To get a visa to New Zealand, you must have a certain level of health, otherwise, you will be refused for medical reasons. An “acceptable” level of health is one at which:

• you are not a danger to people living in New Zealand;
• your treatment will not cost New Zealand hospitals much money;
• you can work or study (depending on the visa type).

Therefore, when applying for a visa, you must provide the following documents on the state of health:

• Chest X-ray Certificate (chest x-ray) – for those travelling to New Zealand for a period of 6 to 12 months (excluding pregnant women and children under 11);
• General Medical Certificate and Chest X-ray Certificate – for those travelling to New Zealand for more than 12 months. Important: for students, obtaining a General Medical Certificate is not required.

Such certificates can be obtained only in accredited clinics.

In most countries, Immigration New Zealand has a list of recognised doctors and radiologists, and when applying for a visa, it is required that the above medical documents be issued by one of these specialists. 

You can find the address of the nearest clinic in your city here.

One of the advantages of these clinics and doctors is that the results of your medical examination are sent over the Internet directly to Immigration New Zealand.

At the same time, the privacy and personal data protection policy is strictly observed. You only need to ask the doctor for your personal reference number and include this number in your visa application.

If in your country there are no doctors and radiographers approved by Immigration New Zealand, you can obtain documents from any registered medical institution. You will need to print out the certificate forms, fill them in manually and send them by mail. Certificates must be issued no earlier than three months prior to the date of visa application and completed in English. If the documents are not in English, a certified translation must be attached.

As a general rule, these certificates are valid for three years from the date of issue.

This means that if, for example, you have already provided them when applying for a student visa, you will not need to submit them again after a year or two to obtain a work visa.

What is necessary to take for the check-up?

• Identity document. For most countries, it is a passport.
• Glasses or contact lenses, if you use them;
• A list of medicines you are taking (including doses);
• Appropriate medical reports and X-rays.

If you are under 18 years old, you must have a parent or legal guardian with you.

If you are undergoing medical examination at a clinic not approved by Immigration New Zealand, you will also need to bring with you three photographs taken no earlier than 6 months before the examination, and printed certificate forms.

How to get a medical examination?

The medical examination consists of three stages:

• Medical history and examination;
• Analysis of urine and blood;
• Chest X-ray.

First, the doctor will do a general examination, measure height, weight, check the mental state, hearing and vision, the nervous system, listen to the heart and lungs. Then you will need to take urine and blood tests and then go through an X-ray. Women over the age of 45 may need a breast exam.

For kids

All children, including infants, must also undergo a physical examination. Children under 11 do not need to have a chest X-ray, and children under 15 do not need to donate blood unless it is required by a doctor or at the request of Immigration New Zealand.

If you are pregnant

For pregnant women, in addition to a General Medical Certificate, you must provide a letter from your doctor or your supervising midwife confirming your pregnancy and expected due date. Otherwise, you will need to have an additional blood test to confirm that you are pregnant. You do not need to provide a Chest X-ray Certificate, but in this case, you may be issued a visa that expires three months after the birth of the child. If you wish to stay in NZ for longer than this period, you will need to submit a Chest X-ray Certificate along with your visa extension application.

For all questions about studying in New Zealand, contact Kiwi Education!