Which visa does the patient need?

India offers a visa category made specifically for people coming for treatment. For most patients, the simplest route is the e-Medical Visa — applied for entirely online, before you travel. It's meant for treatment at recognised Indian hospitals, and it's the option most medical travellers use because the process is fast and digital.

There's also a regular Medical Visa, applied for through an Indian mission or visa centre. It takes a little more effort but can be issued for a longer period and extended for continuing treatment — which, as we'll see, matters for a transplant.

One thing to avoid: don't travel for treatment on a tourist visa. Coming for a planned medical procedure on the wrong visa category causes problems, and hospitals will expect the correct medical visa.

The 60-day catch — plan the length of stay

Here's the detail that catches transplant families out. The e-Medical Visa is generally valid for 60 days from your first arrival, with up to three entries in that window. For many procedures that's plenty — but a bone marrow transplant usually means two to four months in India, so 60 days can fall short.

There are two clean ways around this, and it's worth deciding which before you travel. You can enter on the e-Medical Visa and, if treatment runs longer, apply to extend your stay through the FRRO (the Foreigners Regional Registration Office) with a fresh certificate from your hospital. Or you can apply for a regular Medical Visa from the start, which can be issued for a longer period better suited to a transplant.

Indicative, and subject to change by nationality and by the Indian authorities. Confirm current rules on the official portal before applying.

Visas for the caregiver and the donor

A transplant is never a solo trip. A patient needs a caregiver throughout the long recovery, and for a donor transplant a family donor often travels too. India allows for this through the e-Medical Attendant Visa — but there's an important limit to know.

Only two Medical Attendant Visas are granted against one patient's Medical Visa, and they're intended for close family members. Each attendant applies separately, on their own passport, linked to the patient's application.

For a transplant, that two-person limit is worth planning around. If a parent will be the caregiver and a different relative will be the donor, that's already two people beyond the patient — so map out early who is travelling in which role, and confirm the arrangement with the hospital, which names the accompanying family in its documentation. This is exactly the kind of detail a good facilitator sorts out in advance.

The one document that matters most

If there's one thing to get right, it's the hospital invitation letter — sometimes called the visa invitation letter. This is an official letter, on the hospital's letterhead, confirming that the patient is coming for treatment, with their details and a treatment or appointment date. Your medical visa application depends on it.

A weak or incomplete letter is one of the most common reasons applications are delayed or refused. It should clearly name the patient, and — where relevant — the accompanying family. Because the hospital often needs to review the medical reports before issuing it, starting this early is what keeps the whole timeline on track.

How and when to apply

The e-Medical Visa is applied for online through the official Indian e-Visa portal. You can apply from up to 120 days ahead and, at the latest, a few days before you travel — but for something as important as a transplant, apply as early as you sensibly can, once the hospital letter is ready.

You'll need a passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages, a recent photo to the required format, and the hospital invitation letter. Fees vary by nationality. Upload clean, clear scans — blurry documents are a needless cause of delay. And note that e-Visa holders enter through designated airports, not land borders.

Patients from many countries across the Gulf, Africa, South Asia, and the UK are eligible for the e-Medical Visa, though eligibility varies by nationality — another reason to check the official portal or ask a facilitator early.

After you arrive

At immigration, your fingerprints and photo are taken, so keep the hospital letter and your travel documents handy. If your stay in India will run beyond 180 days — possible with a long transplant recovery — you'll need to register with the FRRO, and it's wise to keep a fresh hospital certificate ready in case you extend your visa for continuing treatment.

One more practical note: if you're travelling from a country where yellow fever is present, carry your yellow fever vaccination certificate, as it can be checked on arrival. Your facilitator or hospital desk will flag anything specific to your country.

Common questions