Home » Visiting Canada

Medical Examination Requirements for Visitors (Tourists, Students and Temporary Foreign Workers)

TOURISTS

Duration of Visit to Canada
Less than six months: Generally, no medical examination is required.	Greater than six months: A medical examination is required if an applicant has resided or sojourned for six or more consecutive months in a designated country/territory in the one year immediately preceding the date of seeking entry to Canada. Please see the Designated Country/Territory List to determine if a country/territory is designated. A country/territory is designated if there is a “YES” in the column entitled “Designated” in the Designated Country/Territory List.

Authorized Doctors
Your own doctor cannot do the medical examination. You must see a physician on Canada’s list of Designated Medical Practitioners.

STUDENTS

Duration of Visit to Canada
Less than six months: Generally, no medical examination is required.	Greater than six months: A medical examination is required if an applicant has resided or sojourned for six or more consecutive months in a designated country/territory in the one year immediately preceding the date of seeking entry to Canada. Please see the Designated Country/Territory List to determine if a country/territory is designated. A country/territory is designated if there is a “YES” in the column entitled “Designated” in the Designated Country/Territory List.

Authorized Doctors
Your own doctor cannot do the medical examination. You must see a physician on Canada’s list of Designated Medical Practitioners.

TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS

Duration of Visit to Canada
Less than six months: Generally, no medical examination is required. However, a medical examination is required if an applicant is to work in an occupation in which protection of public health is essential. Please see Occupational Basis for Medical Examination of Temporary Foreign Workers for more information.	Greater than six months: A medical examination is required if an applicant has resided or sojourned for six or more consecutive months in a designated country/territory in the one year immediately preceding the date of seeking entry to Canada or an applicant is to work in an occupation in which protection of public health is essential (see point below). Please see the Designated Country/Territory List to determine if a country/territory is designated. A country/territory is designated if there is a “YES” in the column entitled “Designated” in the Designated Country/Territory List. A medical examination is required if an applicant is to work in an occupation in which protection of public health is essential. Please see Occupational Basis for Medical Examination of Temporary Foreign Workers for more information.

Authorized Doctors
Your own doctor cannot do the medical examination. You must see a physician on Canada’s list of Designated Medical Practitioners.

NOTE:
If you are uncertain about whether you require an immigration medical examination, you can contact the Canadian visa office where you are making an application, for clarification.

If you do require a medical examination, the visa office will provide you with instructions and a form with your assigned file number before you see a designated medical practitioner.

OCCUPATIONAL BASIS FOR MEDICAL
EXAMINATION OF TEMPORARY
FOREIGN WORKERS

 
Depending on their intended occupation while in Canada, certain temporary foreign workers are required to undergo medical examination regardless of their intended duration of stay. The following list provides examples of such occupations. This list is not all-inclusive. Should you have any questions about whether a medical examination is required, please contact the visa/immigration office where you are making, or have made, your application.

1. Occupations which bring the incumbent into close contact (more than three hours per day and/or risk of exchange of body fluids) with people, namely:
   1. workers in the health sciences field, including staff and employees, clinical laboratory workers, patient attendants in nursing and geriatric homes, medical students admitted to Canada to attend university, medical electives and physicians on short-term locums;
   2. teachers of primary or secondary schools or other teachers of small children;
   3. domestics;
   4. workers who give in home care to children, the elderly and the disabled; and
   5. day nursery employees.
2. Agricultural workers from designated countries/territories. A country/territory is designated if there is a “YES” in the column entitled “Designated” in the Designated Country/Territory List.

Authorized Doctors
Your own doctor cannot do the medical examination. You must see a physician on Canada’s list of Designated Medical Practitioners.