India medical visa for surgery: what international patients need to know
By the OmLina team · Last reviewed
The short answer
If your country is eligible for India’s e-Visa, you can apply online for an e-Medical visa. It allows a stay of 60 days from the day you arrive, with up to three entries, and it can be extended for up to six months, case by case, by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office. Up to two companions can travel on e-Medical Attendant visas linked to yours. OmLina prepares your visa paperwork and hospital invitation letter at no charge; the decision stays with the Indian authorities.
Which visa do you need?
India has a visa made for medical treatment, and it is the one to use when the reason for your trip is surgery. There are two ways to get it:
- The e-Medical visa, applied for online, if your nationality is eligible for India’s e-Visa scheme.
- A regular Medical visa, applied for through the Indian embassy, consulate or visa centre that serves your country, if you can’t use the e-Visa.
The e-Medical visa covers medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine. Companions travelling to look after you apply for the e-Medical Attendant visa, which is linked to yours.
The e-Medical visa at a glance
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Length of stay | What it means for you60 days from the day you arrive in India |
| Entries | What it means for youTriple entry: you can enter India up to three times while the visa is valid |
| Extension | What it means for youUp to 6 months, decided case by case by the FRRO or FRO (the local foreigners registration office) |
| Companions | What it means for youUp to two e-Medical Attendant visas can be issued against one e-Medical visa |
| Arriving | What it means for youe-Visa holders must arrive at one of the designated airports or seaports listed on the official portal |
| Leaving | What it means for youThrough any authorised immigration check post in India |
Visa rules, fees and the list of arrival airports change. Always confirm them on the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, before you apply or book travel.
What the application asks for
The exact list and the fee depend on your nationality, so check the portal for your country. Patients are usually asked for:
- A passport that meets the validity rules on the portal.
- A recent passport-style photo and a scan of your passport’s photo page.
- A letter from the hospital in India that will treat you, on its letterhead.
The hospital letter is why the order of steps matters: a hospital needs to have reviewed your reports and accepted your case before it can write one.
When to apply
- First, get your reports reviewed and a hospital to accept your case.
- Then get the hospital’s letter and a provisional admission date.
- Apply for your visa and your companions’ visas together.
- Book flights once the visa is granted. Plan the return around the date your surgeon expects to sign you fit to fly, not the discharge date.
If your surgeon expects your treatment and recovery to take longer than 60 days, ask the hospital early for the letter you would need for an extension.
What OmLina does for your visa
- Prepares your medical visa paperwork, including the hospital invitation letter, at no charge.
- Plans your flight dates around your surgery and your fit-to-fly date. You book your own tickets; OmLina never books flights.
- Arranges airport pickup matched to your flight.
OmLina can’t promise a visa: approval stays with the Indian visa authorities.
Sources
This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. OmLina is a healthcare concierge, not a hospital: all medical care is given by licensed hospitals and their surgeons.
Questions about your own case?
Talk to us about your diagnosis. The first call is free, and you don’t need to send any reports before it.