Unfortunately, no, you cannot change the assigned GAMCA (now Wafid) medical centre after booking an appointment.
Here’s why and what your options are:
Why you can’t change the assigned centre:
- Automatic Assignment: When you book your GAMCA/Wafid appointment online, the system automatically assigns a medical centre based on the city and country you select. You do not have the option to choose a specific centre yourself.
- Slip Validity: The generated medical slip is tied to that specific centre and is valid for a certain period (usually 21-30 days, though sources vary slightly on the exact number). During this validity period, you cannot generate a new slip or change the assigned centre.
What you can do if you need to change the medical centre:
Your primary option is to let your current slip expire and then book a new appointment.
- Wait for Expiry: Your current GAMCA/Wafid appointment slip will expire after its validity period (e.g., 21 or 30 days) if you do not undergo the medical examination.
- Book a New Appointment: Once the previous slip has expired, you will then be able to generate a new online appointment slip. During this new booking process, you can select a different city if that’s your reason for wanting to change the centre, and the system will assign a new centre in that selected city.
Important Considerations:
- Loss of Fee: The fee paid for the initial appointment (the online registration fee) is typically non-refundable once the slip has been generated. So, if you let it expire to book a new one, you will likely lose that initial payment and have to pay again for the new booking.
- Delays: This process will undoubtedly cause delays in your overall visa application timeline as you’ll have to wait for the previous slip to expire before you can even book a new one.
- No Cancellation for Refund (generally): While some third-party agents might offer a cancellation service with a small fee before the slip is generated, once the official Wafid slip is issued, it’s generally stated that the slip cannot be cancelled for a refund.
Therefore, it’s extremely important to carefully select the correct city and ensure you are able to visit the assigned medical centre before you finalize your GAMCA/Wafid online appointment.
