Guidance

Tuberculosis testing in the Gambia

Updated 5 October 2023

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

International Organization for Migration

46 Kairaba Avenue,
Pipeline PMB 586,
Serrekunda
The Gambia

Telephone: (+220) 3303275

Email:

• iombanjulmigrationhealth@iom.int
• mkah@iom.int
• msawo@iom.int

Website: http://register-uktb.iom.int/uktbdp-register

Operating hours:

• registration and initial examination: Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm
• issuance of TB clearance certificates: Monday to Friday, 12am to 4pm

Closed on national holidays.

Attending the clinic

You should contact the clinic to book an appointment at least 10 weeks before your travel to allow processing in case you need further testing after the initial examination. 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 June and September.

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.

If you would like an appointment with a female clinician, please ask the clinic when you schedule your appointment.

If you need to cancel your appointment, you should contact the clinic as soon as possible.

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 for refugee applicants
• 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
130 USD	60 USD

The fee must be paid in US dollars (USD) at the clinic. 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.

Step-by-step procedures

• the medical examination will be processed between 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.