Visa Medical for Saudi Arabia — UK Applicant Guide
Get your Saudi work visa medical examination booked and completed correctly the first time — full guidance for UK-based applicants.
What Is the Saudi Visa Medical?
A medical examination is a mandatory step for anyone applying for a Saudi Arabia work visa. It exists to confirm that applicants are medically fit for employment, free of certain infectious diseases, and suitable for long-term residence in the Kingdom. For UK-based applicants, this is carried out at an accredited medical centre under guidance from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Saudi Embassy in London — not at just any GP surgery.
Getting this step wrong — missing a required document, booking with a clinic that isn’t properly accredited, or turning up without the right forms — is one of the most common causes of delay in the entire Saudi work visa process. It’s a straightforward appointment once you know exactly what’s needed, but easy to get stuck on if you don’t.
What You Need Before Your Appointment
- A valid MOFA visa authorisation issued by your Saudi employer or sponsor
- The official Saudi medical report form, usually included in your visa documentation
- A valid passport with at least six months’ remaining validity
- Two passport-sized photographs on a white background
- Any relevant medical records, prescriptions, or specialist reports, if applicable to your history
- In some cases, a recent ACRO police certificate may also be required as part of your wider application
Plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early for identity checks and paperwork before the appointment itself begins.
What Happens During the Examination
The appointment typically takes 30–60 minutes and must be completed by a GMC-registered doctor at an embassy-recognised medical centre — not every UK clinic is authorised to carry these out, which is one of the first things worth checking before you book.
Document verification — your passport, visa authorisation, and medical form are checked for accuracy and consistency before the examination begins.
Physical examination — a standard assessment covering blood pressure and pulse, height, weight, and BMI, vision screening, and a respiratory, cardiovascular, abdominal, and neurological check.
Laboratory tests — Saudi authorities require a specific panel, typically including HIV I & II, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis, liver function tests, glucose/diabetes screening, urinalysis, and a pregnancy test for female applicants (uric acid and stool analysis are required at some clinics, depending on their protocol).
Chest X-ray — performed to screen for tuberculosis and other respiratory conditions, either on-site or at an affiliated radiology centre depending on the clinic.
Once every stage is complete, the doctor prepares your official Saudi medical report, which then feeds directly into your visa application.
Where UK Applicants Get Stuck
- Booking with a non-accredited clinic — not every UK medical centre is recognised for Saudi visa purposes, and a report from the wrong clinic won’t be accepted
- Arriving without the MOFA authorisation or medical form — the appointment can’t properly proceed without these, even if you’re otherwise ready
- Missing the ACRO police certificate step — some applicants aren’t aware this runs alongside the medical, not after it, and end up delaying their whole file by leaving it too late
- Assuming any GP can sign off the report — it must be a GMC-registered doctor at an approved centre, not a routine GP appointment
How We Help
- Clinic guidance — we point you to an accredited medical centre recognised for Saudi visa purposes, so you’re not stuck cross-checking accreditation lists yourself
- Document checklist — we confirm you have every required form and photo before you book, so the appointment isn’t wasted
- Report review — we check your completed medical report is filled in correctly and consistent with the rest of your visa file
- MOFA and embassy coordination — we fold your medical report into the wider visa submission, rather than leaving it as a separate loose document
- ACRO and apostille coordination — where your application also needs a police certificate or document legalisation, we manage these alongside your medical so nothing runs behind schedule