How to Get an Indian Medical Visa: e-Medical Visa Requirements, Fees and Processing Time

To get an Indian medical visa, most nationalities apply online for an e-Medical visa on the official Indian e-Visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa). You need a passport valid for at least six months, a recent photograph, a scan of your passport bio page and a letter from the treating hospital in India confirming your treatment. Pay the fee online, apply at least a week before arrival, and print the approval. Up to two companions apply for linked e-Medical Attendant visas.

This guide walks through the application step by step, including the hospital’s visa invitation letter, photo and document specifications, fees, processing times, attendant visas, and what to do after you arrive.

Visa rules change. Always check the current requirements on the official Government of India e-Visa portal, or with the Indian embassy or consulate in your country, before booking travel.

Which visa do you need?

Visa	Who it is for	How to apply
e-Medical visa	The patient travelling for treatment	Online, on the official e-Visa portal
e-Medical Attendant visa	Up to two companions travelling with the patient	Online, linked to the patient’s e-Medical visa
Regular Medical visa (M visa)	Patients from countries not eligible for e-Visa, or who need a longer visa	Through the Indian embassy, consulate or its visa centre
Medical Attendant visa (MX visa)	Companions of a regular Medical visa holder	Through the embassy, consulate or visa centre

Citizens of most countries are eligible for the e-Visa, including the UK, US, Canada, Kenya, Nigeria, the UAE, Oman and Uzbekistan. Eligibility depends on the passport you hold, not on your country of residence. Expatriate residents of the Gulf, for example, apply according to their own nationality. Eligibility lists change, so check the portal.

Step 1: Get a visa invitation letter from the treating hospital

The e-Medical visa application asks for a letter from the hospital in India where you will be treated, often called a visa invitation letter (VIL). It is usually issued once you have chosen your hospital and agreed a treatment plan. The letter is on the hospital’s letterhead and typically includes:

• The patient’s name and passport number
• The diagnosis and planned treatment
• The expected duration of treatment and stay
• The names and passport numbers of attendants, if any
• The hospital’s contact details and signature of an authorised officer

To prepare it, the hospital usually needs a clear scan of the passport bio page for the patient and each attendant, the relationship of each attendant to the patient, and your planned arrival date. Hospitals commonly issue the letter within two to three working days. A facilitator can help you request it and check the details. Make sure names and passport numbers match your passport exactly, because mismatches are a common cause of delays.

Step 2: Prepare your documents

Document	Specification (check the portal for current requirements)
Passport	Valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, with at least two blank pages
Photograph	Recent, front-facing, plain white or light background, no shadows; JPEG format, square dimensions, file size typically 10 KB–1 MB
Passport bio page scan	PDF, typically 10 KB–300 KB
Hospital visa invitation letter	PDF, on hospital letterhead
Medical reports (if requested)	PDF

Photographs are the most common reason for an application to be returned. Use a recent photo with your full face visible, eyes open, no glasses glare, no head covering except for religious reasons, and a plain background. Crop it to a square.

Step 3: Complete the online application

1. Go to the official Indian e-Visa portal. Beware of unofficial websites that charge extra fees.
2. Choose e-Medical visa as the visa type.
3. Enter your passport details exactly as printed, along with your expected date of arrival and port of arrival (for example Delhi).
4. Complete personal, family, address and occupation details.
5. Upload your photograph, passport scan and the hospital letter.
6. Review every field carefully, then submit and note your application ID.

Companions apply separately for the e-Medical Attendant visa, quoting the patient’s e-Medical visa application details.

Step 4: Pay the fee

The e-Visa fee depends on your nationality and is paid online by card, usually with a small bank transaction charge. Fees are non-refundable, even if the visa is not granted. Check the fee table on the official portal for your nationality. On our trip-cost comparisons we budget an indicative US$80 per person, which covers most nationalities.

Step 5: Processing time and approval

Applications should be made at least four days before arrival. The portal allows you to apply some months in advance. Decisions are commonly issued within about 72 hours, but this is not guaranteed, and some applications take longer or need extra documents. A safe approach is to apply one to two weeks before travel, once your hospital letter is ready.

When approved, you receive an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) by email. Print it and carry it with your passport. Check the status on the portal if you have not heard back.

Step 6: Arrival in India

e-Visa holders must enter through designated airports and seaports. Major international airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, are included. At immigration your biometrics are recorded and the visa is stamped. Keep the hospital letter, return ticket and accommodation details handy in case you are asked.

How long can you stay?

Feature	e-Medical visa (typical terms)
Entries	Triple entry has typically been allowed
Duration of stay	Up to 60 days has typically been allowed
Extension	Considered for medical reasons by the immigration authorities in India
Attendants	Up to two, on e-Medical Attendant visas with the same validity

Terms have changed over time, so check the current validity on the portal. For long treatments such as a bone marrow transplant, radiotherapy courses or complex surgery, discuss the likely duration with the hospital before you apply. If you need to stay longer, extensions are applied for online through the e-FRRO portal, usually with a supporting letter from the hospital.

Registration with the FRRO

Depending on your visa type and length of stay, you may need to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which is done online through the e-FRRO system. Hospitals and facilitators commonly help with this. Check the conditions printed on your visa and ask the hospital’s international patient team on arrival.

Medical attendant visas in detail

Up to two attendants can travel with a patient. Attendants are usually close family members, and the hospital letter should name them. Attendant visas are linked to the patient’s visa, so the patient’s application should be submitted first. Attendants cannot use their visa for unrelated purposes such as work. If a third family member wants to visit, they would need a different visa, such as a tourist visa.

If you are not eligible for an e-Visa

If your nationality is not on the e-Visa list, or you need a longer stay than the e-Medical visa allows, apply for a regular Medical visa (M visa) through the Indian embassy, consulate or its appointed visa application centre in your country. The process is similar but slower: you complete an online form, book an appointment, submit your passport, photographs, the hospital letter and supporting medical documents, and attend for biometrics if required. Processing can take from several days to a few weeks, so apply early. Companions apply for Medical Attendant (MX) visas at the same time. Regular medical visas have generally been issued for longer periods than the e-Medical visa, which can suit long treatments such as transplants. Ask the embassy which documents it requires, because local requirements vary.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using unofficial visa websites, which charge extra and may not submit your application
• Name or passport mismatches between the application, the passport and the hospital letter
• Photos that do not meet specifications
• Applying too late, leaving no time to fix problems
• Booking non-refundable flights before the visa is approved
• Forgetting attendants, who need their own linked visas

Country-specific notes

Our corridor pages include visa notes for patients from Kenya, Nigeria, the UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom, along with flight routes and practical tips.

Visa checklist

• Treatment plan agreed and hospital chosen
• Hospital visa invitation letter with the correct names and passport numbers
• Passport valid for six months, with two blank pages
• Photo and passport scan meeting the size and format rules
• e-Medical visa application submitted on the official portal and fee paid
• Attendant applications submitted, linked to the patient’s visa
• ETA approval printed for each traveller
• Flights booked after approval, with changeable dates if possible
• Hospital letter, reports and medicine list in your hand luggage

The bottom line

Getting an Indian medical visa is straightforward for most nationalities. Agree your treatment plan, get the treating hospital’s visa invitation letter, and apply online for the e-Medical visa and up to two e-Medical Attendant visas at least a week before you travel. Use only the official portal, double-check names and photos, and print your approval. If you have not yet chosen a hospital or plan, start by sending your reports for a free evaluation.