TB (Tuberculosis) Test for UK Visa

What Is a TB Test for UK Visas?

A tuberculosis (TB) test for the UK visa purposes is a medical screening to detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in a person’s system.

To protect public health in the UK and to prevent a potential TB outbreak in the country, the Home Office mandates this test for foreign nationals who are coming to the UK for more than six months from certain countries where TB is considered to be prevalent by the UK Government.

In September 2023, the Home Office introduced Appendix Tuberculosis (TB), replacing Immigration Rules A39, B39 and C39, and Appendix T. The goal was to provide greater clarity and consistency on the TB test requirement for the purpose of UK visas and immigration.

Do All UK Visa Applicants Need to Be Tested for TB?

Foreign nationals coming to the UK from certain listed countries for more than six months may need to get a pre-departure TB testing done before submitting their visa application. You will need to be tested for TB if you:

• Have lived in any of the listed countries for six months or more prior to your application date
• Were living in such a country within the past six months

You must also get tested for TB if you are coming to the UK for six months or less as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner on a family visa, or you are a returning resident and have been away from the UK for more than two years.

People who want to apply for, or extend, a British National (Overseas) visa from within the UK, must also take a TB test in case they did not provide a TB certificate when they initially travelled to the country.

Do Children Need to Take a TB Test?

All children coming to the UK from any of the listed countries must provide a TB certificate. For your child’s UK visa application, you must take them to an approved TB test clinic to see a doctor.

Your child will be needed to fill in a health questionnaire at the clinic. Based on the information provided, the doctor will decide whether they will need a chest X-Ray or not. Usually, children below 11 do not need to take a chest X-Ray.

The doctor will provide your child with a certificate if they decide your child does not have TB. You will have to attach the said certificate with your child’s visa application.

Do Pregnant Women Need to Take a TB Test?

Pregnant women coming to the UK from any of the listed countries are not exempt from a TB test. You may choose one of the following options to protect the unborn child:

• An X-Ray with an extra shield that will protect the child in the womb during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy
• A sputum test which screens the mucus coughed up from your lungs for the presence of TB bacteria

If you choose the second option, note that you may have to pay an extra fee and wait for as long as eight weeks to get the test result. If either of the above options does not suit you, you must wait to apply for a UK visa until after the child is born.

Who Are Exempt From Taking a TB Test?

You may, however, be exempted from the TB test requirement even when applying from a listed country if any of the following applies: 

• You are coming to the UK for less than six months (i.e., you are applying for a short-term UK visa)
• Your current country of residence is not a listed country, and you have not resided in any of the listed countries within the last six months
• You are a diplomatic passport holder who is travelling on official business or on a posting to the UK
• You are a returning UK resident and have not been away from the UK for more than two years (so, in effect, your leave to remain in the country has not lapsed)
• You have applied to come to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme or Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme

Listed Countries Where You Must Take a TB Test

You must take a TB test if you are coming to the UK from any of the countries listed below:

*This country does not have any approved TB testing centres. You must get the testing done in any of the neighbouring countries with an approved test clinic.

Approved TB Test Centres for UK Visa

Most of the countries on the above list have TB test clinics approved by the Home Office. These clinics are designated to conduct TB tests for UK visa applicants and issue certificates as per the UK Department of Health Protocol. Note that the Home Office will not accept a TB test certificate from any clinic that is not pre-approved by them.

You may visit the Home Office website to get the full list of approved TB test clinics in your country of residence. If your country does not have a Home Office-approved TB test clinic, you must take the test in an approved clinic in any of the neighbouring countries (which also means that you will first need to apply for a visa for the said country for your TB test purposes).

Approved TB test clinics are also available in the following countries:

• Canada
• Egypt
• Fiji
• France
• Germany
• Iran
• Ireland
• Israel
• Japan
• Spain
• Turkey
• UAE
• US

There are also approved clinics in the UK. If you are applying for or extending a British National (Overseas) visa from within the UK and are required to provide a TB test certificate, you can get your TB test done from one of the following clinics:

• London: Knightsbridge Doctors and Visa Medicals
• Birmingham: Modality Immigration Services 
• Manchester: Northern Visa Medicals
• Devon: Nuffield Hospital Plymouth
• Berkshire: The Bridge Clinic
• Scotland: Bryden Medical Limited
• Belfast: Vitalis Health

Procedure for Scheduling a Tuberculosis Testing for UK Visa

Getting a TB test done via an approved clinic is a mandatory requirement for UK visa applicants from the listed countries (or if they stayed in any of the listed countries within six months prior to coming to the UK).

As such, it is your responsibility to find out the list of approved TB test clinics for UK visa purposes in your country of residence, and contact them to schedule your test appointment. You may call them or visit in person to book your appointment. Be sure to inform the clinic at the time of booking that you need to get the TB test done as part of the UK visa application process.

It is advisable to book a TB test at least ten weeks before your planned travel date to give the clinic ample time in case you need further testing after the initial examination.

Can My Whole Family Be Screened Together?

Foreign nationals who are coming to the UK along with their eligible family members, must inform the TB test clinic of the same while booking their test appointment. The clinic staff will then arrange for your screening together as a family on the same booking date, to avoid visiting the clinic multiple times.

What to Expect During a TB Test?

While TB can affect any part of your body, you will only be considered a risk from the UK immigration perspective if the active disease is in your lungs (because only then there is a risk of transmission to others). This is why the pre-entry TB test screens only for active pulmonary tuberculosis in the lungs of the UK visa applicant.

