India is one of the most popular destinations for medical treatment. People travel from all over the world to India for treatment. You need a valid medical visa for your travel if you are a foreign national. However, you can travel without a visa if you are a citizen of Nepal, Bhutan, or the Maldives. 

India introduced e-visa in November 2014. Nationals of more than 140 countries are eligible for an e-visa. It makes a big difference in the time taken to get a visa. Now, you will get an e-visa within 2-3 days. This is encouraging news for patients looking for treatment in India.

Those coming as patients' attendants will get an e-Medical attendant visa. The visa will usually be valid for one year. It is possible to stay for up to 90 days at a time.

If you are a US, UK, Canadian, or Japanese national, you can stay up to 180 days. Your visa will clearly state the duration and validity of your stay.

What do I need to have before applying for an e-visa?

The process is easy. You need to have the following documents ready.

• A passport that has more than six (6) months of validity
• An invitation letter from the hospital in India on its letterhead. The letter should mention the tentative dates of treatment, name, nationality, and passport number of the patient and attendant.
• Photographs - It must be as per the below specifications
• Format: JPEG 
• File size Minimum 10 KB Maximum 300 KB
• The photo height and width must be equal.
• The photo should present a full face, front view with eyes open.
• The background should be plain, light-colored, or white background.
• There should be no shadows on the face or in the background.
• The photo should be without borders.
• Make sure the photo presents a full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. The dimensions should be 350 pixels (height) by 350 pixels (width).

How do I apply for an E-medical visa?

Once you have all the documents, you are ready to apply. The process is as below.

• Connect to the visa application website 
• Fill in the details on the form online
• Upload photographs and documents
• Pay visa fees online
• Your visa will be emailed to you within 1-3 days if everything is in order.

The Indian government's E-visa portal has all the information about the visa process. 

Note: It is best to use only the e-visa portal for the e-visa application. There is also a telephone helpline (+91-11-24300666) and an email service (indiatvoa@gov.in) for assistance.

What do I do if I am not eligible for an E-medical visa?

If your country is not on the list of eligible countries for an e-visa, you will have to go through the regular visa process. The steps are as below.

• Fill in the visa application form online on the visa portal 
• Print the completed application form and sign in the marked areas
• Make sure you get an invitation letter from the hospital in India on its letterhead. 
• Submit the application form and invitation letter to the nearest Indian embassy in your country. 
• Note: You may need some additional documents and vaccinations in some cases. Check with the Indian embassy in your country for details.

A checklist for medical travel to India

You must be aware of a few items before your trip. 

• Select your hospital from among the most reputable hospitals in India 
• Before traveling, it is always wise to have a remote discussion (over the phone or via video) with the doctor.
• Then, of course, air tickets and visas are mandatory for travel. It is advisable to have a return/onward ticket from India. 
• Another vital point is to have a confirmed hotel booking in India. Patients can stay in hospitals only during the treatment period. You will have to make arrangements for the stay during the pre and post-hospitalization period. Thus, booking a proper hotel or serviced apartment is vital.
• There will be daily trips between the place of stay and the hospital. So, it is prudent to make local travel arrangements with local travel companies before travel itself.
• Finally, having someone meet you at the airport is a huge comfort factor. So make sure someone can take you to the hotel/hospital from the airport.