Australian visa health checks: conditions 8527, 8529 and 8572 (2026)
If your visa carries condition 8529, then yes: you must undergo a medical examination after entering Australia, and in most cases a chest x-ray as well. The requirement comes from Schedule 8 to the Migration Regulations 1994, in the authorised text published on the Australian Government's legislation register (legislation.gov.au), as of the September 2026 version of that register. Two related conditions sit next to it — 8527 (free from tuberculosis at the time of travel to, and entry into, Australia) and 8572 (medical assessment when requested in writing by the Minister). None of the three attaches automatically to every visa; whether a particular visa class can be made subject to a condition depends on the relevant provision in Schedule 2 of the same Regulations.
What does condition 8527 actually require?
8527 is the shortest of the three, and it sets a health status rather than a task: "The holder must be free from tuberculosis at the time of travel to, and entry into, Australia."
The condition names two moments — travel to Australia and entry into Australia — so the obligation is framed around the state of your health at those points, not around any particular test the condition itself describes. What 8527 does not do is spell out how that status is assessed; the text stops at the requirement itself.
What does condition 8529 require after you enter Australia?
8529 splits into two limbs. Limb (a) is the medical examination; limb (b) is the chest x-ray, which applies unless you fall into one of the exemption categories set out in the condition.
Who can carry out the medical examination?
Limb (a) allows three options, any one of which satisfies it:
- a Commonwealth Medical Officer;
- a medical practitioner approved by the Minister;
- a medical practitioner employed by an organisation approved by the Minister.
The examination is expressly "after entering Australia" — it is a post-entry obligation, not something the condition places on you before you board.
What does the chest x-ray requirement say?
Limb (b) requires a chest x-ray examination conducted by a medical practitioner who is qualified as a radiologist in Australia. The qualification matters: the condition does not accept a chest x-ray reported by just anyone, but one done by a practitioner qualified as a radiologist in Australia.
When can the chest x-ray be skipped?
There are two exemption pathways, and both are written narrowly.
Under 11 years of age. The holder is exempt if they are under 11 and are not a person in respect of whom a Commonwealth Medical Officer has requested such an examination. A request from a Commonwealth Medical Officer therefore overrides the age-based exemption.
Pregnancy. The second pathway is cumulative — all four elements must be met:
- (A) the person is confirmed by a Commonwealth Medical Officer to be pregnant;
- (B) the person has been examined for tuberculosis by a chest clinic officer employed by a health authority of a State or Territory;
- (C) the person has signed an undertaking to place herself under the professional supervision of a health authority in a State or Territory and to undergo any necessary treatment; and
- (D) the Minister is satisfied that the person should not be required to undergo a chest x-ray examination at this time.
Element (D) is a satisfaction of the Minister, not something the holder can elect. The wording "at this time" also signals that this is a deferral-shaped exemption rather than a permanent one.
What is condition 8572, and how does it differ from 8529?
8572 is triggered by a request, not by entry: "If requested in writing by the Minister to do so, the holder must undergo a medical assessment carried out by any of the following" — a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth, a medical practitioner approved by the Minister, or a medical practitioner employed by an organisation approved by the Minister.
The practical difference is the trigger. 8529 bites on entry for holders whose visa carries it; 8572 bites only when the Minister makes a written request. 8572 is also framed as a "medical assessment", whereas 8529 specifies a medical examination plus, generally, a chest x-ray.
Here is how the three compare on the fields that differ:
| Condition | Trigger | What is required | Who performs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8527 | Time of travel to, and entry into, Australia | Holder must be free from tuberculosis | Not specified in the condition |
| 8529 | After entering Australia | Medical examination, plus chest x-ray unless exempt | Commonwealth Medical Officer, Minister-approved practitioner, or practitioner employed by a Minister-approved organisation; chest x-ray by a practitioner qualified as a radiologist in Australia |
| 8572 | Written request by the Minister | Medical assessment | Medical Officer of the Commonwealth, Minister-approved practitioner, or practitioner employed by a Minister-approved organisation |
Does every Australian visa carry these conditions?
No. Each of the three conditions ends with the same note: whether a visa of a particular class may be made subject to this condition depends on the relevant provision in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994. In other words, the conditions in Schedule 8 are a menu, and Schedule 2 decides which items are attached to which visa class.
That also means the reliable way to know whether you personally owe a post-entry examination is to read the conditions recorded on your own visa grant, not to assume that a friend's or a relative's condition list matches yours. This article describes how the conditions read; it is general information only and is not advice on any individual case, so where a specific health, pregnancy or compliance situation is involved, the current official text and a qualified professional should be the reference points.
What happens if a condition is breached?
The note attached to each condition points to the Migration Act 1958 — sections 41 and 116 to 119 — for cancellation for breaches of conditions. The Schedule 8 text itself does not go further than that cross-reference.
One nuance worth reading carefully: 8529 is drafted as two obligations joined by "and". Satisfying the medical examination in limb (a) does not by itself discharge limb (b), so a holder who completes the examination but no chest x-ray — without qualifying for either exemption — has not met the condition as written.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does condition 8529 mean I have to book a medical exam after I land?
Yes, if 8529 is a condition on your visa. Limb (a) says the holder must, after entering Australia, undergo a medical examination carried out by a Commonwealth Medical Officer, a medical practitioner approved by the Minister, or a medical practitioner employed by an organisation approved by the Minister.
Do children need the chest x-ray under 8529?
Holders under 11 years of age are exempt from the chest x-ray, but only if a Commonwealth Medical Officer has not requested such an examination in respect of them. If a Commonwealth Medical Officer has made that request, the age-based exemption does not apply.
Can pregnancy exempt someone from the chest x-ray?
Pregnancy can, but only through the cumulative pathway in limb (b)(ii): confirmation of pregnancy by a Commonwealth Medical Officer, a tuberculosis examination by a chest clinic officer employed by a State or Territory health authority, a signed undertaking to accept professional supervision and any necessary treatment, and the Minister being satisfied the chest x-ray should not be required at this time.
Is condition 8527 the same thing as the health requirement in my visa application?
8527 is a visa condition — an obligation attached to the visa itself — and it requires the holder to be free from tuberculosis at the time of travel to, and entry into, Australia. The condition text does not describe any application-stage health assessment, so the two should not be treated as the same thing.
How do I know which of these conditions are on my visa?
The note under each condition states that whether a visa of a particular class may be made subject to it depends on the relevant provision in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Your own grant record is what shows which conditions were actually imposed on your visa.
What if I already completed a medical examination — does condition 8572 still apply?
8572 operates on a different trigger: it applies if the Minister requests it in writing. Completing an examination under another condition does not remove the possibility of a written request under 8572, since the obligation arises from the request itself.