UAE Healthcare / Pharma LawCabinet Resolution No. (7) of 2008 Concerning the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency

Article (2) Expatriates to the United Arab Emirates for the purpose of residency shall undergo the medical examinations stipulated in this resolution. The conditions for granting or renewing residency

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Cabinet Resolution of 2008 Concerning the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency 2 shall be determined according to the type of injury and the categories of those examined, as follows: 1. Examinations for AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency): The necessary examinations to detect the disease shall be carried out for all categories of expatriates to the state for residency when granting residency for the first time or upon renewal. The residency shall not be prevented or renewed for positive cases, and it shall be considered unfit for health. By a resolution of the Minister or the head of the health authority, according to the circumstances, it is permissible to exempt from health fitness condition for some cases, according to what he deems appropriate. 2. Examination for viral hepatitis: a. The medical examination for new expatriates to the country to work for the first time and upon renewal of residence permit for work shall be limited to the following categories: 1. Babysitters (examination for hepatitis B virus). 2. Domestic workers and the like (examination for Hepatitis B virus). 3. Nursery and kindergarten supervisors (examination for Hepatitis B virus). 4. Workers in barbershops, beauty salons and health clubs (examination for Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus). 5. Workers in health facilities (examination for Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus), as determined by a resolution issued by the Minister of Health and Prevention in coordination with other government health authorities. b. Residency shall not be granted or renewed for positive cases of the categories mentioned in Paragraph (a) of Clause (2) of this Article unless the purpose of the residency application is changed within a period not exceeding thirty days as of the date of notification of the examination result. c. The vaccine shall be given to all negative cases of new expatriates from the above- mentioned categories, in three doses, and they shall be given a certificate proving that and when renewing their residence permit, they shall present the vaccination

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Cabinet Resolution of 2008 Concerning the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency 3 certificate for approval and exempt them from taking the vaccine, and the renewal of residence shall be required in the absence of this certificate to take the vaccine. 3. Tuberculosis examination: a. Tuberculosis examination shall be limited to pulmonary tuberculosis only. b. The examination shall be done for all new expatriates to the state, and cases that prove old or active pulmonary tuberculosis shall be considered unfit for health and are not granted residency. c. The tuberculosis examination shall include all residents when renewing their residence permit, and if it is proven that there is old or active tuberculosis, the person is considered healthy, provided that he shall be followed up by preventive medicine departments or their equivalent in government health authorities, according to the short-term treatment program under direct supervision (DOTS). d. The person shall be granted a certificate of health fitness for residency, in which the phrase "subject to treatment" shall be mentioned, according to which he shall be given a residence permit for one year only. In the event that the patient does not adhere to the treatment under direct supervision or does not comply with three consecutive visits, the person shall be considered unfit for health, and the Concerned Authorities shall be notified, and the residence permit shall not be renewed. In cases of tuberculosis with bacteria resistant to treatment, the infected person shall be treated until he is cured within the country, and then he shall be considered fit for health and his residence is renewed. e. The following shall be exempted from the condition of health fitness for an old and active tuberculosis disease for the purpose of obtaining residency for the first time, and the following shall be considered healthy: 1. A member of the diplomatic and consular corps, and the exception shall be made upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation or his authorised representative> 2. Relatives of the resident expatriate: a. Husband or wife.

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Cabinet Resolution of 2008 Concerning the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency 4 b. Children who are on residence permit or who are studying inside the country and who are studying in the educational institution. c. The parents are on the resident residence. 3. Major investors based on the approval of the competent health authority, upon the recommendation of the competent economic authority in the concerned emirate. 4. Any other categories determined by a committee composed of the Ministry of Health and Prevention and government health authorities, whose formation shall be issued by a resolution of the Minister of Health and Prevention, which also has the functions of setting the controls, conditions, and standards on the basis of which the exception mentioned in this Article shall be granted. With the exception of these cases, a resolution shall be issued by the Minister of Health and Prevention or by the competent local government health authority, in accordance with the controls, conditions, and standards set by the committee stipulated in this Article. In all cases, the person shall be required to be subject to the follow-up of the Preventive Medicine Department or its equivalent in other government health authorities, according to the Dots programme. 4. Leprosy examination: Leprosy examination shall be conducted for new expatriates to the country and upon renewal of residence. Residence shall not be granted or renewed for positive cases for all categories. 5. Pregnancy examination: Domestic workers, such as house cleaners, nannies, drivers and the like, shall be subject to a pregnancy examination before issuing a disease-free certificate. In the event that pregnancy is proven, the employer shall have the option to allow her to work for him or not, after acknowledging in writing knowledge of the examination result.

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Cabinet Resolution of 2008 Concerning the Medical Examination System of Expats Coming to the State for Work or Residency 5