Guidance

Tuberculosis testing in Cameroon

Updated 5 October 2023

There are no approved clinics in Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau or Mali. If you are from one of these countries, you’ll need to travel to Cameroon to be tested.

Your test must be from a clinic approved by the Home Office and you will need to obtain an IOM medical certificate confirming that you are free from TB. We will not accept a TB test certificate from a clinic we have not approved.

You do not need a certificate if you:

• are a diplomatic passport holder travelling on official business or on a posting to the UK
• qualify for an exempt visa
• are applying for a certificate of entitlement

Approved clinic

IOM Cameroon

Avenue Rosa Parks, Golfe
B.P. 13891
Yaoundé
Cameroon

Telephone:

• +237 650814372
• +237 697275557

Email: iommhacyde@iom.int

Website: IOM website

Operating hours:

• Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5:30pm
• Friday, 8am to 2pm

Closed on national holidays.

Attending the clinic

You should call the clinic or walk in to book an appointment at least 10 weeks prior to your travel to allow processing in case you may require further testing after the initial examination, which may include, but is not limited to, sputum testing and further consultation that takes up to 8 weeks. You should make it clear you need the test for a UK visa application.

You can expect to get an appointment within a few days of your request. At busy times you may have to wait 10 days for an appointment, especially during the UK student visa peak season between July and October.

You’ll be given a chest x-ray to test for TB. If the result of the x-ray is not clear, you may also be asked to give a sputum sample (phlegm coughed up from your lungs).

If your test shows that you do not have TB, you’ll be given a certificate which is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. Include this certificate with your UK visa application.

What you should bring with you

• valid identification which contains your photograph, such as a passport, national ID card or Refugee Asylum Seeker Card
• UNHCR/MHA registration documents if you are a refugee applicant
• Ecobank receipt of deposit in the IOM account
• the TB test fee
• if you have had TB in the past or have any other lung disease, you should provide details of your previous screening and, if possible, your medical notes and x-ray results

Test fees

11 years and above	Below 11 years
120 USD	70 USD

The examination fees are paid in XAF using the UN Exchange. The cost of the test is in addition to the visa application fee.

The fee is not refundable if you test positive for TB or decide not travel to the UK, or your visa is refused.

The test fee does not cover treatment if you already have TB.

Payment

You must send your payment to the IOM account at Ecobank:

Account number: 26011 – 0132602482401 - 93
Account name: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Branch: ECOBank

On the bank deposit slip, in the box “Reason for deposit”, please write: MH.0019.

Step-by-step procedure

• the medical examination will be processed on Monday to Friday
• all visa applicants must attend the clinic for the assessment with all the required documents
• the initial examination will include a counselling session and signing a consent form
• applicants aged 10 and under will go through a medical examination by the physician before a certificate is issued
• applicants aged 11 and above will have a chest x-ray done; applicants will then be reviewed by the doctor with the chest x-ray result before a certificate is issued
• additional sputum smears and cultures medical procedures may apply in case of abnormal chest x-ray findings and could take up to 8 weeks to get the final results
• a TB clearance certificate will be issued to the applicant on the day of the examination if the examination result is considered free of active pulmonary TB disease
• if you do not return within 7 days for sputum collection, you will not get a TB clearance certificate
• you will be given further testing or told to contact your own health care provider if the examination results are abnormal but the abnormality is not related to TB disease
• the TB clearance certificate expires 6 months from the chest x-ray date if you had a chest x-ray done, or 6 months from the physical examination date if you don’t need a chest x-ray
• the TB clearance certificate is valid for 3 months if you have been in contact with a family member with active pulmonary TB
• female applicants may be requested to undergo a pregnancy test, in case there is uncertainty as to whether they may be pregnant
• pregnant applicants can decide not to get a chest x-ray examination and instead either give sputum for a TB test on 3 consecutive mornings or delay the TB screening until after giving birth

Read more information on TB screening requirements for people applying for a UK visa in countries where TB is common.