Medical Certificate for a Non-B Visa in Thailand: What Employers Need From the Clinic

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026

Your HR team has sent you a checklist. Near the bottom, between the signed employment contract and the tax ID form, it says: medical certificate. You are already in Phuket, your start date is two weeks out, and you have no idea which clinic to walk into or what the document is supposed to say. I see this every week at our clinic in Patong, and the confusion is almost always the same. People do not know what the certificate must contain, which conditions are screened, how long it stays valid, or why an overseas or online version will not work.

This article answers all of that. It is written for the expat starting a new job in Phuket, for the HR manager briefing a new foreign hire, and for the employer who needs the right document the first time.

Why a Non-B Visa Medical Certificate Is a Legal Requirement

The requirement comes from Ministerial Regulation No. 14 B.E. 2535, issued under Thai labour law. Before a foreign national can receive a work permit in Thailand, they must show they do not have any of the six conditions the Ministry of Labour has designated as prohibitive. The certificate is how that proof is delivered.

This is not a formality. Without it, the work permit application cannot proceed. The Labour Department in Phuket Town will not process an incomplete file.

The Six Conditions That Are Actually Screened

The six conditions are tuberculosis, leprosy, elephantiasis, third-stage syphilis, drug addiction, and chronic alcoholism. This is a clearance check, not a full health screening. The physician confirms these conditions are absent, nothing more.

Tuberculosis is assessed clinically and sometimes with a chest X-ray. Syphilis may require a blood test. Drug and alcohol screening involves a urine test and a structured history. Leprosy and elephantiasis are confirmed by physical examination. The whole process takes around 20 to 30 minutes. If anything unclear comes up, I will tell you directly and explain what happens next.

Non-B Visa vs Work Permit Medical Certificate: Are They the Same?

This is where most people, and a lot of HR teams, get the advice wrong. In practice, many clinics issue one bilingual certificate in Thai and English that serves both stages: the Non-Immigrant B visa application at the embassy or consulate, and the work permit application at the Labour Department.

But the timing requirements differ. Some consulates want the certificate to be no more than three months old at the time of visa application. The Ministry of Labour works on a 60-day validity window from the examination date. If you apply for your Non-B visa abroad and arrive in Phuket several weeks later, you may need a fresh certificate before the work permit can be processed. Our detailed breakdown of both documents is on the Takecare Clinic Phuket medical certificate page.

Check with your employer’s HR team or immigration agent about which stage they need the certificate for. Then time your appointment around that.

When to Book Your Appointment

The 60-day rule is what catches people out most often. Expat workers in Phuket tend to book too early. They get the certificate before the Labour Department submission date is confirmed, and it expires before the file is ready.

My advice: do not book more than four to six weeks before your employer plans to submit. If the submission date slips, you will need a new examination. Because Takecare Clinic Phuket is a walk-in clinic with same-day issuance, there is no reason to get the certificate prematurely. Book it close to the submission date and the timing problem disappears.

What the Certificate Must Include to Be Accepted

The Labour Department and your employer’s HR team need to see specific things on the document. It must carry the physician’s original signature, their Thai medical licence number, the issuing clinic’s official stamp, and the date of examination. It must be bilingual: Thai and English, either side by side or on the same page.

A certificate without the physician’s licence number or the clinic stamp will be rejected. A certificate issued abroad or through an online service will also be rejected at the work permit stage. The examining physician must be registered with the Medical Council of Thailand and must have conducted the examination in person.

Why an Online or Overseas Certificate Will Not Work

I get this question regularly, usually from people who have seen overseas services, often UK-based, offering to issue Thai work permit medical certificates remotely. They cannot. The Ministry of Labour requires in-person examination by a Thai-licensed physician at a facility physically in Thailand. An overseas-issued document will be refused, regardless of how official it looks.

If you are applying for your Non-B visa from outside Thailand, check directly with the issuing embassy or consulate. Some accept certificates from approved overseas physicians for the visa stage. But once the work permit process begins in Thailand, only an in-person certificate from a Thai-licensed physician will be accepted.

What Employers and HR Teams Need From the Clinic

When HR sends a foreign hire to get this done, the certificate must be usable on arrival at the Labour Office. That means issued on letterhead from a registered Thai clinic, signed with the physician’s Medical Council of Thailand licence number shown, stamped with the clinic’s official seal, dated, and bilingual.

Some HR teams also need the physician to complete a specific Ministry of Labour form rather than the clinic’s own template. If your employer has given you a form to bring in, bring it. We complete it during the same appointment. We work with HR teams from companies across Phuket regularly, including those with staff based in Bang Tao, Laguna, Cherng Talay, and Phuket Town, and we understand what the Phuket Town Labour Department needs to see. You can review the medical certificate requirements before you come in.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Bring your original passport and a copy of your current visa showing lawful entry into Thailand. Bring passport-sized photographs if your employer’s form requires them. No fasting is needed.

Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before you come in. Chronic alcoholism is one of the six screened conditions, and same-day drinking before the examination creates a result that is harder to document cleanly. Everything else, eat and drink normally.

Getting Your Non-B Visa Medical Certificate in Phuket

Walk in. No appointment needed. We are on Prachanukhro Road in Patong, and we regularly see expats from Bang Tao, Laguna, Cherng Talay, Rawai, and Phuket Town who need the certificate issued quickly before a Labour Department submission.

The examination takes around 20 to 30 minutes. The certificate is ready the same day. It is bilingual, stamped, signed with the physician’s licence number, and formatted to meet Ministry of Labour requirements. If your employer has given you a specific Ministry of Labour form, bring it and we will complete it during the consultation.