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Residence medical exam and fingerprints in Qatar

How the Medical Commission exam and MOI fingerprinting work for a new Qatar residence permit: who needs them, booking, where to go, what is tested, the QAR 100 fee, results, retests and the right fingerprint centre for your sponsorship type.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Medical fee: QAR 100 per person for a residence exam (card only)
Where: Medical Commission, Industrial Area Road, Mesaimeer (plus some approved hospitals)
Results: Sent to MOI electronically, allow up to 72 hours
Fingerprints: MOI service centre that handles your sponsorship type

Before Qatar issues your first residence permit (RP) and Qatar ID (QID), you must pass a medical exam at the Ministry of Public Health's Medical Commission and then give your fingerprints and other biometrics to the Ministry of Interior (MOI). This applies to new workers, to wives, husbands and adult children joining a resident on a family residence visa, and to some people converting from a visit visa. The order is always the same: arrive on your residence visa, do the medical (ideally within 30 days of arrival), wait for the result to reach the MOI system, give fingerprints at the right MOI service centre, and then your sponsor or employer completes the residence permit. Workers from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal usually do a first medical and biometrics at a Qatar Visa Center (QVC) at home before travelling. Routine renewals usually need neither a new medical nor new fingerprints. This guide walks you through each step and the problems that most often cause delays.

Before you start

Your original passport (the one your residence visa was issued on)
A clear printed copy of your residence entry visa, with an active mobile number written on it
For family members: a copy of the sponsor's Qatar ID and the sponsor's contact details
A debit or credit card: the Medical Commission does not accept cash
Your appointment confirmation and payment receipt if you booked online (or your employer's PRO booked for you)
Any overseas medical certificate or QVC paperwork issued in your home country
A list of anything staff should know: pregnancy, previous TB treatment, hepatitis vaccination, surgery or allergies
Glasses or contact lenses if you wear them, and comfortable clothing for the chest X-ray
Time: plan for 1 to 3 hours at the Medical Commission, more on busy mornings

Step by step

Check whether you need the medical
You need the residence medical if you are arriving on a new work residence visa, joining a family member on a family residence visa, or converting an eligible visit visa to residence. Some visitors who extend a visit beyond the first period are also sent for it. A normal QID renewal does not usually need a new medical or new fingerprints, but MOI can ask for one in special cases, for example after a long stay outside Qatar. Children are often not sent for the medical, but there is no clear published age rule, so check with your sponsor or MOI for each child. If you are not sure, ask the employer's PRO (the company's government-relations officer) or check the sponsor's Metrash account.
Read guide: Bring your family to Qatar →
Know what was done abroad (QVC countries)
If you are a worker from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal, your employer probably sent you to a Qatar Visa Center (QVC) at home for a medical exam, biometrics and contract signing before your visa was released. That usually shortens what you do in Qatar, but it does not always remove it. Since 20 August 2025, every new resident arriving from the Philippines must also take a free confirmatory medical exam at the Medical Commission after arrival. Follow the written instructions that came with your visa, and keep all QVC receipts and the overseas medical certificate with your passport.
Book the medical appointment
Bookings are made on the Ministry of Public Health's electronic Medical Commission system, which both companies and individuals can use. You log in with the National Authentication System (Tawtheeq login used for government sites), register the applicant, upload the photo and documents, pay by card, choose a centre, date and time slot, and print the receipt. For work visas the employer's PRO normally does this for you. For family visas the sponsor (the resident who applied for the visa) usually books. Because the visa needs to appear in the system first, give it a few days after arrival before you go.
Read guide: Tawtheeq (National Authentication System): signing up and logging in →
Go to the right centre on time
The main centre is the Medical Commission Department on Industrial Area Road in Mesaimeer (phone 4467 9111). It opens Sunday to Thursday, with a morning shift from about 7am to 1pm and an afternoon shift from about 2pm to 7pm, and is closed on Friday and Saturday. Hours change during Ramadan, Eid and public holidays, so call ahead. Men and women use separate entrances and waiting areas. Some approved places, such as Qatar Red Crescent, Al Ahli Hospital, Al Emadi Hospital and Doha Clinic Hospital, also do residence medicals for certain applicant categories, usually at a higher price.
Register and pay
At the counter, hand over your original passport and visa copy and confirm your mobile number. If you have not paid online, pay the fee here by debit or credit card: QAR 100 per person for a residence medical, with lower fees for some other categories. You will get a printout with your Medical Commission (MC) number. Keep this paper safe until your QID is issued, because you may be asked for it at fingerprinting and if your result goes missing.
Complete every test station
You move between stations in one visit: a blood sample, a chest X-ray, and a short check with a doctor that can include height, weight, blood pressure and questions about your health history. The blood test and X-ray screen for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis, HIV and syphilis. Do not leave until you have finished every station, because a missed station means the result cannot be issued. Tell staff before the X-ray if you are or might be pregnant.
Wait for the result and watch for SMS
Results go electronically from the Medical Commission to the MOI system, so you do not carry a certificate anywhere. Allow up to 72 hours; many people clear within one or two days. The sponsor normally gets an SMS, and the result can also be checked on the MOPH Medical Commission results page using your MC number or visa number and the test date. If you get an SMS asking you to return for another test or a doctor's review, go promptly. A repeat request is not a rejection; it often means a sample needs repeating or an X-ray needs a second look.
Handle a retest or follow-up calmly
If something unclear shows up, for example an old scar on the chest X-ray or an unexpected blood result, you may be referred for more tests or to a specialist clinic before a final decision. Bring any old records you have, such as TB treatment certificates, previous X-rays or hepatitis B vaccination proof, because they can help the doctors. Serious infectious conditions such as active TB or HIV can lead to the residence permit being refused, and Qatar has also listed some chronic conditions in the past, so ask the doctor exactly what is needed. Keep your employer or sponsor informed, because they must act on the visa if the result is unfit.
Give fingerprints at the right MOI centre
Once your medical shows as fit, the next step is biometrics: fingerprints, a face photo and sometimes an eye (iris) scan at an MOI service centre. Which centre you use depends on your sponsorship type. Company-sponsored workers usually go to the Industrial Area Services Centre; family (personal sponsorship) and government-sponsored residents usually go to Mesaimeer Services Centre or the Criminal Evidence and Information Department (CEID) headquarters; Al Khor, Al Wakra, Al Shamal and Al Shahaniya centres also handle some categories. Not every service centre does first-time residence fingerprints, so confirm with your PRO or the MOI hotline before you go. Bring your passport, visa copy and MC printout.
Let the sponsor finish the residence permit
After the medical and fingerprints are both on the system, the employer or family sponsor completes the residence permit through Metrash or the MOI website and pays the residence fee. For family members, the 'issue residence permit' option generally appears in the sponsor's Metrash only once these steps are done. The QID card is then printed and delivered or collected, depending on what the sponsor chose. Once you have your QID number, register for your health card and set up your own Metrash.
Read guide: Get your Qatar ID (residence permit) →

