HIV in the UAE: Medical Fitness Tests, Residency Rules and What the Law Says

Direct answer. Expatriates aged 18 and over applying for UAE residency are tested for HIV, when residency is first granted and at every renewal; the non-national spouse, children and parents of a UAE national are excluded from the fitness requirement. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008, as its Article 2 was replaced in 2022, residency is not granted or renewed for a confirmed positive case, which is treated as medically unfit, although the Minister or the head of the health authority may exempt some cases. Article 30 of Federal Law No. 14 of 2014, the law's anonymous-testing article, says an infected immigrant's permit stays valid until it expires, but it does not say whether that protects someone found positive at a residency medical, and Article 15 of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 allows deportation on public-health grounds. The law also gives people living with HIV rights to confidentiality, anonymous testing and treatment. What happens after an unfit result in a particular case is decided by the health authority and the residency authority (ICP, or GDRFA in Dubai). Confirm your position with them or a licensed UAE lawyer.

What the law actually says about HIV and residency

Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008 sets the medical examination system for expatriates coming to the UAE for work or residency. Its Article 2 was replaced by Cabinet Resolution No. 75 of 2022. You can read the resolution on our Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008 page. The English translation on that page contains a slip in Article 2(1); the official Arabic text says residency is not granted or renewed for positive cases. Article 2(1), in its current form, says three things:

1. HIV tests are carried out for all categories of expatriates coming for residency, at first grant and at renewal.
2. Residency is not granted or renewed for positive cases, and those cases are considered medically unfit.
3. By a decision of the Minister or the head of the health authority, as the case may be, the fitness condition may be waived for some cases.

Article 5 adds that positive cases are handled under the preventive measures of the communicable diseases law, and that the refusal follows approval of the confirmation test result, not the first screen.

Federal Law No. 14 of 2014 on combating communicable diseases is the second instrument (read it here). Its Schedule (1) was replaced by Ministerial Resolution No. 242 of 2020, and HIV/AIDS sits in Group A, the diseases that must be reported immediately. Group A status switches on the 24-hour notification duty and free treatment for the uninsured; being in Schedule (1) at all is what brings HIV under the deliberate-transmission offence described below.

Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the entry and residence of foreigners is the third. Its executive regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 37) require a foreigner seeking a residence permit to be in good health under the regulations in force. The UAE Government portal's health conditions for a residence visa page says applicants must be free of communicable diseases such as HIV and TB.

Who the rule applies to, and who is excluded

The residency medical applies to applicants aged 18 and above, according to the UAE Government portal.

• All expatriate residency categories are tested for HIV, new and renewal.
• Family members of UAE nationals are excluded. Article 4 of Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008 excludes the non-national husband, wife, children and parents of a UAE national, male or female, from the fitness requirement for residence.
• Visitors are in a different position. The resolution covers expatriates coming for work or residency. Some work-related visit visas carry their own health condition: the two-year multiple-entry work-mission visa requires a medical examination within 15 days of first entry (Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 19 BIS). For an ordinary tourist visit, check the current entry conditions with ICP or GDRFA, and MOHAP's rules on carrying personal medicines.

HIV is not the hepatitis rule

Article 2(2)(b) gives people in certain jobs (nannies, domestic workers, nursery staff, salon and health-club workers, health-facility workers) who test positive for viral hepatitis 30 days from notification to change the purpose of their residency application. That route is written for hepatitis in those listed jobs. It is not an HIV route. The same resolution also screens for tuberculosis and leprosy, each with its own rule. For the broader picture, see our medical fitness test definition and this answer on medical tests for work and dependent visas.

How the medical fitness test works

The examination can only be carried out by the Ministry's preventive medicine centres, government health authorities, or bodies designated by ministerial resolution (Article 6). The certificate requires a valid health card or health insurance cover (Article 7), and it is valid for three months from the date of issue (Article 8).

Each emirate runs the process through its own health authority:

The DoH figures come from its September 2023 visa screening standard. Standards are revised and Dubai and Abu Dhabi set their own fees, so confirm current values with DoH, DHA or EHS before you book.

HIV in Dubai: DHA fitness centres and GDRFA

In Dubai, the residency medical is done at centres regulated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), which apply Cabinet Resolution No. 75 of 2022. The HIV rule in Dubai is therefore the same federal rule: a confirmed positive result makes the applicant medically unfit, unless an exemption is made. The result reaches GDRFA as Fit or Unfit, and DHA's standard lists a procedure for the repatriation of unfit cases. For a residence question in Dubai, ask GDRFA, not ICP.

If the result is positive: residency, renewal and deportation

Much of what circulates online says a positive result means "immediate deportation" or a "lifetime ban". Neither phrase appears in the governing texts.

