Guidance

Tuberculosis testing in Zambia

Updated 4 July 2024

Your test must be from a clinic approved by the Home Office. We will not accept a TB test certificate from a clinic we have not approved.

You do not need to take a test if you:

• are a diplomatic passport holder travelling on official business or on a posting to the UK
• qualify for an exempt visa
• are applying for a certificate of entitlement

Clinic address

IOM Health Centre
Plot 4626 Mwaimwena Road
Rhodes (at the corner of Addis Ababa Drive and Mwaimwena Road)

Telephone:

• +260 211 254055
• +260 779 000675

Email: mhulusaka@iom.int

Website:  www.iom.int/migration-health-assessments-united-kingdom-bound-migrants

Operating times:

• Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm
• Friday 8am to 2pm

The clinic is closed on national holidays and IOM holidays.

Test fee

11 years and above	Below 11 years
140 US dollars	120 US dollars

The cost of the test is in addition to the visa application fee.

The test fee does not cover treatment if you have TB.

Payment

You must pay the clinic through bank deposit before the test. You must then bring proof of payment when you go to the clinic for the test.

Instructions for mobile money payments (Airtel, MTN)

1. Dial 115 (do not use mobile apps)
2. Select option 1 send money
3. Select option 6 for banks
4. Select option 1 to send to bank
5. Select option 4 for Citibank
6. Enter account number ‘251031002’ for the International Organization for Migration
7. Enter amount
8. Enter reference number (this should reflect the applicant’s UKTB application reference number and full name)

If you are making payments for more than one person, please make individual deposits for each person and use their UKTB reference number and full name as the reference number (point 8 above).

• Name of bank: Citibank, Citibank House, Chikwa Road, Lusaka
• Account holder: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• Account number: 251031002
• SWIFT Code/BIC:  CITIZMLU

Booking a test

You should book an appointment at least 9 weeks before you plan to travel. This is in case you need extra tests after the first appointment.

To book a test, you can:

• go to the IOM website
• call +260 (211) 254 055 or +260 779 000 675
• email mhulusaka@iom.int

You should make it clear you need the test for a UK visa application. You can usually expect to get an appointment within a few days of your request.

At busy times you may have to wait 10 days for an appointment, especially during the peak season between July and October. We cannot arrange or prioritise appointments for you.

If you want an appointment with a female clinician, tell the clinic when you book your test.

If you need to cancel your appointment, contact the clinic and refer to their cancellation policy.

What you should bring with you

You must bring:

• your passport
• another form of identification which contains your photograph, such as a national ID card or Refugee Asylum Seeker Card
• 2 recent passport-size photos
• proof that you paid for the test

If you have had TB in the past, you should provide details of your previous screening and, if possible, your medical notes and x-ray results.

Step by step procedures

Medical examinations will be processed on Mondays, Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays 8am to 3pm.

All visa applicants must present themselves to the clinic for assessment with the required identification document.

The initial examination will comprise of a counselling session and signing of consent for all.

Applicants below 11 years will undergo a medical examination by the physician before a certificate is issued.

Applicants 11 years and above will have a chest x-ray done. Applicants will then be reviewed by the doctor with the chest x-ray result before issuance of a certificate.

Additional diagnostic procedures (sputum smears and cultures) may apply in the case of abnormal chest x-ray findings and will take up to 8 weeks to get the result.

TB certificates will be ready within 48 hours provided there are no additional tests.

If you fail to complete a sputum submission within 14 days for sputum collection, you will forfeit the chance to obtain a TB clearance certificate and only qualify for TB screening after 6 months.

Sputum submission shall be done at an IOM designated laboratory. You are therefore advised to contact IOM prior to submission.

Advice will be given for further testing or follow up with the applicant’s own healthcare provider as needed if the examination results are abnormal, but the abnormality not related to TB disease.

The TB clearance certificate expires 6 months from the chest x-ray date for applicants who have had a chest x-ray done, or 6 months from the physical examination date for applicants where a chest x-ray is not applicable or not done.

The above TB clearance certificate’s validity is 3 months for applicants who have been in contact with a family member with active pulmonary TB.

Clients who are travelling from outside Lusaka are encouraged be wait for results before traveling back, in case of additional tests.

To avoid any inconvenience, IOM will require you to confirm your certificate details before the certificate is printed. Once the certificate is printed, any reprint will attract a charge of USD 10 of the initial fee to cover administrative costs.

Female applicants of childbearing age may be requested to undergo a pregnancy test in case there is uncertainty as to whether they are currently pregnant.

Pregnant applicants may opt not to get a chest x-ray done and instead either give sputum for TB testing done on 3 consecutive mornings, or postpone the TB screening until after delivery.

Read more information on TB screening requirements for people applying for a UK visa in countries where TB is common.