TB test for a UK visa

Appendix Tuberculosis can require a test from an approved clinic. The rule follows where you have lived, not the passport you hold.

This page is general information about UK immigration routes. It is not advice on your case. Rules and fees change. Confirm the current position before you pay a Home Office fee.

When a test is required

You need a TB certificate if you have lived in a listed country for six continuous months or more and you are applying for a visa of more than six months. A short holiday does not usually trigger it. Nationality alone does not decide it.

Where a certificate is required and missing, the application is refused. Caseworkers do not usually write to ask for the certificate later.

Timing traps

The clinic must be on the Home Office approved list for that country. If screening leads to a sputum test, the window is short. Missing it can mean the certificate process starts again.

Certificates expire. A certificate that was valid when you booked the biometrics may not be valid when the caseworker looks at the file. Family members screened because of contact with you can have a different validity rule. Check both dates before you pay the visa fee.

Confirm the figure or rule on GOV.UK before you pay. Our professional fee, where you instruct us, is separate. See our fee schedule.