On the day of your appointment, please visit the clinic with the required documents. There will be an initial examination, including a counselling session, and you must sign a consent form. A medical practitioner in the test clinic will discuss with you about any existing health conditions or complaints, any symptoms present, probable causes of worries (e.g., you have had contact with a friend or relative who has TB), previous illnesses (including TB) and their treatment, etc.

Next, your chest X-Ray will be done if you are 11 or above to test for TB. For children under 11, a physician will conduct a medical examination instead. You will receive a TB clearance certificate on the examination day if your test shows that you do not have TB.

If the result of your X-Ray is unclear, you may also need to undergo a sputum test (which may take up to eight weeks for testing). In that case, you will be asked to visit the clinic on three consecutive mornings to provide sputum samples, so please plan accordingly.

Instead of an X-Ray, pregnant applicants may decide either to go for a sputum test or delay the TB screening until after giving birth.

Testing for Latent TB

Once you have entered the UK, the Home Office may ask you to undergo a further test for latent or inactive TB. A person with latent TB is infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, but they do not show any of the TB symptoms. However, this type of TB is also highly infectious.

The Home Office usually asks for a latent TB testing if you have recently been in physical contact with someone having active TB, or come from a country where TB is prevalent. As part of your latent TB screening, you will have to take the Mantoux test or the tuberculin skin test (TST).

In addition, you may also need to take a blood test called the interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). The IGRA is prescribed in case you have:

• A positive Mantoux test result
• Previously had a BCG vaccination (in which scenario the Mantoux test result may be unreliable)
• Recently come to the UK from a country with high TB levels
• Moved to the UK to work in the health and care sector

Latent TB tests are also done sometimes as part of a health check when you register with a GP in the UK, or if you are going to have immunosuppressant treatment in the country.

Required Documents Needed for TB Test for UK Visa

You have to carry the following documents with you when attending your TB test appointment:

• A valid photo ID card and its photocopy
• Parent/guardian’s ID card if the applicant is a minor
• TB test fee or proof of payment
• UNHCR/MHA registration documents if you are applying as a refugee
• Your addresses in your country of residence and in the UK
• Any previous medical records (e.g., diagnosis, treatment, etc.) if you have had TB in the past

Applicants with a history of TB or other lung disease must also provide details of their previous screening, medical notes and X-Ray results. Do check with your clinic beforehand if they require any additional documents.

Cost of TB Test for UK Visa

The cost of TB screening as part of your UK visa application varies from country to country. You have to directly make the payment to your respective approved test clinic for doctor’s consultation, chest X-Ray, and the TB clearance certificate.

If your X-Ray results are inconclusive, you will have to undergo the sputum test which will cost you extra. If your country does not have an approved test clinic, you will need to get the testing done from another country. In such a scenario, you will have to factor in the expenses for the said country’s visa fees, travel costs, etc.

This is in addition to your UK visa processing fee. If you are tested TB positive or decide later not to apply for a UK visa, you will not get a refund.

Waiving the TB Test Requirement for UK Visas

In certain circumstances, the Home Office may waive the TB test requirement for your UK visa application. Appendix Tuberculosis (TB) notes that the visa authorities “may waive the requirement to provide a valid TB certificate if they are satisfied that the applicant is unable to obtain a certificate and it is reasonable to waive the requirement on the specific facts of the case.”

For example, if you are coming to the UK as a war refugee, the Home Office may decide that you were not in a state to obtain a TB test certificate before fleeing the war situation in your country, and accordingly waive the requirement. The Home Office will consider the merits of any waiver argument based on the facts and circumstances of the individual cases.

It is recommended to take professional legal help if you plan to appeal the Home Office to waive the TB test requirement in your case. Call IAS on +44 (0)333 414 9244 today to discuss your options with our experienced immigration lawyers.

Consequences of Not Providing a TB Test Certificate With Your UK Visa Application

If you are required to undergo a TB screening as part of your UK visa application, not submitting a TB clearance certificate along with your application may lead to a straightaway refusal of your visa. Likewise, if you do not apply for a UK visa within the validity period of your TB test certificate, you will need to take a fresh test to get a new valid certificate.

How Long Is a TB Test Certificate Valid For?

A TB test certificate certifying that you do not have TB is valid for six months from the date of your chest X-Ray. You must apply for a UK visa within these six months, and attach your test certificate along with your visa application.

What Happens If My TB Test Is Positive?

UK visa applicants who have been tested positive for TB, will not be issued a test certificate from the approved clinic. Instead, your doctor will report your diagnosis to your local, regional or national health authorities (as required by the law of the land) as well as the UK health authorities.

You will also be put on a course of antibiotic treatment without further delay in your country of residence. Such courses usually last for six months. You will need to be again tested for TB at the approved clinic if you want to reapply for a UK visa upon the successful completion of your treatment. You will again have to pay the required testing fees.

Once you get a clearance certificate from an approved test clinic, you may reapply for a UK visa. Note that any previous diagnoses of lung TB will not affect your UK visa application as long as you have a valid TB clearance certificate.

How Can IAS Help?

Getting a TB test done is mandatory for all long-term UK visa applications if you are applying from any of the listed countries, unless you are otherwise exempt. You will need to plan ahead just in case your chest X-Ray result does not come clear and you need to undergo a sputum screening.

At IAS, we have helped several UK visa applicants from the listed countries with their TB screening procedure as part of their applications. If you are seeking overall advice on how to get tested for TB, what documents you must carry with you on your appointment date (especially if you have had TB in the past or other infectious lung diseases), or what to do if your test result is positive, our expert immigration lawyers and specialist advisers are here to help you.

Call us today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to know more about our bespoke services and to discuss your case.