not medical advice, and nothing here should be used to work out whether you personally have or don't have any condition. If you have a question about your own health, speak to your GP or another qualified clinician.
We write from official sources, including published consulate checklists, government guidance and the legislation itself, and we link to them so you can check for yourself. Those sources change, sometimes without notice, so always confirm the current requirements with the authority handling your application before you pay for anything.
Countries fall into two camps. Most of Europe, plus Thailand and Turkey, accept a certificate from any GMC registered UK GP, provided the wording matches what that country asks for.
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the Gulf states don't. They require a full medical from a doctor on their own approved panel, and no UK GP can do it however qualified they are.
Getting that distinction right before you book anything saves the most money.
Why countries ask for this at all
It's easy to read the requirement as suspicion about your personal health. It isn't, and understanding that takes most of the anxiety out of it.
Nearly all of these certificates exist to protect public health. A country letting someone settle for a year or more wants reasonable confidence they aren't bringing in a disease that could spread. That's a narrow question, and most health conditions have nothing to do with it.
People routinely worry that a heart condition, diabetes or a mental health history will block their visa. For the European certificates in particular, that's usually not what's being asked at all.
The countries a UK GP can write for
For these, a certificate from your own GP or a private GP is the right document, and no hospital visit or panel appointment is involved.
Spain
The best known of the group. The certificate confirms you don't have any disease that would be a serious public health risk under the International Health Regulations 2005. No blood tests, no examination. What Spain is strict about is the paperwork after the certificate: it needs an FCDO apostille, then a translation by a sworn translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Greece
The one people underestimate. Greece asks for documented evidence, not just a doctor's opinion. For the national long stay visa under Law 4251/2014, that generally means tuberculosis evidence, either a BCG record or a chest X-ray, plus a syphilis test result. Those take time to obtain and can't be produced during a consultation, so Greece needs planning in a way the others don't.
Thailand
Thailand names the conditions rather than describing a category. Ministerial Regulation No. 14 lists what bars entry, and the certificate confirms you're free of them. It applies to the O-A and O-X long stay visas, applied for from your country of residence. It does not cover work permits, which require a certificate issued by a physician practising in Thailand.
Italy, Belgium, Romania, the Czech Republic and Turkey
All broadly similar in shape. A statement from a GP that you're free of diseases of public health concern, on headed paper, signed and stamped. The differences are in format and in whether a translation is expected, so check the specific consulate rather than assuming one European certificate works everywhere.
The countries where a UK GP simply cannot help
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States all use panel physician systems. You must attend a specific doctor their immigration department has approved, and it's a full medical: examination, chest X-ray, bloods. A letter from your GP has no standing at all.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait work similarly, usually through GAMCA or the Wafid programme, at an authorised centre.
If you're heading to any of these, book through the official route. Anyone offering you a UK issued certificate for them is selling you a document you cannot use.
What every one of these has in common
Three rules hold almost everywhere, and breaking any of them is the usual cause of a rejection.
It has to be issued where you apply. Applying from the UK means a UK doctor. A certificate obtained on holiday, or in the destination country, gets refused.
It expires, and sooner than you'd think. Validity windows are short and consulates apply them strictly. This catches more people out than anything else, because a certificate obtained early can lapse while the rest of the application is still being assembled.
The wording matters more than the doctor. A generic "fit to travel" letter is usually refused. What gets accepted is a certificate that names the specific regulation or law the destination country relies on.
Questions people ask us
Q Do I need one for a tourist visa?
Almost never. These requirements attach to long stay and residence visas, not short visits.
Q Will a health condition stop my visa?
For the European certificates, usually not. They're about diseases of public health concern, which is a narrow category. Panel physician countries assess more broadly.
Q Can one certificate cover two countries?
No. The wording differs, so you need one written for your destination.
Q Does everyone in the family need one?
Yes. Everyone named on the application needs their own, in their own name.
Q My country isn't listed. What now?
Check the consulate's own checklist, and look for whether they name a panel physician system. If they do, a UK GP can't help.
Q How far ahead should I arrange it?
Work backwards from your appointment rather than forwards from today. Leave room for legalisation and translation.
Where this information comes from. We write these articles from official sources: the published checklists of the consulate or embassy concerned, UK government guidance, and the text of the legislation itself. Where we have relied on a particular source, we link to it so you can read it yourself.
Those sources change, sometimes without notice, and different consulates sometimes apply the same rules differently. Everything above reflects our understanding on the date shown at the top of this page.
This article covers the process and the paperwork only. It is not medical advice, legal advice or immigration advice, and we are not immigration advisers. For anything concerning your own health, speak to your GP or another qualified clinician. For what your own application requires, confirm directly with the authority handling it before you order anything or book travel.
Where to go next
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