Use only the physician approved for your interview post
After the National Visa Center schedules an immigrant visa interview, each applicant—including derivative family members—must arrange the required medical examination with a physician approved by the embassy or consulate where the interview will take place. An examination performed by the family's regular doctor does not replace the panel-physician exam.
Start with the country-specific instructions linked by the interview post. The Department of State says results can take up to 96 hours, and the medical exam and required vaccinations must be completed before the scheduled interview. Local appointment methods, documents, fees and delivery procedures differ, so a checklist from another country may be wrong.
Bring identity, appointment and honest medical-history records
The State Department's general FAQ says applicants must show a passport or other photo identification and the appointment letter. Country-specific instructions may also request photographs, a DS-260 confirmation page or other items. Read the particular embassy's instructions before the appointment rather than treating a general list as complete.
Prepare a short medication list with names and doses, and gather records for conditions the official guidance identifies as relevant. For example, prior tuberculosis treatment, an abnormal chest X-ray, treatment for syphilis, psychiatric hospitalization, substance-abuse treatment, harmful behavior or a chronic condition may call for signed records describing diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Do not alter, conceal or create medical records.
Vaccination records need dates—not recollection alone
Bring every available written vaccination record. CDC instructs panel physicians to accept documentation from a personal vaccination record or medical chart when it appears valid and includes the date each dose was received. Self-reported doses without written documentation are not accepted as vaccination history under the technical instructions.
If no record is available, the panel physician will determine what is needed. Do not repeat every vaccine on a generic list without medical review. Requirements are age-specific and depend on documented doses, immunity, medical history, contraindications and the current CDC table. Only the panel physician should decide what is medically appropriate for the immigration exam.
A full vaccine series may not be possible before travel
CDC explains that some vaccine series take months or years to complete. An applicant who is not current generally must receive at least one dose of each age-appropriate required vaccine at the medical visit, while an applicant already current does not need an extra dose merely for the exam. The panel physician documents acceptable history, doses given and any medically appropriate waiver reason on Form DS-3025.
Laboratory evidence of immunity may be accepted for specified diseases under the technical instructions, but applicants should not order tests from an unapproved source and assume they will satisfy the requirement. Bring existing results to the panel physician and let the physician apply the current instructions. An individual waiver based on religious or moral convictions is different from a blanket medical waiver and is decided through a separate USCIS process.
Protect the results and keep the DS-3025 copy
Depending on the country, the panel physician may send the results directly to the embassy or give the applicant a sealed envelope. If you receive a sealed envelope, do not open it; bring it to the interview. Follow the clinic's instructions for any X-ray or other item supplied with the results.
CDC instructs the panel physician to give the applicant an extra copy of the DS-3025 vaccination worksheet. Keep that copy securely after travel. It can be useful for health-care providers, schools and later immigration processing. Scan a legible backup, but do not post medical forms or identifiers publicly.
A seven-item preparation folder
The immigration medical examination screens for conditions relevant to immigration law; it is not a complete physical and does not replace care from a personal physician. This guide was reviewed on September 27, 2026, and provides educational preparation information, not medical or legal advice.
- The interview appointment letter and the correct passport or photo identification.
- The embassy's current country-specific medical instructions and approved panel-physician details.
- Written vaccination records showing dates for every available dose.
- A current medication list and relevant signed treatment summaries.
- Prior tuberculosis or chest X-ray records when the official guidance makes them relevant.
- Payment information confirmed directly with the approved clinic.
- A protected place for the sealed results and your DS-3025 copy.