India is unceasingly progressing in the medical field and thus, medical tourism has gained momentum in recent years. People from different parts of the world are flying down to India every year to get proper treatment for diverse ailments. The prime reasons behind this include the level of health care offered at present in India is at par with the Western countries and the treatments available are easy on the pocket.
For foreign nationals seeking specialty medical treatment in India, The Government of India has also introduced medical visa for extended periods. There is also a facility of visa-on-arrival for foreign nationals from certain selected countries, which allows them to stay in India for sixty days. The medical visa is valid for up to a year or duration of the treatment, whichever is less. Maximum of three entries are allowed within a year against one visa.
What Are The Eligibility Requirements For Medical Visa Application to India?
Citizens who want to get treated in India are provided with medical visas from the Indian Government. And, getting a medical visa is mandatory for foreign patients. There are different procedures for obtaining a medical visa and not all ailments qualify for it. The general medical visa requirements are:
- The prime requirement to become eligible for a medical visa is that the concerned hospital, where you want to get the treatment, should be approved by The Government of India.
- The patient is allowed to be accompanied by only two blood relatives and the visas of the attendants remain different from the patient. They will be required to apply for the Medical Attended Visa (MED X) with the same time period as that of the patient.
- It is necessary for the patient to have a preliminary medical checkup from a medical practitioner of the residence country on the basis of which a reference or recommendation is issued for further treatment in India.
- A patient should have the official document of the recommendation from the doctor of the origin country.
- Patient should have a valid passport.
So, an applicant having a medical condition clinically reported by a recognized medical institution based in the origin country can apply for a Medical visa for India.
What Is The Process Of Medical Visa In India?
As medical treatment in India is cheaper than elsewhere, people from countries like America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, etc., prefer to get their medical needs attended in India. For this, a medical visa becomes essential. The procedure of Medical visa in India requires different types of documents.
What Are The Documents Required For Indian Medical Visa?
There are specific documents required for getting a medical visa to India. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Recent Passport size photographs
- Passport with a 6-month validity
- Photocopy of passport
- Proof of Residential Address
- Copy of online Visa application form
- Complete medical documents of the treatments that are done (for patients)
- Recommendation from the doctor of the origin country doctor to visit a specific medical center for treatment (for patients)
- Passport copy of attendant (for Attendant visas)
- Proof of relationship with the patient (for Attendant visas)
General Visa Requirements For The Registration Of Medical Visa:
- Foreign nationals having ‘M’ visa are required to register themselves with the concerned FRROs / FROs within 14 days of their arrival in India.
- The attendants are also provided with the miscellaneous visas which are equivalent to the ‘M’ Visa. These visas are named MX visas. The attendants are also required to register themselves with the concerned FRROs / FROs within 14 days of their arrival in India.
- People who are travelling from Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Israel should have Yellow Fever vaccination certificate as per the Govt. of India directives. They are also required to carry Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) Certificate taken 6 weeks before entering India. A certificate is mandatory for both adults and children. For polio, it is preferred to use the IHR 2005 International Certificate of Vaccination. You can also get Prophylaxis from any hospital administering OPV by the Government of their respective country.
- The Medical documents are thoroughly checked by Indian Posts and Missions, which are further placed abroad to check and confirm the genuineness of the request of obtaining a medical visa.
Validity & Extension of Medical Visa To India
The validity of a medical visa after approval is for the duration of the treatment or for one year, whichever is less. One can also extend the visa for another year on the orders of the State Governments or FRROs. If more extension is required, then the Ministry of Home Affairs can provide a validation after submitting appropriate medical papers.
How To Get Medical Visa Of India Online?
You can also apply for E Medical visa India by simply filling an Indian medical visa online application form. You would require the following documents while applying online:
- Letter from the hospital in India on its letterhead in PDF format
- Digital passport photo (JPEG format)
- Digital copy of the bio page of your passport (PDF format)
- Credit/debit card or Paypal account for payment
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