Pakistan
Tuberculosis testing in Pakistan
This page explains whether you must be tested for tuberculosis (TB) if you want to come to the UK from Pakistan or Afghanistan. It also explains how you will be tested, and what to do if you test positive for TB.
If you want to come to the UK for more than 6 months, you must to be tested to show that you are free from TB before we will accept your visa application. If you refuse to take a test, your visa application will be refused. You do not need to have a TB test if you are:
- a holder of a diplomatic passport; or
- a returning UK resident.
The test takes the form of a chest x-ray.
Booking a test
You can book a test by phoning the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) call centre on:
UAN: +92 51 111 466 472
If the test is negative
If the test shows that you do not have infectious TB, the IOM office will give you a certificate which you must submit with your visa application form. The certificate remains valid for 6 months. You will need to bring the certificate with you to the UK, and you should carry it in your hand luggage - if you do not do this, you may be delayed on arrival in the UK. We also advise you to take your chest x-ray with you to the UK, in case you need to see a doctor during your stay.
If the test is positive
If the x-ray shows signs of infection, the clinic will perform other tests to find out whether you have infectious TB. This testing may require you to return on 3 consecutive days.
If you have TB, the IOM will not give you a certificate and you will not be able to apply for a visa until you have been cured. The IOM will give you advice and tell you how to get treatment. A full course of treatment usually takes 6 months. After you have been cured, you will need to pay for another TB test - if this test shows that you are free of infectious TB, the IOM will give you a certificate and you can apply for a visa.
TB testing and pregnant women
If you are pregnant, you will be offered a chest x-ray with abdominal shielding to protect your unborn child. If you decline, other tests may be carried out.
Emergency travel
If you have an urgent need to travel for compassionate reasons (because you have a close family member in the UK who is seriously ill, for example, or your travel to the UK cannot be delayed for exceptional reasons), you must give us full details of the reasons. We will take these into consideration when we decide whether to give you a visa. If we do allow you to come to the UK, you will be expected to begin treatment for TB when you arrive in the UK.