UK Spouse Visa TB Test: Countries, Clinics, Validity

GOV.UK asks for a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if all three of these are true:

• you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more
• you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more
• you were living there, or in another listed country, within the last 6 months

India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Philippines are all on the list. The test must come from a clinic approved by the Home Office. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your chest x-ray. You include it with your visa application.

The same rule covers the spouse and partner visa, the Skilled Worker visa and the Student visa. The details are below.

All figures and rules were checked on GOV.UK on 21 October 2026. Rules and clinic lists can change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you book.

Where the rule comes from

The GOV.UK family visa page lists "your tuberculosis test results if you're from a country where you have to take the test" among the documents to provide. The Skilled Worker and Student visa pages list it too.

The legal wording is in Appendix Tuberculosis of the Immigration Rules. It applies to applications for entry clearance, which means applying from outside the UK. You must provide a TB certificate if you apply to come to the UK:

• for more than 6 months (applications under the Ukraine Scheme are excluded), or
• as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner under Appendix FM, or
• as a returning resident.

The time condition is that you have been "continuously present" in one or more listed countries for 6 months or more, including some time within the 6 months before the date of application.

Fiancé(e) and proposed civil partner applicants need the certificate even though that visa is not for more than 6 months.

Which countries are on the list

GOV.UK publishes the list on its page "Countries where you need a TB test for your UK visa application". It has more than 100 countries. Some that many spouse visa applicants come from:

The full list also includes countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Russia. Check your own country on the GOV.UK page.

Countries with no approved clinic

For some listed countries, GOV.UK writes "get tested in another country". Examples are Benin, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Togo, Eritrea and Guinea. If you live in one of these, you take the test at an approved clinic in a different country.

GOV.UK also lists approved clinics in countries that are not on the list: Canada, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UAE and the USA.

Approved clinics only

GOV.UK says: "You must be tested at a clinic that has been approved by the Home Office." Each country page also says: "We will not accept a TB test certificate from a clinic we have not approved."

A general chest x-ray from your own doctor or local hospital is not a TB certificate for a visa. The certificate must come from a clinic on the GOV.UK list for that country.

Each country has its own GOV.UK page with the approved clinics, their addresses, contact details and test fees. For example, the page for India was last updated on 16 October 2026 and lists clinics in many cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. Search GOV.UK for "tuberculosis test for a UK visa: clinics in" followed by your country name.

Booking the test

The GOV.UK country pages give the same general steps:

1. Contact one of the approved clinics to book an appointment.
2. Make it clear you need the test for a UK visa application.
3. Bring your passport and valid photo ID, and the test fee.
4. If you have had TB or lung disease before, bring your earlier screening records and medical notes.

The test fee is paid to the clinic. It is separate from the Home Office fees. Fees vary by country and by clinic, and each country page lists them. For the Home Office fees, see our UK spouse visa fees 2026 breakdown.

What the test involves

GOV.UK says you will have a chest x-ray. If the x-ray result is not clear, you may also be asked for a sputum sample (phlegm coughed up from your lungs). You do not need any other TB tests for the visa application.

If the test shows you do not have TB, the clinic gives you a certificate.

The 6-month validity rule

GOV.UK says the certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray.

Appendix Tuberculosis sets out four points. A certificate is valid only if it:

1. was issued by a medical practitioner approved by the Home Office and listed on GOV.UK
2. confirms you were screened for active pulmonary TB and that it is not present
3. was issued within the 6 months immediately before the date of application
4. has not expired

The date that matters is the date of application. So the order of tasks matters. If your other documents, such as your English test result or 6 months of payslips, will take a long time to collect, check the timing before you book the x-ray. If the certificate expires before you apply, you would need a new test.

Children applying with you

GOV.UK says all children must see a clinician at an approved clinic. The clinician decides if they need a chest x-ray. Children under 11 will not normally have one. You also complete a health questionnaire for the child.

If the clinician decides your child does not have TB, they issue a certificate. You include it with your child's own visa application. So each child needs their own certificate.

Pregnant applicants

GOV.UK lists three choices:

• an x-ray with an extra shield to protect you and your baby, in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters
• a sputum test, which may cost extra, with results taking up to 8 weeks
• waiting until after the birth

Who does not need a test

GOV.UK lists these groups:

• diplomats accredited to the UK
• returning UK residents who have not been away for more than 2 years
• people coming on a scheme to support people from Ukraine

Appendix Tuberculosis also says the decision maker may waive the requirement if they are satisfied the applicant cannot get a certificate, and it is reasonable on the facts of that case.

Extending from inside the UK

Appendix Tuberculosis applies to entry clearance, which means applications from outside the UK. The GOV.UK TB page mentions an in-UK test for one case only: people applying for or extending a British National (Overseas) visa who did not provide a TB certificate when they came to the UK. For the documents in a spouse visa extension, see our guide to spouse visa extension documents.

Checklist

• Your country checked on the GOV.UK list
• Clinic chosen from the GOV.UK page for your country
• Passport, photo ID and the test fee ready for the appointment
• Earlier TB or lung disease records, if you have any
• Certificate received, with your name as it appears on your passport
• Date of application within 6 months of the x-ray date
• A separate certificate for each child applying with you
• Certified translation if the certificate is not in English or Welsh

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a TB test for a UK spouse visa? GOV.UK asks for one if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and were living in a listed country within the last 6 months. Fiancé(e) and proposed civil partner applicants need it too, whatever the length of their stay.

How long is a UK visa TB certificate valid? 6 months from the date of the chest x-ray. Appendix Tuberculosis says it must be issued within the 6 months before the date of application and must not have expired.

Can I use a TB test from any hospital? No. GOV.UK says the test must be from a clinic approved by the Home Office, and a certificate from a clinic it has not approved will not be accepted. Each country has a GOV.UK page listing its approved clinics.

Do children need a TB certificate? GOV.UK says all children must see a clinician at an approved clinic. Children under 11 do not normally have a chest x-ray, but the clinic still issues a certificate if the child does not have TB.

My country has no approved clinic. What does GOV.UK say? For those countries, the GOV.UK list says "get tested in another country". You take the test at an approved clinic in a different country.

How Stratovisa helps

The TB certificate is one small document, but its 6-month window affects the timing of everything else. Stratovisa gives the TB certificate its own slot in your checklist, with a place for a certified translation if you need one. You upload the certificate when the clinic issues it, and you can see what is still missing in the rest of your application. When everything is uploaded, you download one organised package for the online application. See how it works for the spouse and partner visa. The same slot is in the Skilled Worker and Student checklists. If you are applying from the Philippines, our guide to UK spouse visa documents from the Philippines covers the local clinics and fees.