diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/vkupload.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/vkupload.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26e151677e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/vkupload.c
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/* GStreamer
+ *
+ * unit test for vulkanupload element
+ * Copyright (C) 2025 Igalia, S.L.
+ *     Author: Víctor Jáquez <vjaquez@igalia.com>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Library General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include <gst/gst.h>
+#include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
+#include <gst/check/gstharness.h>
+#include <gst/vulkan/vulkan.h>
+
+#define SOURCE "videotestsrc num-buffers=1 pattern=blue ! "
+#define CAPS "format=NV12, width=320, height=240"
+
+static void
+check_output_buffer (GstBuffer * buf)
+{
+  GstMapInfo mapinfo;
+  guint i;
+
+  fail_unless (gst_buffer_map (buf, &mapinfo, GST_MAP_READ));
+
+  /* Check for a 320x240 blue square in NV12 format */
+  /* Y */
+  for (i = 0; i < 0x12c00; i++)
+    fail_unless (mapinfo.data[i] == 0x29);
+  /* UV */
+  for (i = 0x12c00; i < 0x1c1f0; i++)
+    fail_unless (mapinfo.data[i] == 0xf0 && mapinfo.data[++i] == 0x6e);
+  gst_buffer_unmap (buf, &mapinfo);
+}
+
+GST_START_TEST (test_vulkan_upload_buffer)
+{
+  GstHarness *h;
+  GstBuffer *buf;
+
+  h = gst_harness_new_parse (SOURCE "vulkanupload");
+  gst_harness_set_sink_caps_str (h, "video/x-raw(memory:VulkanBuffer), " CAPS);
+  gst_harness_play (h);
+
+  buf = gst_harness_pull (h);
+  ck_assert (buf);
+  check_output_buffer (buf);
+
+  gst_buffer_unref (buf);
+  gst_harness_teardown (h);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
+GST_START_TEST (test_vulkan_upload_image)
+{
+  GstHarness *h;
+  GstBuffer *buf;
+
+  h = gst_harness_new_parse (SOURCE "vulkanupload ! vulkandownload");
+  gst_harness_set_sink_caps_str (h, "video/x-raw, " CAPS);
+  gst_harness_play (h);
+
+  buf = gst_harness_pull (h);
+  ck_assert (buf);
+  check_output_buffer (buf);
+
+  gst_buffer_unref (buf);
+  gst_harness_teardown (h);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
+static Suite *
+vkupload_suite (void)
+{
+  Suite *s = suite_create ("vkupload");
+  TCase *tc_basic = tcase_create ("general");
+  GstVulkanInstance *instance;
+  gboolean have_instance;
+
+  suite_add_tcase (s, tc_basic);
+
+  /* FIXME: CI doesn't have a software vulkan renderer (and none exists currently) */
+  instance = gst_vulkan_instance_new ();
+  have_instance = gst_vulkan_instance_open (instance, NULL);
+  gst_object_unref (instance);
+  if (have_instance) {
+    tcase_add_test (tc_basic, test_vulkan_upload_buffer);
+    tcase_add_test (tc_basic, test_vulkan_upload_image);
+  }
+
+  return s;
+}
+
+GST_CHECK_MAIN (vkupload);
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/meson.build
index f777d9fdfc..7e8606ebb2 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/meson.build
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ base_tests = [
   [['elements/switchbin.c'], get_option('switchbin').disabled()],
   [['elements/videoframe-audiolevel.c'], get_option('videoframe_audiolevel').disabled()],
   [['elements/viewfinderbin.c']],
+  [['elements/vkcolorconvert.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
+  [['elements/vkdeviceprovider.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
+  [['elements/vkupload.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['elements/voamrwbenc.c'], not voamrwbenc_dep.found(), [voamrwbenc_dep]],
   [['elements/vp9parse.c'], false, [gstcodecparsers_dep]],
   [['elements/av1parse.c'], false, [gstcodecparsers_dep]],
@@ -110,10 +113,8 @@ base_tests = [
   [['libs/jpegbitwriter.c'], false, [gstcodecparsers_dep]],
   [['libs/vkmemory.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/analyticsmeta.c'], false, [gstanalytics_dep]],
-  [['elements/vkcolorconvert.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/vkwindow.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/vkdevice.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
-  [['elements/vkdeviceprovider.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/vkcommandpool.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/vkimage.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],
   [['libs/vkinstance.c'], not gstvulkan_dep.found(), [gstvulkan_dep]],