Vietnam Medical Exam · Updated May 2026
Ho Chi Minh City Panel Physicians: the Immigrant Visa Medical Exam in Vietnam
Two clinics in Ho Chi Minh City handle every Vietnam immigrant visa medical. Here is how to book one, what it costs, and what happens before your interview.
Summary
Book your medical the moment you get your interview letter. Vietnam has exactly two U.S. Consulate-designated panel physicians, both in Ho Chi Minh City: Cho Ray Hospital and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre. Either is accepted equally, and an exam from any other doctor is rejected. IOM books online only; Cho Ray books by phone. Aim for 1 to 2 weeks before the interview, because results take 3 to 10 days. You pay the clinic directly, and they send the sealed report to the Consulate.
At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Who must do it | Every immigrant visa applicant, of every age. The exam must be done in Vietnam at a U.S. Consulate-designated panel physician in Ho Chi Minh City. An exam from any other doctor is not accepted. |
| The two clinics | Cho Ray Hospital (CRH) Visa Medical Department and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre, both in Ho Chi Minh City. Either is accepted equally. |
| When to book | Schedule as soon as you get your interview appointment letter. Aim to do the exam about 1 to 2 weeks before the interview so results are ready in time. |
| Booking method | IOM HCM uses online scheduling only (no walk-ins). Cho Ray takes appointments by phone. Slots can be 2 to 3 weeks out, so book early. |
| Cost | Paid directly to the clinic and set by age. Cho Ray takes Vietnamese dong only; IOM takes dong or U.S. dollars. Older community reports put the core exam around $155 per adult; confirm the current fee with the clinic before you go. |
| Results | Usually ready in 3 to 10 days. The clinic gives you an Information Sheet as proof you finished, and sends the sealed report to the Consulate (sometimes electronically). With no Information Sheet, you can be turned away at the interview. |
Based on the U.S. Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City medical instructions, verified May 2026. Fees and procedures change, so verify directly with the clinic before booking.
Your medical exam, in order
The medical is one of the last steps before your interview, and it has a fixed order. Follow it as a checklist.
- 1
Wait for your interview appointment letter (with your HCM consulate case number). You cannot book the medical until you have it, and the clinic uses the HCM case number, not the USCIS receipt number.
- 2
Pick a clinic and book. IOM HCM only schedules online, so start there if you want to choose your own date; if the online form errors out, email iommedhcm@iom.int with a screenshot and they call you back. Cho Ray books by phone at (84-28) 3856 5703 and applicants report appointments within days. Either clinic is accepted equally.
- 3
Schedule the exam for about 1 to 2 weeks before your interview date. That leaves time for the 3-to-10-day result turnaround and for any follow-up the doctor needs, without the report aging past its limit.
- 4
Gather what to bring: your interview appointment letter, the original passport for every applicant being examined, your DS-260 confirmation page, your vaccination records if you have them, and payment in the clinic's accepted currency.
- 5
Attend the exam. For applicants 15 and older it includes a medical history review, a physical, a chest X-ray, and blood and urine tests. Tuberculosis testing applies to everyone 2 and older. The doctor handles any required vaccinations on site.
- 6
Before you leave, collect your Information Sheet (proof you completed the exam) and confirm how the result reaches the Consulate. Bring the Information Sheet, and any sealed envelope you are handed, to the interview. Do not open a sealed envelope.
The two accredited clinics
Either clinic is accepted equally, so choose on logistics: if you want to pick your own date, start with IOM’s online scheduler. If you would rather book by phone and often get an earlier slot, call Cho Ray. If IOM’s online form keeps erroring out and you are short on time, switch to Cho Ray rather than wait.
Cho Ray Hospital (CRH) Visa Medical Department
- Address
- 201B Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Cho Lon Ward (District 5), Ho Chi Minh City
- Contact
- (84-28) 3856 5703
- Booking
- By phone. Applicants report appointments available within days.
- Payment
- Vietnamese dong only.
IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre, Ho Chi Minh City
- Address
- 1B Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Sai Gon Ward (District 1), Ho Chi Minh City
- Contact
- (84-28) 3822 2057 · iommedhcm@iom.int
- Booking
- Online scheduling only, no walk-ins. If the online form errors, email a screenshot and they call you back.
- Payment
- Vietnamese dong or U.S. dollars.
No rights-clean photo of the IOM Ho Chi Minh City facility is available, so its card is text-only. Verify the current address, hours, and fee with each clinic before you go.
What to bring
- •Your visa interview appointment letter (with the HCM consulate case number).
- •The original passport for each applicant who will be examined.
- •Your DS-260 confirmation page.
- •A copy of your vaccination and immunization records, if you have them, so the doctor does not repeat shots you can already prove.
- •Any prescription eyeglasses or contacts you normally wear, for the vision check.
- •Payment in the clinic's accepted currency (dong for Cho Ray; dong or U.S. dollars for IOM), plus a buffer for any vaccines.
- •If you have a history of tuberculosis or ongoing treatment, your past X-rays, medical reports, and current medication list.
The exam fits into the wider trip: see the Ho Chi Minh City interview trip guide for how the medical, the documents, and the interview line up. A missing or wrong-doctor medical is a common reason an applicant is turned away on interview day.
If the exam flags something
The medical screens for tuberculosis and certain other conditions, and reviews your vaccination history. Most applicants finish with nothing flagged. If the panel physician does identify a health condition that needs follow-up, the clinic will tell you what the next step is and may require additional testing or treatment before the report is finalized. We cannot tell you what a specific finding means for your case.
