medical exam & TB test
Almost every major destination asks a Nepali applicant for a health check, and almost none of them will accept one from your own doctor. Only a clinic on that country's panel counts — and going to the wrong one means paying twice.
Several destinations maintain a list of countries whose applicants need tuberculosis screening or a full immigration medical before a visa is issued. Nepal is on those lists.
This is not a judgement about you. It is a public-health screening rule applied by nationality and length of stay, and every applicant from Nepal goes through it. What matters practically is the second rule: the examination must be done by a clinic the destination itself has approved.
A medical certificate from any clinic that is not on your destination's approved panel will be rejected, and the fee is not refunded.
There are broadly three regimes, and which one applies decides both the cost and the timing.
United Kingdom — a TB certificate from a Home Office approved clinic, for stays over six months
Japan — a TB clearance certificate from a designated panel clinic, required before the Certificate of Eligibility stage
Australia, New Zealand and Canada — a full immigration medical by a panel physician, with results filed electronically
United States — not a visa-stage requirement
Most of Europe — usually no panel medical, but health insurance is mandatory
Each country page on this site carries the current requirement for that destination alongside its visa steps. Check there, then check the mission's own page — this is a rule that has changed recently and will change again.
The clinics below are the ones the UK Home Office publishes as approved for TB testing in Nepal — a list we can point at, published by the government that requires the test. Other destinations maintain their own panels that overlap heavily with these but are not identical.
IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre — Kathmandu
Norvic International Hospital
IOM Migration Health — Damak sub-office
Check your own destination's panel list before booking — these three are the UK's approved clinics, and overlap with other panels is common but not guaranteed.
Find your destination's panel list
Start from the mission's or immigration department's own site. A clinic that is on one country's panel is not automatically on another's.
Book directly with the clinic
Panel clinics take bookings from applicants. You do not need an intermediary, and no agent can get you a result you would not otherwise get.
Bring your passport
The certificate is issued against your passport, and the details must match exactly. This is another reason the passport comes first.
Attend the examination
For a TB certificate this is typically a chest X-ray and, where indicated, further testing. A full immigration medical adds a physical examination and blood work, and the results usually go to the immigration department electronically rather than to you.
Collect the certificate — and note the expiry
TB certificates and medical clearances are time-limited. Do this step when the visa process asks for it, not months ahead.
UK TB test at the IOM clinics: USD 60 for applicants aged 11 and over
UK TB test at Norvic: NPR 7,800 for applicants aged 11 and over
Japan's TB clearance certificate is valid for: 180 days from the date of screening
Results are not negotiable
A panel clinic reports what it finds. Anyone offering to influence a result is offering to end your immigration prospects, not help them.
A finding is not automatically a refusal
Detected TB usually means treatment and re-testing before travel, not a permanent bar. Deal with it through the clinic and the mission rather than hiding it.
Kathmandu, mostly
Panel capacity is concentrated in Kathmandu, with the Damak sub-office serving the east. Budget a trip and a night if you live elsewhere.
Costs are per person
If a spouse or child is travelling with you, each of them is a separate examination and a separate fee.
One more scheduling note: the medical is the last thing you should book and one of the first things that expires. Get the paperwork that never expires — passport, transcripts, citizenship — out of the way first, and leave this until the visa stage.
Can I use my own doctor or a hospital near me?
No, unless that hospital is on the destination's panel. A certificate from a non-panel provider is not accepted and the money is gone — this is the most common wasted expense in the whole document process.
How long is a TB certificate valid?
It varies by destination — six months is common, and Japan's clearance certificate is valid for 180 days from screening. Check the expiry against your intended travel date, not your application date.
What happens if the X-ray shows something?
The clinic explains the next step, which is usually further testing and, if TB is confirmed, treatment followed by re-screening. It delays travel; it does not normally end it. Follow the clinical process.
Do I need a medical for a Schengen study permit?
Usually not as a blanket requirement, though individual countries can ask for health insurance or specific screening. Confirm on the mission's checklist rather than assuming Europe is uniform — it isn't.
Who sees my medical results?
For full immigration medicals the panel clinic transmits results to the destination's immigration department directly, often through an electronic system. You may never see a paper copy — that is normal, not a problem.