What it costs

Residence medical exam (new worker, family member, visit-to-residence, eligible visit extension)	QAR 100 per person
Medical for workers changing sponsor (when required)	QAR 50
Confirmatory exam for new arrivals from the Philippines	Free
Fingerprints / biometrics at MOI	No separate fee published; residence permit fee is paid by the sponsor

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

Waiting too long: MOI expects the medical to be done within about 30 days of arrival, and late steps delay the whole residence permit.
Going the day you land: the visa may not be in the system yet, so give it a few days or confirm the booking first.
Bringing cash only: the Medical Commission takes debit or credit cards, not cash.
Writing a mobile number on the visa copy that nobody checks: retest requests and result messages come by SMS.
Leaving before finishing the X-ray or doctor station, which means no result is issued.
Going to the wrong MOI centre for fingerprints, for example a family member queuing at a centre that only handles company workers.
Not mentioning pregnancy before the X-ray.
Throwing away the MC printout before the QID is issued.

Questions people ask

Do children need the medical exam?

Children are often not sent for the medical, and many families report that children under about 15 skip it, but there is no clear published age rule. Check the sponsor's Metrash: if the residence permit option for the child is available, the medical is not needed. If it is missing, ask MOI or the Medical Commission whether the child must be tested.

I am pregnant. Will I have to do the chest X-ray?

Tell the staff before the X-ray. Pregnant women are commonly given the blood test and doctor's check while the X-ray is postponed or handled differently, but the exact arrangement is decided by the Medical Commission doctors. Ask them clearly whether you need to come back after delivery and keep any paperwork they give you.

How long do results take and how do I check them?

Results normally reach the MOI system within 72 hours, often sooner. The sponsor usually gets an SMS, and you can check on the MOPH Medical Commission results page using your MC number or visa number and the test date. If the result shows at the Medical Commission but not at MOI, go back to the Medical Commission counter.

I got an SMS to come back for a retest. Does that mean I failed?

No. A repeat request does not automatically mean the application is rejected. It can mean a blood sample needs redoing or the X-ray needs a second look or a specialist opinion. Go promptly and bring any old medical records you have.

Can someone with hepatitis B or an old TB scar get residency?

It depends on the medical findings and the doctors' assessment, so nobody can promise an outcome in advance. Old healed TB scars often lead to more tests rather than an automatic refusal. Bring treatment records and vaccination proof, and ask the Medical Commission doctor directly what the result means for you.

Do I need a new medical or fingerprints when I renew my QID?

Usually not. Routine renewals do not normally need a new medical exam or fingerprints. MOI or the Ministry of Public Health can still ask for them in specific cases, such as some job changes, status changes or after a long stay outside Qatar.

I did my medical at the Qatar Visa Center at home. Do I need another one in Qatar?

Often the QVC exam covers the main medical and biometrics, but follow the instructions that came with your visa. New arrivals from the Philippines must now do a free confirmatory exam at the Medical Commission after landing, whatever was done at home.

Can I go to a private hospital instead of the Medical Commission?

Some approved hospitals, such as Al Ahli, Al Emadi and Doha Clinic, as well as Qatar Red Crescent, carry out residence medicals for certain categories of applicant, usually for a higher fee. Ask the hospital before you go whether it can test your visa type, because not every category is accepted.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

Residence medical exam and fingerprints in Qatar

Before you start

Step by step

Check whether you need the medical

Know what was done abroad (QVC countries)

Book the medical appointment

Go to the right centre on time

Register and pay

Complete every test station

Wait for the result and watch for SMS

Handle a retest or follow-up calmly

Give fingerprints at the right MOI centre

Let the sponsor finish the residence permit

What it costs

Common mistakes

Questions people ask

Official sources

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