TB testing for UK visa applications

A test is normally required where the applicant is coming to the UK for six months or more, has lived in a listed country for six months or more, and lived there or in another listed country within the six months before the application. All parts of the test must be considered.

Yes. Applicants coming as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, and certain returning residents, may need a test even where the intended permission is for less than six months.

The test must be completed at a clinic approved by the Home Office. A certificate from a non-approved clinic will not normally meet the immigration requirement. Applicants should use the current GOV.UK country and clinic list.

The clinic will assess the applicant for pulmonary tuberculosis. Adults will normally have a chest X-ray and may need further testing if the result is unclear. The clinic decides what examinations are medically appropriate.

Yes. Children must attend an approved clinic for assessment. Children under 11 will not normally have a chest X-ray, but the clinician will decide whether testing is required and issue a certificate where the child is assessed as free from pulmonary tuberculosis.

The clinic will not issue a TB clearance certificate and will refer the applicant for treatment. The applicant will not be able to satisfy the TB certificate requirement until medically cleared and issued the required certificate.

A TB certificate is normally valid for six months from the date of the chest X-ray. The certificate must still be valid when the immigration application is made, and timing should be considered if the application is delayed.

No. The list can change and different circumstances affect whether a test is required. UKU should link to the current GOV.UK country and clinic pages rather than reproduce a static list.