Checklist
Apply for India’s e-Medical visa only on the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least four days before arrival and no more than 120 days ahead. You need a passport valid for six months, a hospital letter on letterhead and a photo meeting the portal’s rules. Pay the fee, wait for ‘GRANTED’ status, print the approval and carry it when you fly.
The e-Medical visa is for nationals of eligible countries travelling to India for medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine. Up to two attendants can travel on e-Medical Attendant visas linked to one e-Medical visa. The portal is the authority on current rules. Some details, such as validity periods and the list of entry points, are stated in more than one place on the portal and should be checked carefully before you travel. Read the portal’s instructions on the day you apply.
Step 1: check you can apply
- Confirm your nationality is on the portal’s list of eligible countries.
- Check your passport is valid for at least six months from the date you apply.
- Check you do not hold a diplomatic or official passport, which are not eligible.
- Check the portal’s exclusions, including for applicants with a defence, police or security background.
- Have a return or onward ticket plan and sufficient funds for your stay.
Step 2: gather your documents
- A scan of your passport bio page as a PDF between 10 KB and 300 KB.
- A photo in JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, square, full face, eyes open, no glasses, plain light background.
- A letter from the hospital in India on its letterhead.
- Check the letter states the date or tentative date of admission, your name, nationality and passport number.
- Ensure all documents are in English.
- Details of any previous Indian visas, or ‘NA’ if not known.
Step 3: apply and pay
- Open indianvisaonline.gov.in and choose the e-Visa application.
- Select the medical purpose and fill in the form yourself, accurately.
- Upload the photo, passport page and hospital letter clearly.
- Pay the country-specific fee online at least four days before travel.
- Note that the fee is non-refundable whether the visa is granted or not.
- If payment status does not update, use ‘Verify Payment’ and wait before reapplying.
Step 4: attendants
- Each attendant applies separately for an e-Medical Attendant visa.
- Attendants need their own passport page scan and photo.
- The portal allows up to two e-Medical Attendant visas against one e-Medical visa.
- Children travelling need their own passport and their own e-Visa.
Step 5: before you fly and on arrival
- Check the status shows ‘GRANTED’ before travel.
- Check your name, passport number, nationality and date of birth on the approval.
- Print the approval and carry it with your passport.
- Enter through a designated airport, seaport or land port listed on the portal.
- Expect biometric capture at immigration on arrival.
- Carry a yellow fever vaccination card if you are arriving from an endemic country.
Tip: print this page or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
What if something is wrong on the approval?
The portal asks applicants to contact the e-Visa support team at least 24 hours before travel if a detail on the approval is wrong. It also states that the e-Visa cannot be extended or converted to another visa type. If treatment may run longer than planned, talk to the hospital and check the regular medical visa route early.
Use only the official site
The portal warns applicants against agents and intermediaries who promise faster processing. It also states that no extra emergency fees are charged and nothing is payable at the airport. IndiaMedica can help you prepare documents, but you complete and submit your own application.
Questions people ask
How early should I apply for an e-Medical visa?
The portal accepts applications at least four days before arrival and up to 120 days in advance. Applying earlier gives you time to fix any document problems. Wait for the hospital letter with your admission date before you apply, as it is a required document.
Can I extend an e-Medical visa if my treatment takes longer?
The portal states that the e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible. If your specialist thinks treatment may take longer than your visa allows, ask the hospital early and seek guidance from the immigration authorities on the options before your visa expires.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.