Do Online GP Video Calls Count for a Visa Medical? What Embassies Actually Require in 2026
For most visa medicals, a video call alone will not be enough. Embassies and immigration authorities typically require an in-person examination, and some tests must be done at specific approved centres. What a private GP can do is complete the doctor's report, certificate or letter the application asks for, often the same day, and tell you quickly which parts need an in-person visit. Here is what the requirements actually look like and the fastest way through them.
What a visa medical report usually involves
There is no single "visa medical". Each country, and often each visa category, sets its own requirements, and the form your doctor signs is usually issued by the embassy or immigration authority itself. Common components include a medical history and physical examination, a chest X-ray, blood tests such as HIV or hepatitis screening, vaccination records, and a doctor's declaration that you are fit to travel or free from specified conditions.
Some requirements are tightly controlled. The UK, for example, requires applicants from listed countries who are staying for more than six months to have a tuberculosis test, and that test must be done at a Home Office-approved clinic. Many Gulf states, work-permit schemes and emigration programmes run their own approved-panel systems. The first step is always the same: get the exact form and instructions from your embassy or visa agent before booking anything.
What an online GP can and cannot do
A video consultation cannot include a physical examination, so on its own it rarely satisfies an embassy medical that requires one. Where telephony and video genuinely help is speed: a GP can review your embassy's form, take your history, tell you exactly which elements need an in-person appointment, and complete any sections that depend on history and records rather than examination.
When an examination is required, the same service can see you in person. At The Online GP by The Wellness, in-person appointments at Unit 4, 10 Portman Square, London W1H 6AZ are available the same day, so the examination, the form and the doctor's signature happen in one visit rather than over several referrals. Blood tests and chest X-rays, where the form asks for them, are arranged as part of the same process. If your destination requires an approved-panel clinic, we will tell you that plainly rather than complete a form the embassy will reject.
The documents you will typically be asked for
Bring your passport, the embassy or immigration authority's medical form, your vaccination history, a list of your regular medications, and any recent hospital or GP summaries relevant to the form's questions. If the form asks about specific conditions, letters from treating specialists speed things up considerably. For employment visas, the employer's occupational health requirements sometimes sit alongside the embassy's, so bring those too.
How long it takes and what it costs
A straightforward doctor's report or certificate based on history can often be completed the same day. Forms requiring examination are also usually completed in a single same-day visit. Where laboratory tests are required, the form is completed when results return, typically within a few working days depending on the test. UK visa applicants should also know that the immigration health surcharge and TB screening, where applicable, are separate Home Office processes with their own fees.
Consultations at The Online GP by The Wellness are £59 by phone, £150 by video and £220 in person, with any form-completion, laboratory or imaging costs confirmed before anything is booked. To check your specific embassy's form with a doctor, message us on WhatsApp, book your consultation or call 020 3951 3429.
Frequently asked questions
Can a visa medical be done over video?
Almost never in full. Embassy medicals that require a physical examination, chest X-ray or blood tests cannot be completed by video alone. A video consultation is still useful: a GP can review your form, confirm what is required and complete any history-based sections before a single in-person visit finishes the rest.
What do I need to provide for a visa medical report from a private doctor?
Your passport, the embassy's own medical form, vaccination records, a list of regular medications and any relevant specialist letters. The embassy form is the essential one: without it, no doctor can know what must be examined, tested or declared.
How quickly can a visa medical report be completed?
Reports based on history alone are often done the same day. Where blood tests or imaging are required, completion follows the results, usually within a few working days. Tight embassy deadlines are common, so booking as soon as you have the form is the safest approach.
Are private GP visa medicals accepted by embassies?
Most embassies accept reports from any GMC-registered doctor, but some countries require specific approved or panel clinics. Check the embassy's instructions first. If yours requires an approved panel, a private GP can still handle everything the embassy does not reserve to the panel, and will tell you honestly which parts those are.
Do I need a TB test for a UK visa?
If you are applying to come to the UK for more than six months from a country on the Home Office list, yes, and it must be done at a Home Office-approved clinic. The current country list and approved clinics are published on gov.uk.
References
GOV.UK. Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants. gov.uk, 2026.
GOV.UK. Healthcare for visitors to the UK and the immigration health surcharge. gov.uk, 2026.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Get your document legalised (apostille). gov.uk, 2026.
Written by The Wellness Team and medically reviewed by The Wellness Clinical Team. This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation or the instructions issued by your embassy or immigration authority.