February 6, 2012 - Effective February 12, 2012, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will require nationals of Sri Lanka and Indonesia seeking entry as either a student, employee, dependent, or member of a household staff to obtain a medical fitness certificate from a DHA-approved clinic in their home country before entering the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  This certificate must be submitted during the medical checkup that is required upon arrival in the UAE for all holders of student, employment, or residence visas when they are applying for their residence permits.  Nationals of both countries who are already in the UAE are advised to complete their medical checkups prior to February 12, 2012, to avoid any rejections.  While nationals of Sri Lanka and Indonesia are currently the only ones affected by this new medical requirement, BAL’s network partner anticipates additional countries being added to the list in the future.

For a comprehensive list of DHA-approved clinics, please visit the DHA's website at www.dha.gov.ae.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in the UAE.  For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@balglobal.com.