Indian Visa for Medical Treatment- What Makes You Eligible?

by Kevin Smith Author

With significant growth in sectors like tourism, hospitality, business, education, and medical practice, the Indian economy has taken an upward route to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Talking about medical facilities, India has been prominent in the world for being home to some great medical intellectuals who gave innovative medical treatments, ideas, and theories. Medical practice has always been of a great source of revenue for India and still thriving to treat people from around the world. But before anyone with no Indian residency could obtain medical treatment in India, it is mandatory to acquire a valid Indian medical visa to be able to enter the Indian territory. Foreign nationalists can obtain the same via official Indian visa online portal or through any Indian mission in their native country.

But how to obtain an Indian visa and what is the required eligibility criteria are some areas of confusion that push foreign nationals to take help of agents to get through the daunting visa process easily. However, it is strictly advised to avoid getting into the trap of an unscrupulous agent or website for that matter and reach out to the instructions that are available on the government operated Indian visa website. There, applicants can get clear instructions on the eligibility criteria, required documents, and process for obtaining an Indian visa.

For an Indian medical visa, the eligibility criteria are divided into three parts- medical ailments, document requirement, and other conditions. So, let's talk about these criteria in detail.

Medical Ailments

Since patients with not all medical ailments are eligible to apply for Indian medical visa, the following list states the conditions that are taken into consideration for this visa type.

- Heart surgery - Plastic surgery - Renal problems - Congenital disorders

- Radiotherapy - Patients seeking Ayurveda treatment

- Neurosurgery - Gene therapy - Organ transplant - Joint replacement

Conditions

It should be made sure that the hospital and treatment center selected for specialized medical treatment should be approved by the Indian government. The applicants are required to hold possession of a recommendation or reference letter by the medical experts in their native residency. This recommendation should be in link with the preliminary medical checkups where the medical practitioner clearly states the need for specialized treatment. The applicant being the patient can be accompanied by only two medical attendants who should also be the blood relatives of the patient.

Required Documents

Only those foreign nationals can apply for an Indian medical visa who possess the necessary documents. A passport which stands valid for at least six months from the date of departure from India, passport-sized photograph with plain white background and no glasses and headwear, proof of residency in the native country, medical documents of the preliminary medical checkups, and proof of blood relation with the medical attendants.

Indian medical visa is issued for the period of one year or the period of medical treatment, whichever ends earlier and allows the visa holder to make a triple entry in a year. In case, applicants of an Indian visa for medical treatment qualify all the aforementioned criteria of medical ailment, conditions, and documents, they can proceed to the Indian medical visa application process.