Medical Visa for India: Step-by-Step Guide for Patients and Attendants (2026)

Travelling to India for treatment involves one document that decides everything else: your visa. Booking the hospital, the doctor, and your flights all depend on getting the right visa category and getting it approved on time. This guide walks patients and their attendants through the India medical visa and the faster e-medical visa, step by step, so you know what to prepare before you apply.

The figures below are indicative ranges based on what patients commonly experience. Government fees and processing times change by nationality and over time, so always confirm the current numbers on the official Indian visa portal or with the Indian mission in your country before you pay anything.

Which Visa Do You Actually Need?

India offers two relevant routes for patients:

• e-Medical Visa — applied for fully online, with approval emailed to you. Best for most patients from eligible countries who want speed and no embassy visit.
• Regular Medical Visa (sticker visa) — applied for through an Indian embassy or consulate, with the visa stamped into your passport. Used when your nationality is not eligible for the e-visa, when you need a longer stay, or when you expect multiple long visits over a year.

There is also the e-Medical Attendant Visa, which lets family members travel with the patient. We cover that below.

A common mistake is travelling on a tourist visa to save time. Hospitals routinely ask for a medical visa for admission and for billing, and a tourist visa can complicate longer stays or follow-up. If treatment is the purpose of your trip, apply on a medical category visa.

Who Is Eligible

The e-Medical Visa is available to nationals of a large list of countries across Africa, the GCC, Southeast Asia and beyond. To use it, you generally need to:

• Hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of arrival, with at least two blank pages.
• Be travelling primarily for medical treatment at a recognised hospital in India.
• Apply from outside India (the e-visa is not issued on arrival to walk-ins; you apply online before you fly).

A few nationalities are excluded from the e-visa system and must use the regular medical visa through an embassy. If you hold a passport from a country that is not on the e-visa list, plan for the sticker visa route and the extra time it needs.

The Documents You Need

Getting your paperwork ready before you start the application saves the most time. For a medical visa or e-medical visa, prepare:

• Passport valid for at least six months, with blank pages.
• A recent passport-style photograph with a plain white background (digital file for the e-visa).
• A scan of your passport bio page (clear, in colour).
• An invitation or appointment letter from the Indian hospital confirming your treatment (explained in the next section).
• Medical records or a summary describing your diagnosis and the treatment you are seeking, in English where possible.
• Proof of funds or a sponsor, if asked, to show you can cover treatment and stay.
• A return or onward travel plan, which some applicants are asked to confirm.

Keep both digital copies and printed copies. Carry the printed e-visa approval and the hospital letter in your hand luggage, because immigration officers and the hospital admissions desk will ask for them.

The Hospital Invitation Letter

The invitation letter is the single document that turns a general travel request into a medical visa application. It comes from the treating hospital in India and typically states:

• The patient's name and passport details.
• The medical condition and the proposed treatment or procedure.
• The expected duration of treatment and follow-up.
• The hospital's registration and accreditation details, and a contact person.

You get this letter after a hospital has reviewed your case. That usually means sharing your reports first, receiving a preliminary medical opinion and an estimated cost, and then confirming you intend to proceed. This is exactly where a facilitator helps: instead of cold-emailing several hospitals, you share your reports once and receive opinions and an invitation letter from an appropriate accredited hospital.

If you are applying for the regular medical visa at an embassy, some missions ask for the invitation letter to mention specific details or to be on hospital letterhead with a stamp. Check your local embassy's checklist so the letter is accepted the first time.

Step-by-Step: Applying for the e-Medical Visa

1. Get your medical opinion and invitation letter from the hospital. Nothing else can be finalised until you have this.
2. Go to the official Indian e-visa portal and select the e-Medical Visa category. Apply only on the genuine government site to avoid overpriced or fraudulent middlemen.
3. Fill in your details and upload your photo, passport bio page and supporting information. Enter the hospital's name and address as given in your invitation letter.
4. Pay the visa fee online. Indicative e-medical visa fees commonly fall in the range of roughly USD 80–100 depending on nationality, plus any bank charge.
5. Wait for approval by email. Many applicants receive the electronic visa within about 3 to 5 working days, though it can take longer, so apply at least two to three weeks before travel.
6. Print the approved e-visa and travel. On arrival, immigration stamps your entry at a designated e-visa airport or seaport.

The e-medical visa is typically valid for a stay of up to 60 days from arrival and usually allows two or three entries within that period, which helps if your treatment needs a short trip home in between. The exact stay length and entries depend on the rules in force when you apply.

Bringing an Attendant

Most patients do not travel alone, and India's system allows for this. The e-Medical Attendant Visa can be granted to family members or carers accompanying the patient. Key points:

• Usually up to two attendants can be linked to one patient's medical visa.
• Each attendant submits a separate application and pays a separate fee, in a range similar to the patient's e-medical visa.
• The attendant's application is tied to the patient's medical visa, so the patient's visa generally needs to be approved or applied for alongside it.

Spouses, parents, adult children or another close relative commonly travel as attendants. Have the relationship clear in your documents if asked.

Fees and Timelines at a Glance

As indicative planning figures, not fixed quotes:

• e-Medical visa fee: roughly USD 80–100 per person, varying by nationality.
• e-Medical visa processing: often around 3–5 working days; allow more buffer.
• Regular (sticker) medical visa: embassy fees and timelines vary widely by country and can take one to two weeks or longer, so start early.
• Validity / stay: e-medical visa commonly allows up to 60 days per visit with multiple entries.

Build slack into your plan. A delayed visa is the most avoidable reason a treatment date slips.

A Few Practical Tips

• Apply only on the official government portal for the e-visa. Third-party sites often charge far more for the same service.
• Make sure the name and spelling on your application exactly match your passport. Mismatches cause rejections.
• Keep your hospital contact reachable during the application in case the visa officer wants confirmation.
• Carry printed copies of your e-visa, invitation letter and key medical reports in your hand luggage.

How Livance Can Help

The visa is usually the easiest part once the medical side is sorted, and that is where most patients want support. At Livance, you can share your reports and get a free medical opinion and an indicative cost estimate from accredited hospitals, along with the invitation letter you need for the visa. A dedicated coordinator can guide you through documents, hospital admission and travel logistics, and you can reach us on WhatsApp in English, Arabic, French or Swahili. There is no obligation, just a clear next step. When you are ready, send us your reports and we will help you plan the journey.