VisaUK visa applicants in Iran should check residence history before paying for a TB test
A current-rule guide distinguishes Iran’s approved clinics from countries that trigger screening, and compares the published local charges.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Check residence history before booking a test
People applying for a UK visa from Iran should check their recent residence history before paying for a tuberculosis certificate. Iran appears on the Home Office’s list of other countries with approved testing clinics, rather than its list of countries that trigger screening through residence. An approved clinic being available locally does not by itself make every Iranian applicant subject to the test requirement.
The two official lists serve different purposes. The required-country list includes nearby Iraq and Afghanistan, while Iran’s separate listing helps someone who needs screening because of time spent elsewhere to find an approved provider. Use the country lists alongside the duration rules, not as a nationality test. For example, an Iranian passport holder recently living for an extended period in a listed country needs a different assessment from someone whose recent residence was entirely in Iran.
Apply the legal residence and certificate conditions
Appendix Tuberculosis of the Immigration Rules requires screening for the specified entry-clearance routes where the applicant has been continuously present in a listed country or countries for six months or longer, including any period within the six months before applying. It covers entry clearance for more than six months, fiancé or proposed civil-partner applications and returning-resident applications, with the stated Ukraine-scheme exception.
The legal appendix requires a certificate issued by an approved practitioner within the six months immediately before the application, still unexpired. It also allows a decision-maker to request another certificate in the specified circumstances where the earlier certificate has expired long before consideration. A discretionary waiver exists where obtaining one is impossible and waiver is reasonable on the individual facts; difficulty arranging an appointment does not establish that the applicant has received such a waiver. Keep the residence timeline and the certificate’s actual dates with the visa file.
Use the general guide to plan family screening
The public TB guide says a negative screening certificate is normally valid for six months from the chest X-ray date and must accompany the visa application. Children must still see a clinician, even though those under 11 do not normally undergo a chest X-ray. The clinic completes the child assessment and can issue a certificate where appropriate. A parent’s certificate should not be treated as covering a child’s application.
The same guide describes the usual chest X-ray and possible sputum testing where the result is unclear. It does not require other TB tests for the visa application. Its public eligibility wording says coming for six months or more, whereas the legal appendix describes more than six months for the ordinary long-stay branch. An application lasting exactly six months warrants clarification against the actual visa route; the separate fiancé and returning-resident provisions also prevent treating every shorter visa as exempt.
Compare the published Iranian clinic charges and confirm appointments
The directory expressly rejects certificates from unapproved clinics, so an ordinary local medical report is insufficient. The Iran clinic directory lists Dr. Nazem Clinic in Mashhad, Shiraz Central Hospital and Atieh Clinic in Tehran. Its published charges differ substantially: Mashhad lists US$30 for children below 11 and US$40 for older applicants; Shiraz lists US$100 for either age band; Tehran lists US$100 below 11 and US$70 at 11 or older. These are the directory’s published screening charges, not visa-application fees.
The directory was last updated in May 2024, so confirm the current charge, payment currency and appointment availability directly with the chosen clinic before travelling. It instructs applicants to explain that the test is for a UK visa and bring valid photographic identification, one passport photograph and the fee. It also allows applicants to request a female clinician when booking. A named directory entry establishes Home Office approval in the published guidance; this public-source check did not independently establish that the clinic is open on a particular day or that an appointment has been booked.