• First-time applicants. Residency is not granted after a confirmed positive result, unless an exemption is made.
• Renewals. Article 30 of Federal Law No. 14 of 2014, the article on voluntary anonymous testing, says an infected immigrant's residence permit remains valid until it expires and may be renewed if the medical examination shows the person is medically fit. The law does not say whether that protects someone found positive at a residency medical. Read with Article 2(1), a confirmed positive result at renewal means the renewal is refused unless the fitness condition is waived, and in Abu Dhabi HIV-positive renewal cases are reported to the Ministry of Interior as unfit to reside in the country. Article 30 does not mention the separate public-health deportation power in Article 15 of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, and the texts do not say how the two apply together in a given case; ask ICP/GDRFA or a licensed UAE lawyer. If the permit expires or is cancelled, Article 18(2) of that decree-law provides for the person's removal by order of ICP, and another entry permission is given only if the entry conditions are met.
• Exemptions exist. The Minister or the head of the health authority may waive the fitness condition for some cases. No form, criteria or timeline for an exemption request is published; ask the health authority directly, ideally with a lawyer.
• Deportation is a power, not an automatic step. Article 15 of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 lets the Federal Public Prosecutor or the ICP Chairman order the deportation of a foreigner, even one holding a visa or residence permit, where public health requires it, and the order may cover family members the person supports. The word in the law is "may". In Abu Dhabi, the DoH standard says each case is reviewed "according to the laws and policies of deportation" and that "deportation procedures are managed by DoH/ADPHC in coordination with the sponsor and MOI".

What follows an unfit result in practice, including timing and whether any entry restriction is recorded, is decided by the health authority and ICP or GDRFA case by case. Confirm with them or a licensed UAE lawyer. Our guide to deportation in the UAE and how to appeal explains how administrative deportation can be challenged. If a residence ends, read how the grace period after visa cancellation works and confirm with ICP or GDRFA whether it applies to you. There is also an answer on what to do when a residence renewal fails the medical test.

Confidentiality: who finds out

• The right. Article 29 of Federal Law No. 14 of 2014 gives people with a communicable disease the right to keep their disease information confidential. It may be disclosed only in cases the law prescribes.
• Health data rules. Article 16 of Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on health information technology requires anyone handling patient information to keep it confidential and use it only for health purposes without the patient's written approval. Its exceptions include insurer checks, anonymised research, public-health measures, and requests from a court or the health authority.
• Notification to the authorities. Because HIV is a Group A disease, doctors, pharmacists and health facilities must notify the health authorities within 24 hours (Articles 4 and 5). That is a report to the health system, not to your employer.
• Sponsors and employers. In Dubai the result is sent to GDRFA as Fit or Unfit, and the Abu Dhabi standard says deportation procedures are handled in coordination with the sponsor. So do not assume a sponsor learns nothing. The texts do not set out what exactly a sponsor sees; ask the health authority before the test.

Anonymous testing and free treatment

• Anonymous testing. Article 30 provides for voluntary, anonymous testing at centres designated by decision of MOHAP or the emirate's health authority; ask DoH (Abu Dhabi), DHA (Dubai) or EHS (other emirates) for the current list. Staff may not disclose the person's identity or result, and people who are diagnosed receive treatment. Article 8 of Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2016, the executive regulations, opens it to UAE nationals and to expatriates on a visit or residence visa. It is free, done on a written request or verbal consent, identities are coded, the result is given in person, and data may not be shared with any third party without prior written consent. Counselling is offered before and after the test. The health authority is still given the relevant information and statistics, but under confidentiality rules that protect applicants' names and anything that could identify them (Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2016, Article 8(2)(i)).
• Free treatment for the uninsured. Article 28 of the law and Article 7 of the executive regulations provide care in government facilities. For Group A diseases, including HIV, it is free for people without health insurance cover, including the necessary tests and medicines.
• Duties that come with it. A person who refuses to start or continue prescribed treatment after being notified can be admitted to hospital for treatment on the order of the Ministry or health authority (Article 11). Once aware of the infection, a person must attend with their contacts for treatment and counselling (Article 32) and follow the preventive measures given (Article 33).

Deliberate transmission is a crime

Article 34 of Federal Law No. 14 of 2014 forbids a person who knows they have a Schedule (1) disease from committing any deliberate act that transmits it. Because HIV is in Schedule (1), the rule applies to HIV. Under Article 39, the penalty is imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a fine of AED 50,000 to AED 100,000, with the prison term doubled on a repeat offence. Under Article 40, a court may also order hospitalisation or treatment on the health authority's report, and Article 41 keeps any heavier penalty in another law in force. The offence turns on a deliberate act. It is not an offence to have the virus.

Mistakes to avoid, and your next step

• Trusting "immediate deportation" posts. The texts say residency is not granted or renewed after a confirmed result, and that deportation is a discretionary power. That is not a promise you can stay until your permit expires.
• Assuming the hepatitis 30-day route helps. It is written for hepatitis in listed jobs, not HIV.
• Assuming an undetectable viral load changes the rule. Nothing in the governing texts treats it differently.
• Leaving advice until after the renewal medical. Get advice before the medical, not after it.
• Taking a stranger's word for a "lifting route". No procedure for lifting a restriction after an HIV-related refusal is published. If a deportation order is made, Article 18(1) of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 says the person may not return without the ICP Chairman's permission. In Abu Dhabi, a previous positive record flags any later visa screening application for DoH review.

Your next step: before a first application or a renewal medical, speak to the health authority in your emirate and to ICP or GDRFA, and consider independent advice. You can compare immigration lawyers on LEXAI and contact them directly; any fee is agreed between you and the lawyer. For the wider rules on removal, see our deportation definition.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Confirm current procedure with the relevant authority or a licensed UAE lawyer.