Australia visa medical in the Philippines: six panel cities, one HAP ID and a 12-month clock
Tips · 2026-10-18 · 10 min read
For an Australia visa medical in the Philippines, you must use a clinic on the Department of Home Affairs' approved panel physician list, and Home Affairs currently lists panel clinics in Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, Baguio City, Cebu City and Davao City. You need a HAP ID before you can book, and for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa the results are generally valid for 12 months. The visa medical is also a different exam from the DOH-accredited OFW medical you need for your OFW Pass, so plan for both and book each at the right time.
Why Australia asks for a health examination at all
Most visa applicants must meet Australia's health requirement. Home Affairs explains that it exists to protect the Australian community from public health risks, especially active tuberculosis.
It is not a test of how fit you are for the job. It is part of the visa decision, which is why it must be done by a doctor the department has approved, not your family doctor. If you are applying for a sponsored role, our Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa guide explains the rest of that visa.
Where the panel clinics are in the Philippines
Home Affairs keeps the official list on its Services outside Australia page. Choose the Philippines from the country dropdown and the page shows how to get a police certificate and where the panel physicians are. That page was last updated on 15 December 2025, so open it again on the day you book in case a clinic has been added or removed.
One name you will see there is the IOM Manila Health Centre in Makati City. The other clinics on the list are spread across Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, so most workers do not have to fly to Manila just for the exam.
| Where you live | Panel clinic cities on the Home Affairs list | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Manila and nearby provinces | Manila, Makati City, Taguig City | The IOM Manila Health Centre is in Makati City |
| Northern Luzon | Baguio City | Closer for workers from the Cordillera and Ilocos than a trip to Metro Manila |
| Visayas | Cebu City | Cebu also has an Australian Biometric Collection Centre |
| Mindanao | Davao City | Davao also has an Australian Biometric Collection Centre |
Addresses, hours and prices change, so take them only from the Home Affairs list and the clinic itself.
The HAP ID: what you need before you can book
A panel clinic cannot simply book you in by name. Home Affairs says a HAP ID is needed to book the appointment, and the department's page on how to arrange your health examinations explains how to get one and which exams apply to you.
If you are a welder in Batangas travelling to Makati for the exam, check you have the HAP ID before you leave home. And note that the Australian Embassy says embassy staff cannot help with general visa enquiries and applications are lodged through ImmiAccount, so medical questions go through the Home Affairs pages, not the embassy counter.
When to do the medical so your results do not expire
Timing is where many applicants lose money. For the subclass 482 visa, Home Affairs says health examination results are generally valid for 12 months, and it advises organising them before you lodge so processing is not slowed down.
The Philippine side adds its own rule. Under the 2023 DMW rules, the medical exam for an OFW is done at a DOH-accredited clinic of the worker's choice, and only once there is reasonable certainty that the worker will be hired under an approved job order.
Put those two rules together and the sensible window becomes clear: wait until you have a real, written job offer and the sponsorship is moving, then book. Doing the exam months before any offer exists risks results that run out before your visa is decided.
The visa medical and the OFW medical are two different things
This confuses many kabayan. The DMW FAQ says only medical certificates from a DOH-accredited clinic for OFWs are accepted when your OFW Pass (the old OEC) is issued. That is a Philippine requirement for leaving the country as a documented worker.
The Home Affairs panel medical is an Australian requirement for getting the visa. One does not automatically replace the other, so ask each clinic plainly whether its result can be used for the purpose you need, and keep copies of everything.
| Exam | Who needs it | Where it is done | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian visa medical | Most Australian visa applicants | A Home Affairs panel physician or clinic, booked with a HAP ID | Meeting Australia's health requirement for the visa |
| New Zealand visa medical or chest X-ray | New Zealand visa applicants who are asked for one | A doctor or radiologist on INZ's approved panel list, if there is one in your country | Meeting New Zealand's health requirements for the visa |
| OFW medical | Workers getting an OFW Pass from the DMW | A DOH-accredited clinic for OFWs of your choice | The medical certificate accepted for the OFW Pass |
Under the 2023 DMW rules, the DOH-prescribed medical exam is one of the documentation costs the worker pays, along with items like the passport and the NBI clearance. Australia's own guidance also lists health checks among the costs applicants pay on top of the visa charge; our breakdown of the Australia work visa cost in pesos shows where the medical sits in the full budget.
Step by step: booking your Australia visa medical from the Philippines
- Make sure the job is real first. If an agency is involved, look it up in the DMW directory of licensed recruitment agencies and check that its licence shows as valid before you spend anything on medicals.
- Get your HAP ID. Follow the Home Affairs page on arranging health examinations so you know which exams apply to your visa and have the reference you need to book.
