The Indian Medical Visa, Explained Step by Step
The invitation letter is the piece most people get stuck on. Here is how the whole process actually runs.
Who needs a Medical Visa
Any foreign national travelling to India for treatment at a recognised hospital should travel on a Medical Visa (or e-Medical Visa), not a tourist visa. Hospitals are required to record your visa category on admission, and treatment on the wrong category creates avoidable problems at discharge and at the airport.
Documents you will need
- Passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages
- Recent passport-size photograph on a white background
- Invitation or appointment letter from the treating Indian hospital
- Medical reports establishing the condition to be treated
- Proof of sufficient funds for treatment and stay
- Return ticket or travel itinerary, where the mission requests it
The hospital invitation letter
This is the document embassies actually look for, and the one families cannot obtain on their own. It states the diagnosis, the planned treatment, the treating consultant, the expected duration and the estimated cost.
Healnexa obtains it for you free of charge, usually within 24 to 48 hours of receiving your reports and a doctor's opinion.
Medical Attendant Visas
Up to two attendants — normally close family members — may accompany the patient on Medical Attendant Visas, valid for the same period as the patient's visa. Apply for all applications together and make sure names match the passports exactly, including middle names.
Validity, extension and FRRO registration
A Medical Visa is typically issued for up to 60 days for the e-Visa route, and up to one year with triple entry for the regular category, depending on the treatment plan and nationality.
Patients staying longer than 180 days must register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Extensions for continuing treatment are granted on a hospital letter certifying the need. Our team handles both.
Common reasons applications are delayed
- No invitation letter, or one that omits the treatment plan and cost
- Passport with less than six months validity
- Applying as a tourist and trying to convert later
- Name spelling mismatch between the letter and the passport
- Insufficient evidence of funds for the estimated cost
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a care coordinator today
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