See the Tuberculosis tests for UK visa applications. If you are going to the UK then you will need to have a TB test if you are going to stay for longer than 6 months. If you are a tourist and staying less than 6 months then a TB is not needed. You can read about this in the UK tourist visa from Thailand on this website. Speak to a lawyer in Thailand for assistance.
TB tests are for those who are going to work in the UK or are getting married to a British national. This depends on the country where you are coming from and Thailand is listed as being a country where a TB test is compulsory.
Tuberculosis tests for UK Visa
The hospital in Thailand will give you a chest x-ray to check for TB. This however if it is not clear then they will need a phlegm to conduct the TB test. If you test negative then they will give you a medical certificate for this which is valid for 6 months. This certificate is part of the visa application process for the UK Spouse visa. This as well as the UK fiancée visa. Children under the age of 11 normally do not get a chest x-ray. You will need to take legal advice. This as the certificate is normally sent back to the visa processing centre directly.
If you Thai fiancée or wife is pregnant then you have a number of options with this test:
- Have an x-ray with an extra shield for protection;
- Also have a sputum test and wait 8 weeks for the results; or
- Have the test after you have given birth.
Those are the 3 options available for those who wish to settle in the UK and need a TB test. Most women in Thailand wait until they have given birth before they start the visa process. Not only is the TB test safer after they have given birth but they will also arrange for an identity documents in Thailand. Then apply for a visa for the child as well. Applying for a birth certificate at a Thai Embassy can involves lots of red tape.
Visa Application Centre
Note that part of the visa process is the TB test. The visa application centre will normally inform you or your attorney when the test needs to be taken at an approved hospital. Note that your test must be from a clinic in Thailand which has been approved by the Home Office. They will not accept a tuberculosis test certificate from a clinic they have not approved.
Testing is only done in Bangkok at the International Organisation for Migration. That is currently the one organisation who has approval from the Home Office for Thailand and Laos. The appointment is normally a few days away however during July – October the “Student Season” starts and you can wait up to 10 days for an appointment.
Also take legal advice before you apply for a UK visa to ensure that you understand the process. Draft a prenuptial agreement if you are not married and also consider the visa implications for any minor children if your Thai fiancée or Thai wife is divorced. Child custody in Thailand can be a very complex affair when you want to take minor children out of the country.
