Venezuela
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- Unclear restrictions - it is not clear to what extent restrictions apply.
Restrictions on entry to Venezuela
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Venezuela based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, there is no evidence that Venezuela has entry restrictions based on HIV status.
According to the information available on the website of the Embassy of Venezuela in Poland, among the required documentation to obtain a tourist visa, applicants should submit a ‘medical or general health certificate stating that you do not suffer from any infectious or contagious disease, translated into Spanish’.
However, the information available on the websites of the Consulates of Venezuela in Madrid and Paris does not include that requisite.
Article 8 of the Law on Migration and Aliens, on inadmissibility, establishes that ‘foreigners who are in the following situations may not be admitted to the territory of the Republic: […] 6. When they suffer from infectious or contagious diseases or others that compromise public health.’
None of this information makes clear whether HIV could be grounds for refusal of entry.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Venezuela
It is unclear whether Venezuela imposes restrictions on short-term stay of people living with HIV.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, there is no evidence that Venezuela has restrictions based on HIV status for short-term stay.
The Embassy of Venezuela in Poland states that a short-term visa for business, study or family reasons requires a satisfactory medical certificate, as noted above.
According to the information available on the website of the Consulate of Venezuela in Madrid, a work permit application requires an ‘Original of the Ordinary Official Medical Certificate, duly legalised by the General Council of Official Medical Associations of Spain (CGCOM).
The grounds for refusing a visa detailed in Article 3 of the Rules on the procedure for issuing visas (2000) include ‘Being affected by infectious-contagious, mental or other diseases that may compromise public health.’
Restrictions on long-term stay in Venezuela
We found no further evidence of possible HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, there is no evidence that Venezuela has restrictions based on HIV status for short-term stay.
Treatment access in Venezuela
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Venezuela. However, it is not clear whether non-nationals are able to access this treatment in the same way as nationals.
The UK FCDO reports that medical facilities in Venezuela vary widely in quality. The severe economic crisis has debilitated the healthcare system and many health facilities nationwide lack essential supplies to provide primary healthcare. The Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation has reported a shortage of 80% of medical supplies due to the economic crisis.
In large cities, private clinics provide acceptable care for routine treatments but are vulnerable to acute shortages of medical supplies and medicines. More complex treatments may require evacuation. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
Public health facilities are poor, with frequent shortages of medicines and funding. Ambulance services in remote areas are unreliable and hospitals often lack adequate medical supplies and equipment.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
Visit the Venezuela page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Migrants are able to access HIV services | Yes |
Refugees and asylum seekers
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.
