School Fitness Screening Now Required for New Students

Families across Saudi Arabia registering children for kindergarten or the first grade of primary school for the 1448 AH / 2026–2027 academic year must complete a mandatory school fitness screening as part of registration. The screening is a required medical step for all new students in these grades in every region and governorate of the Kingdom.

The screening falls under the national School Entry Health Exam Program (Fitness Testing), carried out by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Public Health Authority. Its main goals are to determine the appropriate educational track — general education or special education — verify that basic vaccinations are complete, and enable early detection of health problems to support a safe school start.

What the screening includes

Each examination reviews the student and family medical history and confirms school-age vaccinations against the National Immunization Schedule. The health team measures weight, height, and BMI, and conducts a full clinical examination, along with vision, hearing, and dental and oral checks. A speech assessment is carried out where needed.

Screenings take place at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) and school health clinics throughout the Kingdom. Parents book appointments electronically through the Sehhaty app by logging in, opening the Appointments section, selecting "Book an Appointment," choosing the preferred Primary Healthcare Center and the Family Medicine Clinic, then confirming a date and time.

On the day of the visit, the student attends the center with a guardian. The guardian should bring the family ID or residence permit and the original vaccination certificate. After completing all components and recording the results, the health team directs the student to the appropriate educational path based on the findings. The step helps ensure every child begins school in good health and receives suitable educational support from day one.

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