A medical finding that affects admissibility: this one needs an attorney.
Whether a tuberculosis result, another health condition, or a vaccination issue affects your eligibility depends on facts specific to you, and the rules and any available waivers are complex. Getting this wrong has serious, hard-to-reverse consequences, so it is one of the few areas where you genuinely need a licensed immigration attorney to review your specific situation.
Where to find help: the AILA Find-a-Lawyer directory lets you filter by specialty and location. For free or low-cost help, CLINIC lists nonprofit providers. Bring your clinic paperwork to the consultation.
What applicants report
Aggregated from VisaJourney Ho Chi Minh City medical threads (2015–2023) and U.S. Consulate guidance. Real applicant reports, not medical or legal advice; your visit may differ.
Tips from the community
Book IOM online early, or fall back to Cho Ray by phone
Applicants describe IOM's online scheduler erroring out with a generic message; emailing iommedhcm@iom.int with a screenshot gets a callback, but phone bookings only offer the furthest-out slot (one report cited 20 days out). When IOM is jammed, applicants switch to Cho Ray, which books by phone with appointments within days.
VisaJourney HCM medical threads, 2019
It is often a half-day, not a full day
Several applicants report being in and out of IOM in about two hours when they had an appointment. Cho Ray runs on a ticket-and-wait system, so one applicant waited roughly two hours for a called number while another walked in with almost no wait. Arrive with your paperwork organized to keep it short.
VisaJourney HCM medical threads, 2015
Ask the clinic before getting vaccines on your own
Applicants repeatedly report IOM telling them not to arrange vaccinations themselves, because the panel physician determines what is needed and any missing vaccines can be handled later. Getting shots in advance on your own can be unnecessary cost. Bring your records and let the doctor decide.
VisaJourney HCM medical threads, 2015
Results take days, so do not leave the medical to the last minute
The Consulate says results can take 3 to 10 days, and the clinic may send them straight to the Consulate. One applicant had the exam on a Monday and picked up results that Friday. Doing the medical 1 to 2 weeks before the interview avoids a result that is not on file on interview day.
U.S. Consulate HCM guidance; VisaJourney reports, 2015–2023
In their words
“She frantically called me and I made a call to IOM. They were able to squeeze her in the same morning and she was in and out in about 2 hours.”
“The problem with the Online Scheduling system is that it errors out with no real error. Just says something went wrong, please call IOM office. Also tried every browser, same error for us.”
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: U.S. Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) post supplement (verified May 2026)
- U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam: Medical Examination and Vaccinations (verified May 2026)
- IOM Viet Nam: United States Programmes (Migration Health Assessment Centre) (verified May 2026)
- VisaJourney Ho Chi Minh City medical exam threads (community), 2015–2023
- Cho Ray Hospital gate photo via Wikimedia Commons, 2016 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Frequently asked questions
Which doctors are accepted for the Ho Chi Minh City immigrant visa medical exam?
Only two U.S. Consulate-designated panel physicians, both in Ho Chi Minh City: Cho Ray Hospital (CRH) Visa Medical Department and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre. Either is accepted equally, and an exam from any other doctor is not accepted. Every immigrant visa applicant of every age must complete it before a visa can be issued.
Do I have to do the medical exam in Vietnam?
Yes. The exam must be done at the Consulate-designated panel physician in Ho Chi Minh City before your interview there. A medical done in the United States or another country is not accepted for a Ho Chi Minh City immigrant visa case.
How do I book, and how far ahead should the exam be?
Book as soon as you receive your interview appointment letter. IOM Ho Chi Minh City schedules online only (no walk-ins); Cho Ray books by phone. Slots can be a few weeks out, so do not wait. Aim to have the exam about 1 to 2 weeks before the interview so the 3-to-10-day result turnaround is finished in time.
How much does the exam cost?
The fee is paid directly to the clinic and depends on your age and any tests or vaccines you need. Cho Ray accepts Vietnamese dong only; IOM accepts dong or U.S. dollars. Older community reports put the core adult exam around $155, but fees change, so confirm the current price and accepted payment with the clinic when you book.
What is included in the exam?
For applicants 15 and older it includes a medical history review, a physical examination, a chest X-ray, and blood and urine tests. Tuberculosis testing applies to everyone 2 and older. The panel physician also reviews your vaccination records and gives any required vaccines on site.
Should I get my vaccinations before the exam?
Bring your vaccination records and let the panel physician decide. Applicants commonly report the clinic advising against arranging shots on your own, because the doctor determines what is required and missing vaccines can often be handled later. Buying shots in advance can be unnecessary cost.
Do I carry the results to the interview?
The clinic gives you an Information Sheet as proof you completed the exam and sends the sealed report to the Consulate, sometimes electronically. Bring the Information Sheet, and any sealed envelope you are handed, to the interview, and do not open a sealed envelope. Applicants with no Information Sheet can be turned away.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Only two clinics are accepted, both in Ho Chi Minh City: Cho Ray Hospital and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre. No other doctor counts, and the exam must be done in Vietnam.
- ✓
IOM books online only; Cho Ray books by phone. Book the moment you get your interview letter, because slots can be weeks out.
- ✓
Do the exam about 1 to 2 weeks before the interview so the 3-to-10-day result turnaround finishes in time.
- ✓
Bring your interview letter, passports, DS-260 confirmation page, vaccination records, and payment in the clinic's currency (dong for Cho Ray; dong or dollars for IOM).
- ✓
Do not buy vaccines on your own first; bring your records and let the panel physician decide. Keep your Information Sheet and never open a sealed envelope.
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