Everything you need to know about the pre-employment medical examination required before a Gulf Cooperation Council work visa is issued: what it covers, how to book it, and how to read your result.
If you have been offered work in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain, you will be asked to complete a GAMCA medical examination before your visa can be issued. Since January 2023 the same system has been called Wafid. Both names refer to one process and one record.
The GAMCA / Wafid medical test is a standardised health screening carried out by medical centres approved by the Gulf Health Council. Its purpose is to confirm that incoming workers meet the health requirements set by the destination country. The examination must be performed at an approved centre; a report from an ordinary clinic or hospital will not be accepted.
The result is filed into a central system that your employer, recruitment agent and the destination embassy can verify using your passport number. That is why the record matters more than the paper slip: even if you lose the printout, the result exists in the system.
The examination is required for applicants seeking employment or residency in any of the six GCC states. It applies whether you are travelling for a first job, returning on a new contract, or joining family on a residence visa, though the exact requirements differ by country and visa category. Your employer or recruitment agent will confirm which category applies to you.
You register your passport and travel details, pay the registration fee, and receive an appointment slip. A centre near your chosen city is assigned automatically in most countries. See GAMCA medical appointment booking for the full walkthrough.
Bring your printed appointment slip, your original passport, a photocopy, and passport-size photographs. Arrive within the validity window shown on your slip. Check what the GAMCA medical test includes before you go.
Once the centre uploads your result you can look it up online using your passport number, without returning in person. Use the GAMCA medical status check or the Wafid medical report check.
There are three possible outcomes. Fit means you passed and your visa process can continue. Unfit means a condition was found that does not meet the destination country requirements. Under process or held means the result has not been finalised yet. Each one is explained in detail, along with what to do next, in our guide to understanding your GAMCA medical report.
Health criteria, fees and validity periods are set by each destination country, not by the medical centre. Choose your destination for the specifics:
The examination must be done at an approved centre. Browse GAMCA medical centres by city, or see the full centre list.
Yes. GAMCA was renamed Wafid on 15 January 2023. The test and the record are the same. Full explanation: is Wafid the same as GAMCA?
Turnaround varies by centre and destination country. See how long a GAMCA medical report takes.
Validity is set by the destination country authority. See GAMCA medical report validity, and confirm the current period with your employer or the relevant embassy before making travel plans.
There is a registration fee paid at booking and a separate examination fee paid to the medical centre on the day. See GAMCA medical test fees.
Yes, subject to the terms that applied when you booked. See appointment cancellation.
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