- Pick your clinic from the official list. Open the Services outside Australia page, choose the Philippines, and select a panel clinic in Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, Baguio City, Cebu City or Davao City.
- Book and attend. Contact the clinic directly, confirm what to bring, and keep any receipt or reference it gives you with your HAP ID.
- Lodge on time. For a 482 application, lodge while your results are still within the window of generally 12 months, and remember that the visa may also need a police certificate, which for the Philippines is the NBI clearance.
- Do the OFW medical for your OFW Pass. Once the hiring is certain under an approved job order, use a DOH-accredited clinic for OFWs so the DMW can accept your medical certificate.
- Check the exit papers together. Before your flight, line up your passport, visa, verified or authenticated contract and valid OFW Pass, which the DMW FAQ lists as what the Bureau of Immigration asks a departing OFW to show.
If your visa also needs biometrics, the Australian Embassy says VFS Global runs Australian Biometric Collection Centres in Manila, Cebu and Davao, which charge a service fee.
Going to New Zealand instead? How the medical works there
New Zealand uses its own panel. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says chest X-rays and medical examinations for a visa must be done by a doctor or radiologist on its approved panel physician list, if there is one in your country. Check that list for the Philippines yourself; a clinic on the Australian list is not automatically on the New Zealand one.
For the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), applicants staying more than 6 months need a chest X-ray if they are citizens of, or spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in, a country without a low incidence of tuberculosis. INZ's health pages explain which countries count, so confirm where you stand before booking.
INZ says only approved panel doctors and other registered doctors can accept payment for immigration medicals, and INZ never asks for medical payments itself. Official INZ emails end in immigration.govt.nz or mbie.govt.nz.
Our AEWV guide covers the rest of that visa, and current openings include this sous chef job in Queenstown.
Common mistakes Filipino applicants make with visa medicals
- Booking before there is a real offer. The DMW rules link the medical to reasonable certainty of hiring, and 482 results are generally valid for 12 months. An exam done too early can lapse before your visa is decided, and you pay twice.
- Paying a "facilitator" for a medical slot. Book directly with a clinic from the official list. For New Zealand, only panel doctors and registered doctors can take payment for immigration medicals, never INZ and never a middleman claiming to act for it.
- Assuming one exam covers both countries or both purposes. The Home Affairs panel, the INZ panel and the DOH-accredited OFW clinics are separate lists with separate jobs.
- Mixing up the medical and health insurance. Passing the medical does not cover your health costs in Australia. Subclass 482 visa holders must keep adequate health insurance for their whole stay as a condition of the visa.
- Leaving the NBI clearance for last. Home Affairs lists the NBI clearance as the police certificate for the Philippines, and Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so line it up with your medical rather than after it.
Once the medical is done, the next paper on the Philippine side is your exit clearance. Our guide to the OFW Pass and its 60-day window explains how it works and who gets it free. If you are still looking for a sponsored role, current openings include this carpenter job in Cairns.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I do my Australia visa medical in the Philippines?
Only at a clinic on the Home Affairs panel physician list. The list currently names clinics in Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, Baguio City, Cebu City and Davao City, including the IOM Manila Health Centre in Makati City. Check the Services outside Australia page before booking.
Do I need a HAP ID before booking the medical?
Yes. Home Affairs says a HAP ID is needed to book a health examination with a panel physician. Its page on arranging health examinations explains how to get one and which exams apply to your visa.
How long are Australian visa medical results valid?
For the subclass 482 visa, Home Affairs says health examination results are generally valid for 12 months. It advises organising them before you lodge, so time the exam close to your application rather than months ahead of a job offer.
Is the Australian visa medical the same as the OFW medical?
No. The visa medical is done by a Home Affairs panel physician for your visa, while the DMW only accepts medical certificates from a DOH-accredited clinic for OFWs when issuing the OFW Pass. Ask each clinic which purpose its result serves.
Can I use the same clinic for a New Zealand visa medical?
Only if that doctor is also on Immigration New Zealand's approved panel list. INZ requires medicals and chest X-rays to be done by its own panel doctors or radiologists where your country has them, so check the INZ list for the Philippines separately.
Key takeaways
- Australian visa medicals in the Philippines must be done at a Home Affairs panel clinic in Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, Baguio City, Cebu City or Davao City.
- You need a HAP ID to book, and 482 results are generally valid for 12 months.
- Book after you have a real offer, not before, so the results do not expire.
- The OFW medical for your OFW Pass is separate and must come from a DOH-accredited clinic for OFWs.
- For New Zealand, use INZ's own panel list, and never pay anyone who claims to collect medical fees for INZ.
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