Indian Visa Application – Medical Visa For India – Eligibility, Criteria, and Application Procedure
Patients planning to travel to India for medical treatment must apply for a medical visa to seek entry into the country. To be able to do that, they need to know about the requirements, eligibility criteria, and the correct procedure of Indian visa application.
This page details out the basic facts that you must know about visa requirements for a medical trip to India. In addition, it provides direct useful links to the Indian High Commission in specific countries from where a maximum number of medical patients visit India for medical treatment.
Medical Visa Application Process
A patient interested in traveling to India for medical treatment can apply for a visa either in person at the local Indian consulate/embassy or online (e-visa) depending on eligibility. Indian consulates located in some countries accept only offline visa applications while some accept online visa applications. Therefore, you must check with the Indian consulate in your respective country to confirm whether you need to apply for a medical visa online or offline (in person at the consulate).
Eligibility for Medical Visa to India
Not all patients across the world are eligible to undergo medical treatment in India. The following are some of the factors that make patients from abroad eligible to undergo medical treatment in India:
- Only those individuals whose sole purpose is to seek medical treatment in India can apply for a medical visa to the country.
- It is mandatory for patients to seek medical treatment at a reputed, specialized, and well-recognized hospital, clinic, or healthcare center.
- Medical visa is preferably granted to patients who plan to seek treatment for major procedures such as cardiac bypass, stent placement, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, neurosurgery, knee replacement, plastic surgery, hip replacement, renal procedures, and gene therapy.
Important Documents That Patients Must Submit To Seek Medical Visa Approval
The documents required for application of medical visa to India differ for adults and minors.
Documents required for adults
Online/offline visa application form: Printout of completely and correctly filled visa application form.
Recent photograph: One colored front facing photograph (51mm * 51mm) taken on a white background. The photo should be clear. Pakistan nationals need to submit four copies of their photograph. Bangladesh residents need to submit two copies of their photograph.
Passport: A passport with at least six months validity and a minimum of two blank pages. Patients who have dual citizenship with the US and one other country need to furnish their US passport.
Medical reports: A copy of the medical reports on the basis of which the patient is planning a trip to India. The proof should include a written advice from a local doctor stating that specialized treatment is required.
Address proof: Any document that confirms the address of the patient (for example utility bills, driving license, tenant/landlord agreement, credit card statement, or mobile bill)
Visa invitation Letter from the preferred hospital: An official letter from the hospital of interest in India detailing out the name of the patient, the accompanying attendants, their ailment, and the consent to provide them the treatment that they have been advised.
Proof of relationship (if applicable): Documents confirming the relationship of the patient with the two attendants accompanying him or her to India (for example marriage certificate or birth certificate).
Sponsorship documents (if applicable): A signed affidavit from the concerned person sponsoring treatment along with a copy of their signed photo identification proof and bank statement. The affidavit should clearly mention the relationship between the sponsor and the patient.
Documents required for adults
Birth certificate: Birth certificate or any other document that states the name of the parents, nationality, and date of birth.
Parents’ passports: A copy of passport along with pages that bear their signature and photograph.
Visa application: Sealed visa application containing the signature of the parents and a notary stamp.
Documents required for attendants
Visa application form (original and one copy) with signature on both the pages
Passport (original and one copy), signed, with at least six months of validity and two blank pages
What is a visa invitation letter?
A visa invitation letter is an official proof that the patient is eligible to undergo treatment at a hospital of their choice at the preferred destination. For medical patients interested in traveling to India for medical treatment, this letter is furnished by the authorities at the hospital where the patient is planning to undergo treatment.
The visa invitation letter is a formal document, which is required at the time of filing medical visa application. It serves as a proof that the patient has contacted the hospital about his or her ailment. The hospital, in return, provides a letter containing the details of the patient, their attendants, the course of treatment, and their estimated duration of stay in the country.
Steps for In Person (offline) Medical Visa Application
Patients should take the following steps to file an offline application for the medical visa to India:
- Visit the Indian consulate in your country.
- Secure visa application form from the authorized personnel.
- Fill in all the required details and affix a recent photograph.
- Sign the correctly filled form and attach a copy of the required documents.
- Submit the form along with the mandatory visa application fees in cash to the concerned consulate authorities.
Some countries have dedicated Indian Visa Application Centers (IVACs) for offline submission of the application forms. These centers are directly in touch with the Indian consulates and collect applications on their behalf. Get information about the complete offline visa application submission from the High Commission of India in your respective country.
Steps for Online (e-visa) Medical Visa Application
Patients should take the following steps to file an online application for the medical visa to India:
- Visit the Indian Visa Online web site at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html and select Regular Visa Application.
- Fill the relevant details and click Continue.
- Fill the next two pages with correct details and click Continue.
- Mention your family and professional details.
- Enter information pertaining to the medical visa application, including the duration of treatment, hospital details, expected date of journey, the purpose of journey, and other information.
- Either upload a scanned copy of your picture or paste your picture after submitting the application.
- Click Save and cross-verify all the details entered so far in the final page.
- Click Verified if all details entered are correct, else Click Edit/Modify.
- Click OK for final registration, else Cancel if you want to make any changes.
- Once you click OK, a pop-up asking you to confirm an appointment date at the Indian High Commission in your country.
- Confirm the appointment and Print the application or Save the completed form to print at a later date.
- Paste the photograph in the printed application form, if you did not upload it in Step 6.
- Sign the completed application form at all the relevant places.
- Submit the signed visa application form along with all required documents at the Indian High Commission on the selected appointment date.
Important Embassy links
