Citizens of seven Asian and four African countries must undergo a compulsory medical screening to obtain residence visa in the GCC countries, according to new procedures “beginning soon”, officials at the ministries of interior and health-Qatar announced yesterday.

1. A total of 212 clinics have been designated in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Egypt for this purpose. Syria could be added to the list beginning from next year.


2. Immigration Department director’s assistant Col Mohamed Atiq said the new procedure was to protect the residents of the GCC countries from contagious diseases.


3. The offices of Gulf Association Medical Centre Abroad are to be electronically connected in the GCC level with the medical centres to ensure quick data transfer, with full secrecy, in coordination with the GCC embassies in those countries.


4. The colonel said the co-operation of the recruitment agencies in Doha was vital to protect society from contagious disease.


5. He said that Qatar’s embassies abroad should attest the authenticity of the medical certificate and signatures as a first procedure towards getting the residence visa.


6. The procedure is not meant for tourist or visit visa applicants. The Minister of Health’s assistant Dr Ahmed Naji said the initial test would not exempt the newcomers from the countries concerned from undergoing the current compulsory medical test in Qatar.


7. He said that the new procedure would begin as soon as the electronic network was established.


8. “If any of the listed medical clinics give results that do not match the test results in a GCC country, stringer penalties, including fines and black listing, will be enforced,” he said.