Visas and residence
Medical fitness test and Emirates ID for your UAE residence visa
The medical fitness test and the Emirates ID are the two steps every UAE residence visa depends on. Applicants aged 18 and above are screened at an approved health centre, and anyone aged 15 or older gives fingerprints and a signature at an ICP service centre. Both need you in person. Caliph books the appointments and prepares your documents.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Medical test needed from
- Age 18, for a new residence visa and for each renewal
- Screened for
- Communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, with extra tests for some jobs
- Where the medical happens
- Approved centres: Dubai Health, Emirates Health Services or Abu Dhabi screening centres
- Emirates ID issued by
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
- Biometrics needed from
- Age 15: fingerprints and signature at an ICP service centre
- Card delivery
- By authorised courier, after the residence is issued
Overview
A residence visa is not finished when the application is approved on screen. Two steps still need the applicant: a medical fitness test that shows you are free of certain communicable diseases, and the Emirates ID registration, where ICP records your fingerprints and signature. Nobody else can attend either one for you.
Where you take the medical depends on the emirate that issues your visa. Dubai visas use the Dubai Health medical fitness centres, some of which sit inside free zones. Emirates Health Services runs residency screening centres in Dubai and the northern emirates, and Abu Dhabi has its own visa screening centres. The visit includes a blood sample and usually a chest X-ray.
The Emirates ID is a legal requirement for every resident, and you will be asked for it in government services and in much of daily life. It is tied to your residence: it expires when the visa expires and is cancelled when the visa is cancelled. Caliph books both appointments close together where possible, so you can complete them in a single trip.
How Caliph makes the two visits easier
The right centre for your visa
The medical must be taken at a centre accepted for your emirate. We book the correct one and pick a location that suits you.
A checklist for the appointment
You get a short list of what to carry, so you are not sent back for a missing photo or passport.
Extra tests flagged in advance
Some jobs need added screening or a hepatitis B vaccination. We tell you beforehand if yours is one of them.
Results followed up
Results arrive by SMS and email. Your consultant picks them up and moves the residence application forward.
Company staff booked together
If several employees are due, we plan their appointments as a group and keep each file separate.
What to bring
- Your original passport
- A copy of your entry permit or e-visa, or your current residence for a renewal
- A recent passport photo with a white background
- Your Emirates ID card, if you are renewing
- The Emirates ID application form or receipt, which your consultant gives you
- The medical registration form or booking confirmation
- A copy of the company's trade licence, if your employer sponsors you
Centres can ask for something extra depending on your job category. Your consultant confirms the list before the appointment.
How the medical and Emirates ID steps run
We register and book
Your consultant submits the medical registration and the Emirates ID application and books the appointments.
You attend the medical centre
Staff check your documents, take a blood sample and carry out the X-ray where it is required.
Results are sent
The result reaches you by SMS and email and is linked to your visa file.
You give your biometrics
At the ICP service centre your fingerprints and signature are recorded. Applicants under 15 skip this step.
The residence is completed
With a fit result and biometrics on record, the residence is issued.
The Emirates ID is delivered
The card arrives by courier. We check the details and note the expiry date.
Good to know
- ICP cancels an Emirates ID application if the biometrics are not completed within the period it sets, so keep the appointment.
- Applicants with old or active tuberculosis can be given a conditional certificate and a one-year residence while they complete treatment in the UAE.
- Tell ICP about a change to your personal details within one month, and report a lost card promptly.
- Children do not take the medical test, and those under 15 do not give fingerprints. Their sponsor still applies for their Emirates ID.
Questions people ask
What does the UAE visa medical test check for?
The federal portal says applicants must be free of communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. Workers in certain jobs, including domestic workers, nursery staff, food handlers and salon and health club staff, are also tested for syphilis and hepatitis B. Female domestic workers take a pregnancy test. Some job categories must have the hepatitis B vaccine.
Do I have to attend the medical test and biometrics in person?
Yes. The medical involves a blood sample and usually a chest X-ray, and the Emirates ID needs your own fingerprints and signature. Neither can be done by a representative or from abroad. Everything around them, including registration, booking and follow-up, can be handled by your Caliph consultant.
Where do I take the medical fitness test in Dubai?
At a Dubai Health medical fitness centre. They are spread across the city, with centres in areas such as Al Karama, Al Garhoud, Al Nahda and Al Quoz and inside some free zones. Visas issued in other emirates use different centres. Your consultant books one that is accepted for your visa and close to you.
Who is exempt from the medical test or the fingerprints?
The medical fitness test applies from the age of 18, so children on a family visa do not take it. Fingerprints and a signature for the Emirates ID are required from the age of 15. Younger children still receive an Emirates ID, which their sponsor applies for together with the residence.
What happens if the medical result is not fit?
It depends on the finding. For old, active or drug-resistant tuberculosis, the federal portal describes a conditional fitness certificate with a one-year residence while the person is treated in the UAE. For other findings the health authority decides the outcome. Your consultant explains the options once the result is known.
How do I renew my Emirates ID?
For residents the card is renewed together with the residence visa, in a linked application. ICP allows renewal once the card has expired or during the last six months before expiry, through its website, the UAEICP app or a customer happiness centre. If ICP asks for new fingerprints, you visit a service centre.
- UAE Government portal: Emirates ID
- UAE Government portal: health conditions for the residence visa
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP): new identity card issuance
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
- VisitHapag-Lloyd Building, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. P.O. Box 8070
Open in Google Maps