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The Indian Medical Visa, Explained Practically
Every patient travelling to India for surgery has to solve the same paperwork problem first. This page covers which visa you need, the hospital letter everything depends on, how to bring a family member, and what happens after you land.
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The Basics
Which Visa You Actually Need
You cannot be treated in India on a tourist visa. Hospitals check this at admission, and being turned away after a long flight is a bad way to start. There are two routes, and which one suits you depends mostly on how long you will be here.
| e-Medical Visa | Medical (M) Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Applied for | Online, at indianvisaonline.gov.in | At the Indian mission in your country |
| Validity | One year from arrival, per the portal’s visa table (its FAQ still says 60 days — go by the dates on your ETA) | Set by the mission — up to six months, or up to a year |
| Entries | Multiple | Single or multiple, as issued |
| Extension | Not extendable or convertible | Can be extended in India on medical grounds |
| Processing | Days | Longer — allow weeks |
| Best for | A straightforward knee or hip replacement | Revision surgery, complex cases, or anything likely to need more time |
For a single knee or hip replacement, the e-Medical Visa is usually enough — you will be in India for around three weeks. If you are coming for revision surgery, for a failed replacement, or for anything where the plan may change once imaging is reviewed, apply for the regular medical visa and give yourself room.
The Invitation Letter
The Document Everything Else Depends On
Both routes need a letter from the treating hospital. This is not a formality — it is the document that turns your application from a tourist trip into a medical one, and without it the application will not succeed.
The letter is issued by the treating hospital, not by an agent. You do not need to approach the hospital yourself: once Dr. Kachare has reviewed your case and you have decided to go ahead with him, he arranges it. The sequence runs:
- You send your X-rays or CT and a short medical history to Dr. Kachare on WhatsApp or by email
- He reviews them personally, replies within 24 hours (IST), and offers a free first video consultation, with no obligation
- He arranges your written treatment plan, cost estimate and the invitation letter, which the hospital issues
- You apply for the visa with that letter attached
Allow four to six weeks from first contact to surgery. Most of that is visa processing, not medical delay.
Attendants
Bringing Someone With You
Up to two attendants can accompany a medical visa holder, on a medical attendant visa (MED X, or the e-Medical Attendant Visa). They are normally family members, their visa runs alongside yours, and for a regular visa they are usually named in the hospital’s invitation letter.
Bring someone if you can. After a joint replacement you will need help for the first two weeks in ways that are easy to underestimate — getting to the bathroom at night, managing medication, carrying things. The hospital cannot discharge you to an empty hotel room and should not be asked to.
After You Land
Registration and Paperwork
Whether you must register with the FRRO — the Foreigners Regional Registration Office — depends on your visa and how long you stay. The rule for the regular medical visa is registration within 14 days of arrival. Short e-Medical Visa stays are generally exempt.
Dr. Kachare will tell you which applies to your visa, and the hospital helps with the paperwork. Ask explicitly rather than assuming — overstaying or failing to register creates problems on departure that are entirely avoidable.
What to carry
- Passport with at least six months’ validity and two blank pages
- Printed visa and the hospital invitation letter
- All imaging — original films if you have them, and digital copies
- A list of your current medications, written in generic names rather than local brand names
- Previous operative notes, if you have had surgery on the joint before
Medical Visa
Visa Questions — Answered
The official portal says to apply for the e-Medical Visa at least four days before arrival, and no more than 120 days ahead. A regular medical visa applied for at an Indian mission takes longer and varies considerably by country — allow weeks, not days. The part people underestimate is not the visa office but getting the hospital invitation letter, which cannot be issued until your imaging has been reviewed. Start there.
No. Apply for the correct visa before you travel. Hospitals verify visa status at admission, and arriving on a tourist visa means either an expensive trip home or a stay with no treatment.
A regular medical visa can be extended in India on medical grounds, and this is a normal request rather than an unusual one — recovery is not always predictable. The hospital supports the application with a letter explaining why. The official portal describes e-Visas as non-extendable, which is one more reason to choose the regular medical visa for revision or complex surgery. Raise any extension early, and do not allow the visa to lapse while you decide.
Generally yes. Missions commonly ask for evidence that you can pay for the treatment and the stay. A written hospital cost estimate alongside a bank statement covers this. It is one more reason to get the estimate in writing early — it serves the visa application as well as your own planning.
Send your imaging on WhatsApp to start the process that produces your invitation letter
Personal reply from Dr. Kachare within 24 hours (IST). Free for international patients: X-ray review and first video consultation, with no obligation. You deal with the surgeon personally, start to finish. Email: theprotonium@protonmail.com · How the free X-ray review works →