GAMCA (Wafid) Medical Test — 2026 Guide

Between a signed job offer and a boarding pass to the Gulf, every Pakistani worker must pass one compulsory government step: the GAMCA medical, now run through the Wafid system. More candidates are caught out here by simple lack of preparation than at almost any other stage, so this guide explains what the test is, what it checks and how we manage it for every worker we send.

What GAMCA (Wafid) is

GAMCA stands for the Gulf Approved Medical Centres Association: the compulsory pre-employment health check that all six GCC states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain) require of workers from Pakistan and certain other countries. It has been renamed Wafid and is now operated by the Gulf Health Council. People in Pakistan still say GAMCA, but every booking, result and centre allocation goes through the official Wafid portal. The process has been fully online since April 2018, with no manual or walk-in bookings.

What the medical checks for

This is a defined medical screening rather than a general check-up. It includes:

• Blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and malaria/microfilaria
• Chest X-ray to check for current or past tuberculosis and other lung problems
• Urine test covering kidney function and general health indicators
• Physical examination carried out by a certified doctor
• Short mental status check — a brief, non-invasive screening rather than a psychiatric assessment

Requirements differ slightly by destination. Candidates for Saudi Arabia often face closer checks on the chest X-ray and hepatitis markers; Oman and Kuwait sometimes add eye tests for driving and heavy-equipment roles; Bahrain looks more closely at vaccination records.

Step by step

• Registration — the candidate is entered on the Wafid portal with passport details, destination and visa reference, and the system issues a unique appointment slip.
• Centre allocation — Wafid allocates an approved medical centre automatically by city; candidates cannot pick their own clinic.
• The appointment — the candidate brings their original passport, two recent passport photos on a white background, the Wafid slip and the fee. Arriving early, most people finish the whole examination in one morning.
• Results — results go straight into the Wafid system, where authorities in the destination country and the employer can see whether the candidate is Fit or Unfit.

For candidates going to Saudi Arabia the fee is currently PKR 25,000, paid at the centre on the day. Fees for other GCC countries may differ, and the period a result stays valid is set by the Gulf Health Council and is reported differently by different sources, so we check the exact fee and validity with the allocated centre when we book.

When a candidate is declared unfit

An unfit result is not always final. The centre issues a certificate giving the reason, and depending on the finding the candidate may be able to apply again after a waiting period. We go through the reason with the candidate and the employer before deciding whether to retest or move the candidate to another role or country.

When the medical takes place in the process

The GAMCA/Wafid medical normally comes after selection and trade testing and before the visa is stamped. It is one of the final checks before travel, which is why a late failure is so damaging to a schedule. Wherever we can, we book medicals for a whole group together so one person's paperwork problem doesn't delay everyone else.

Our approach

As with every stage of deployment, Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment coordinates GAMCA/Wafid registration, centre scheduling, and result follow-up directly — candidates don't manage this step alone. It's built into our standard BEOE-licensed process for every Gulf-bound worker we place, at no illegal cost to the candidate.