How Americans and Canadians Get a Medical Visa for Kerala Treatment
US and Canadian patients traveling to Kerala for medical care need an Indian e-Medical Visa, not a standard tourist visa. It's applied for entirely online, typically takes about 72 hours to process, and lets you bring up to two companions on a linked e-Medical Attendant Visa. Here's the logistics chain from application to hospital pickup.
Which Visa You Actually Need
Visa type: e-Medical Visa · Validity: 60 days from first arrival, triple entry · Apply: minimum 4 days before travel, up to 120 days ahead
Tourist e-Visas don't cover hospital treatment in India — you need the dedicated e-Medical Visa category, applied for through the government's official portal. It allows three entries within its 60-day validity window, which matters if you need a follow-up trip for post-op checkups, according to the official Indian e-Visa portal.
What the Application Requires
Core document: hospital letter on official letterhead · Also needed: passport photo page, passport-style photo
The single most important document is a letter from the Kerala hospital confirming your admission or treatment date and your name — most hospitals issue this within a day or two of booking a consultation. You'll also upload a recent white-background photo and your passport's biodata page, per guidance from the Consulate General of India's medical visa page. Processing is often faster than a standard tourist visa because the medical category is expedited, though World Medical Tourism's application guide recommends applying as soon as your hospital confirms a treatment date rather than waiting until departure gets close.
Bringing a Companion: the Attendant Visa
Limit: 2 attendant visas per patient · Requirement: attendant must be a blood relative · Validity: matches the patient's 60-day, triple-entry terms
Anyone accompanying you as a caregiver needs a separate e-Medical Attendant Visa, linked to your application, and Indian immigration limits this to two attendants who must be blood relatives willing to stay for the treatment period, as detailed by the Embassy of India's attendant visa guidance. Non-relative friends or professional caregivers generally won't qualify under this category.
What Happens Once You Land
Airport help desks: available at Cochin International Airport · Hospital coordination: visa support, accommodation, interpreters
Kerala's major hospital groups run international patient desks that pick up much of the logistics burden once you've booked treatment. Amrita Hospital in Kochi staffs a help desk directly in the arrivals lounge at Cochin International Airport, while Aster Medcity and KIMSHEALTH both assign a dedicated coordinator who arranges airport pickup, hotel or guesthouse bookings, and language interpretation for the length of your stay.
Why Patients Make the Trip
Typical savings: 80–95% versus US prices · Accreditation: 45+ JCI-accredited hospitals in India
The logistics only make sense against the cost gap: a cardiac bypass running over $120,000 in the US can cost roughly $6,000 at a top Indian hospital including the hospital stay, according to a comparative cost breakdown. India now has more than 45 hospitals carrying Joint Commission International accreditation, the same global patient-safety benchmark used by leading US hospitals, per a roundup of JCI-accredited Kerala hospitals.
People Also Ask
Can Americans get a medical visa for India online?
Yes. The e-Medical Visa is applied for entirely through India's official e-Visa portal, with no need to visit a consulate in person. Applicants should apply at least four days before travel, though earlier is safer since supporting documents like the hospital letter can take a few days to arrange.
How many people can accompany a medical tourist to Kerala?
Up to two companions can travel on a linked e-Medical Attendant Visa, but Indian immigration rules require them to be blood relatives of the patient. Friends or hired caregivers who aren't relatives typically don't qualify for this visa category.
Do Kerala hospitals help with visa paperwork?
Most major Kerala hospitals, including Aster Medcity, Amrita, and KIMSHEALTH, have international patient desks that issue the hospital letter needed for your visa application and often guide you through the rest of the process. Some also staff help desks directly at Cochin International Airport for arriving patients.
How long does an Indian medical e-visa take to process?
Most e-Medical Visas are processed within about 72 hours, though the government recommends applying at least four days ahead and allows applications up to 120 days before travel. Processing can occasionally take longer, so building in a buffer is worth it if your treatment date is fixed.
Is a medical visa the same as a tourist visa in India?
No. India requires a separate e-Medical Visa category for anyone traveling specifically for hospital treatment, distinct from the standard tourist e-Visa. Attempting to receive treatment on a tourist visa can create complications with hospital admission and immigration on exit.
Facts checked against current sources as of July 15, 2026. Visa rules and hospital policies can change — confirm current requirements with the Indian consulate and your chosen hospital before booking travel.
