Sri Lanka sends us more bookings than any other country. Our team handles appointments for Sri Lankan applicants every day, and the same questions come up on WhatsApp every morning. Which centre will I be given? What will it cost? How many days for the result? I paid, so where is my slip?
Here are the answers, based on how it actually runs for applicants leaving from Colombo, Kurunegala, Kandy and Anuradhapura.
What does GCC medical mean?
If you have a work, family or student visa for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain or Yemen, you must pass a medical examination before your visa is issued. It is done at an approved centre here in Sri Lanka, not after you land in the Gulf.
People call it different things. GCC medical is the usual term in Sri Lanka. GAMCA medical is the older name. Wafid is the system that runs it today. One examination, three names.
The result is Fit or Unfit. The examining doctor decides it. No booking service or agent can change it, and anybody who says otherwise is taking your money.
The 26 approved centres in Sri Lanka
This test cannot be done at an ordinary clinic or hospital. Only approved centres can carry it out and upload the result. There are 26 approved centres on record in Sri Lanka, across four cities:
| City | Approved centres | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo | 15 | The widest choice, and where most applicants book |
| Kurunegala | 9 | Includes Nawaloka Capital, First Priority Medicals, SkyMed and K. Med |
| Kandy | 1 | Asiri Hospital, Peradeniya Road |
| Anuradhapura | 1 | Banish Medical Centre |
| Total | 26 |
Our Sri Lanka centres page lists every one of them with its address and phone number, so you can see exactly where you would be going before you book. Colombo applicants can go straight to the Colombo centre list.
Can I pick my own centre?
Not in Sri Lanka. You choose the city, and a centre inside that city is assigned to you automatically when you book. Choosing a specific centre yourself is only possible for a few countries, namely Lebanon, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand and Turkey.
Pick the city you can genuinely travel to on the morning of the appointment. If you live closer to Kurunegala than Colombo, book Kurunegala.
How to book your appointment
- Choose Sri Lanka, then your cityColombo, Kurunegala, Kandy or Anuradhapura.
- Choose your destination countryBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Yemen.
- Enter your detailsName as printed in your passport, date of birth, nationality, gender, marital status, passport number with issue and expiry dates, and your visa type: work, family or student. Nothing to upload, you simply type it in.
- Check the confirmation fieldsThe form asks you to retype your passport number and your email address. Do not skip past these. They exist because a single wrong character in either one causes most of the problems we see.
- Pay by cardDebit or credit, and the full amount is shown before you pay.
- Open your emailYour confirmation PDF normally arrives within about five minutes. It carries your details, your assigned centre, your appointment reference and a QR code the centre scans.
Booking runs 24 hours a day, every day, including Fridays and public holidays. You can start an application at 2 AM and have the PDF before you go back to sleep.
Going to Qatar? Qatar is not part of this system for Sri Lankan applicants and is not on our booking form. Qatar medicals run through a separate visa centre process, so check with your employer.
What it costs
There are two separate payments, and mixing them up is where the confusion starts.
Paid to us, online
Our booking fee. It covers registering your appointment, issuing your slip and our support if something goes wrong. The full amount is shown on screen before you pay, and nothing is added afterwards.
Paid at the centre, on the day
The medical centre's examination fee, charged in the local equivalent in rupees. The centre sets this amount, not us.
The cost does not change with your destination. An applicant heading to Kuwait pays the same centre fee as one heading to Riyadh. If somebody quotes you a higher price because of your destination, ask exactly what the extra is for.
Payment for the booking is by card, debit or credit. You do not need a card from any particular country. For a full breakdown, see our guide to GCC medical test fees.
What to take on the day
- Your original passport, plus a photocopy
- Your NIC or NICOP, since Sri Lankan applicants are asked to confirm local identity details
- The printed confirmation PDF we email you
- Three passport-size photographs
- Cash for the centre fee
- Your glasses, if you wear them
Get the photographs taken before the day of your appointment. Most centres will not take them for you, and hunting for a studio near the centre at 8 AM wastes time you do not have.
Go early. Blood samples are usually taken in the first part of the day and centres handle a limited number of applicants. If you want to know exactly what happens inside, read our guide to the tests included.
Getting your result
The examination is normally done in a single visit, and results are usually published within 24 to 72 hours. Busy periods can take longer.
While your booking is being processed you can track it with your passport number. The status moves through Payment Received, Under Review, Processing and Completed, so you are never left guessing where your file has reached.
Your medical result itself is checked separately, also with your passport number, on the official Wafid portal. Our result check guide shows you how.
Two clocks to watch
Your appointment slip
Valid from the date it is issued. Attend the centre inside that window or the appointment lapses, and you pay again.
Your medical result
Valid once published. If your visa processing runs past that, your employer will ask for a fresh examination.
Some employers and embassies ask for a more recent result than 60 days, so confirm with yours before assuming.
If the result is Unfit, ask the centre which finding caused it. That answer tells you whether another examination later is worth the money. We cannot change a result, and neither can any agent. Our guide to report validity and unfit results explains more.
Four problems we fix every week
Paid, but no email arrived
Usually a typing error in the email address, or the message sitting in the spam folder. Check spam first, then send us your passport number on WhatsApp and we will resend the PDF to the right address.
Wrong details on the slip
Tell us as soon as you notice, not on the morning of the test. With a few days in hand this is much easier to sort out.
Lost the PDF
No need to book again. We can send you a new copy.
Plans changed
You can cancel without an OTP. We ask for a copy of your passport front page to confirm it is really you, then handle it.
The booking system itself never closes. When something needs a person, our team in Bahrain and Kozhikode replies in English, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam.
Questions Sri Lankan applicants ask us
What does GCC medical mean?
It is the medical examination you must pass before a Gulf work or residence visa can be issued. It is done at an approved centre in Sri Lanka and the result is Fit or Unfit.
How do I check my GCC medical result?
With your passport number and nationality on the official Wafid portal, usually 24 to 72 hours after your examination. Bookings made through us can also be tracked on our booking status page.
How many approved centres are there in Sri Lanka?
Twenty-six, across Colombo, Kurunegala, Kandy and Anuradhapura.
How much does the GCC medical cost in Sri Lanka?
Our booking fee is US$18, or ₹1,200 if you are paying from India. The medical centre charges its own examination fee, generally between US$80 and US$100 in local currency, paid at the centre on the day.
How much does a medical test cost for Kuwait?
The same as for any other Gulf destination. The centre fee does not change because your visa is for Kuwait rather than Saudi Arabia or Oman.
How long is my appointment slip valid?
30 days from the date it is issued. Miss that window and you will need to book again.
How long is my medical result valid?
60 days from the date it is published. Check with your employer, as some ask for a more recent result.
How many photographs do I need?
Three passport-size photographs. Get them taken before the day of your appointment.
How can I pay?
By card, debit or credit.
Can I choose my own centre?
You choose the city. The centre is assigned automatically.
Can I book for Qatar?
No. Qatar runs on a separate process and is not on our booking form.
Official sources
Rules on the examination, fitness criteria and report validity are set by the GCC authorities, not by Wafidbooking. Check the current position with:
- wafid.com, the official Wafid (formerly GAMCA) portal for booking and checking medical examinations.
- Gulf Health Council, the GCC body that approves medical centres and sets the expatriate health screening programme.
- The embassy or consulate of your destination country, and your employer, for visa-specific requirements.
Book your GCC medical appointment
Book any time of day, or send your passport number to us on WhatsApp and we will help you through the form.