India’s medical value travel in numbers

Key official figures on medical travel to India: patient arrivals by year, e-Medical visa coverage and the number of NABH-accredited hospitals.

Infographic

By Nikhil Sharma, Founder · Updated · How we write and check

Official figures show 507,244 foreign nationals came to India for medical treatment in 2025, about 5.5 per cent of all foreign tourist arrivals. The e-Medical visa is open to nationals of 172 countries. Over 1,299 hospitals hold NABH accreditation. These numbers come from Press Information Bureau releases published in 2026.

IndiaMedicaIndia’s medical value travel in numbers
507,244Foreign arrivals for treatment in 2025PIB, May 2026
About 5.5%Share of all foreign tourist arrivalsPIB, May 2026
6,44,387Medical arrivals in 2024PIB, February 2026
6,97,453Medical arrivals in 2019, before the pandemicPIB, February 2026
172Countries eligible for e-Medical visasPIB, May 2026
1,299+NABH-accredited hospitalsPIB, May 2026
Six official figures on medical travel to India covering arrivals in 2025, 2024 and 2019, the share of tourist arrivals, e-Medical visa countries and NABH hospitals.

How many people travel to India for treatment?

A Press Information Bureau release of February 2026 gives Bureau of Immigration figures for each year. Medical arrivals were 6,97,453 in 2019 and fell to 1,82,945 in 2020. They recovered to 6,59,356 in 2023 and 6,44,387 in 2024. A May 2026 note gives 507,244 for 2025.

What is medical value travel?

It is the government’s term for people crossing borders for treatment, including wellness and Ayush care. The Heal in India initiative promotes India for integrated healthcare. A one-stop Medical Value Travel Portal has been revamped as part of it.

How open is the visa system?

The May 2026 note says e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas have been extended to nationals of 172 countries. A dedicated Ayush visa was introduced in July 2023 for treatment under Indian systems of medicine.

How many hospitals are accredited?

The same note reports over 1,299 NABH-accredited hospitals in 2026, assessed against more than 600 safety parameters. It also lists JCI-accredited hospitals by city as of 2022.

Read the figures with care

These are counts of arrivals and accredited hospitals. They are not measures of treatment results. The 2025 figure comes from a different release to the earlier years.

Questions people ask

Did medical travel to India recover after the pandemic?

Official figures show medical arrivals fell from 6,97,453 in 2019 to 1,82,945 in 2020. They rose to 6,59,356 in 2023 and 6,44,387 in 2024, close to the 2019 level. The Press Information Bureau gives 507,244 for 2025.

Who publishes these numbers?

The Press Information Bureau publishes them on behalf of Government of India ministries. The arrival figures are attributed to the Bureau of Immigration. IndiaMedica links to each release so you can read the original.

Sources

General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.

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