GAMCA/Wafid Medical Test for Gulf Jobs: 2026 Slip Guide

The GAMCA/Wafid medical test is a mandatory health screening you must pass before a Gulf work visa can be issued. You generate your appointment slip online on the official Wafid portal, the system automatically assigns you a Gulf-approved medical centre in your city, and you attend in person with your passport. Your slip is typically valid for 30 days and a fit result is typically valid for 60 days.

GAMCA was the old name of the program; it is now called Wafid and run under the Gulf Health Council. The medical centre cannot be chosen by you — it is assigned randomly to prevent fraud. Tests include a physical exam, blood tests, a urine test, and a chest X-ray. Certain conditions such as HIV, active tuberculosis, and active hepatitis B or C result in an unfit report, which blocks the visa process.

Wafid stands for the Gulf Cooperation Council Approved Medical Centers Association program, and it is the mandatory pre-departure medical examination for work and residence visas to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. The United Arab Emirates runs its own separate medical fitness examination system, so UAE-bound workers generally do the UAE's medical test rather than the Wafid one — confirm this with your recruiter before booking.

The purpose of the test is straightforward: Gulf governments want to screen out active infectious diseases and serious medical conditions before a worker enters the country. The result is recorded digitally in the Wafid system, and Gulf embassies can see your fit or unfit status when your visa is processed.

Because the result is linked electronically to your passport number, you cannot simply retake the test at another centre the next day if you are declared unfit. The system tracks your record across all approved centres.

Step 1: Visit the official Wafid portal for medical appointment booking. Use the official site only; many third-party sites charge extra or provide incorrect guidance.

Step 2: Enter your details exactly as they appear in your passport — given name, surname, passport number, date of birth, nationality, and the destination GCC country. Your passport should have at least 8 months of validity.

Step 3: Select your city. Wafid-approved centres operate in all major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Lucknow, and Trivandrum.

Step 4: Pay the online slip fee. The slip generation fee is typically around USD 15, paid online during registration. The clinic's medical examination fee — typically around INR 8,000 to 9,000 in India — is paid separately at the centre on the day.

Step 5: Download and print your appointment slip. The slip is typically valid for 30 days from generation, so schedule your visit before it expires. The system assigns your medical centre automatically — you can select the area, but not a specific clinic.

Step 6: Visit the assigned centre on your appointment date carrying your original passport, a copy, the printed slip, and passport-size photographs. Covid vaccination details may also be requested. The examination usually takes a few hours.

Wafid-approved centres exist across India, and the portal assigns one near your selected city automatically. Centres are Gulf Health Council-accredited labs and clinics with digital reporting — your result is uploaded to the Wafid system by the centre itself, and in most cases you do not need to submit any physical report to the embassy.

Do not trust a clinic that claims it can arrange a fit result, and do not book through agents who promise to bypass the official portal. Any slip not generated through the official Wafid system is invalid, and using a fake slip can permanently damage your chances of a Gulf visa.

If you need to cancel an appointment, there is no direct rescheduling option on the portal in most cases — you generally cancel the current booking and register again with a fresh payment. So only generate the slip when you are ready to attend within the validity window.

A general physical examination is the starting point: height, weight, blood pressure, vision, and a check for physical disabilities that could affect work performance.

Blood tests screen for HIV (AIDS), hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, and often syphilis and a complete blood count. A chest X-ray screens for tuberculosis and other lung conditions — active or past evidence of TB, pulmonary fibrosis, calcification, pleural effusion, and enlarged lymph nodes are all flagged. A urine test checks for sugar, protein, and infections, and some centres also run a stool test for parasites.

Infectious conditions that lead to an unfit report include HIV, active hepatitis B or C, active tuberculosis, leprosy, and parasitic infections. Non-infectious conditions include renal failure, liver failure, heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, active cancers, psychiatric and neurological disorders, very low haemoglobin, and physical disabilities that would prevent the job's duties.

If you are declared unfit, the visa process stops. The unfit status is recorded against your passport in the Wafid system, so you cannot take the test again immediately at a different centre. In practice, a re-application is typically possible only after around 3 months, and only if the underlying condition has been treated or resolved — confirm the current retest rules for your destination country with the embassy or your recruiter.

Temporarily unfit cases do exist for conditions that are treatable, such as a chest infection visible on X-ray. In such cases you can get treatment and reappear after the waiting period with medical proof of recovery.

Your appointment slip is typically valid for 30 days from the date it is generated — complete the examination within that window or generate a fresh slip. A fit report is typically valid for 60 days from issuance, so your visa processing and stamping should be completed within that period or a re-examination will be needed. Always confirm current validity periods with your recruiter, as rules can change.

Total cost typically falls in the range of USD 80 to 100 all-in: the online slip fee plus the clinic examination fee of around INR 8,000 to 9,000 in India. Pay only the official fees; no agent should charge you extra for the medical itself.

Results are usually available within a few working days and can be checked online on the Wafid portal using your passport number.

The medical test comes after you have a job offer, so the first step is finding a genuine Gulf employer. Browse the current vacancies on steadstaff.com, where every posting lists the role, salary, and contract terms clearly before you apply.

Submit one application on steadstaff.com and get matched with vetted employers. SteadStaff never charges candidates any fee, including for guidance on medical and visa steps.