Hello to the Community,
As I imagine many of you do, I really like to travel, and you already know that in many countries, in order to enter as a tourist, they require you to fill out a form, which sometimes contains questions like: “Do you suffer from any contagious disease?” or something similar…
My question is if you know of any country where, because we are carriers of HBV, they do not give us a tourist visa, and therefore we cannot enter.
And another question, in the case that hypothetically we had answered NO to that question, and then for whathever reason, we had to receive medical attention in that country, and we had to declare that we are carriers, could it be a crime not to have answered that question honestly?
Thanks to everyone.
Travelled international after finding out chronic HepB diagnosis. No problems at all and never being asked to disclose any ailments. If you are under treatment with antiviral your viral load should be undetectable or barely non-existent and low chance of transmission. Be cognizant and be careful as you should be.
You should be aware that most countries also have a list of exemption of diseases considered to be contagious for visa purpose.
It would be great to get some clarity on this from our @LawExperts.
Personally, I have not been asked about my Hep B status on any official forms. On my recent trip to the US, I was asked at the border about why I chose to research hep B (they always seem to go in-depth with the interview at immigration…) and when I mentioned that I have hep B they didn’t bat an eye and let me through.
That said, I think I remember some middle eastern countries that are strict about visas for people with Hep B, but unclear if that includes tourist visas.
Cheers,
Thomas
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Great question - and it is a complex and important one too.
There isn’t a central database or resource on travel and visa restrictions regarding hepatitis B - while there is one for HIV, for example.
The main division in migration law and visas relating to questions regarding hepatitis B will differ depending on whether there is a short or longer-term stay planned. And then a separate set of rules apply for those who wish to work in a particular jurisdiction.
My understanding is that there are few countries where there is a complete ban on travel. Some have stronger restrictions, like the UAE - particularly regarding those who wish to work in the UAE. From memory there are annual hepatitis B tests for people on particular visas there.
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