Travel and visa guide for treatment abroad

How visas for treatment work

The visa you need depends on two things: your nationality, and the country where you are treated. A Canadian going to Mexico, a Kenyan going to India and a Saudi going to Turkey each follow different rules. Some patients need no visa for a short visit. Others must apply for a medical visa before they fly.

A few principles hold everywhere:

• MediCurage does not issue or grant visas. The decision belongs to the government of the country you travel to, and to the officer at the border.
• The hospital letter matters. Many medical visas ask for a letter from the treating hospital with your name, passport number and planned treatment dates. Once you choose a hospital, we request this letter, check every detail against each passport, and help you and your attendants prepare your applications.
• Choose the hospital before you apply. A visa tied to one hospital can be hard to change later.
• Treatment often runs longer than a tourist stay. Before you apply, compare the length of stay your doctors expect with what your visa allows.
• Check your passport. Most countries want it valid for some months beyond your stay, with blank pages for stamps.

What follows is what we found on official government sites on 15 October 2026. Rules change, sometimes with little notice, so confirm them on the official site linked in each section, or with that country's embassy where you live, before you apply.

If you are treated in India

Patients need a medical visa and the people travelling with them need a medical attendant visa. India's Bureau of Immigration says foreigners seeking treatment must arrive on a medical visa, so do not come on a tourist visa.

e-Medical visa. Nationals of countries on India's e-Visa list apply online at indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least 4 days and up to 120 days before arrival. You need a passport valid for at least six months from the date you apply, with two blank pages, a recent photo, a scan of your passport's photo page and a letter from the Indian hospital on its letterhead with your name, nationality, passport number and tentative admission date. The official site lists the e-Medical visa as valid for one year from arrival, with multiple entries; the conditions printed on your own approval are the ones that apply. An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted.

e-Medical Attendant visa. India grants up to two attendant e-Visas for each e-Medical visa. Each attendant applies separately. The Bureau of Immigration's guidelines allow three medical attendants for Bangladeshi nationals; check with the Indian mission which visa route allows this.

Regular medical visa. If your nationality is not on the e-Visa list, apply through the Indian embassy or high commission. When we last checked, Iraq, Yemen and Saudi Arabia were among the countries not on the list. Missions commonly ask for the hospital letter, a referral from your doctor, your reports and proof that you can pay. A regular medical visa can be extended in India through the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) with a letter from the treating hospital.

On arrival. You can fill in the e-Arrival card online up to 72 hours before landing. Ask your coordinator whether your visa needs registration with the FRRO after arrival, as this depends on the visa type and length.

If you are treated in Turkey

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says its e-Visa, issued at evisa.gov.tr, is valid only when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. The Turkish Consulate General in Boston states that a foreign national who wishes to have medical treatment in Türkiye must enter on a medical treatment visa, applied for at the Turkish mission nearest to where you live.

The application starts online at visa.gov.tr, choosing "Other Visas" and the purpose "Medical Treatment Purposes", and naming the hospital. A 2026 checklist from the Turkish Consulate General in Boston asks for:

• a passport valid at least 60 days beyond the last day of your planned stay, with a blank page
• a doctor's letter showing the treatment is needed
• bank statements for the last six months, or a sponsorship letter
• travel health insurance for the length of your stay

Each mission sets its own document list and fees, so use the one for your country of residence. Many nationalities are exempt from visas for short visits to Turkey. If yours is, ask the Turkish mission whether you still need the medical treatment visa for your planned stay.

If you are treated in Thailand

Royal Thai embassies list two visas for medical treatment: a tourist visa for medical treatment, for treatment of up to 60 days, and a Non-Immigrant "O" visa for medical treatment, for longer stays. Applications are made online at thaievisa.go.th. The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur asks applicants to apply at least 15 working days before travel, and the fee is not refundable.

A Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs checklist asks for documents such as:

• an invitation letter from the hospital in Thailand with your name and passport number
• your medical records from your hospital at home
• a confirmed air ticket and proof of accommodation
• bank statements

Many nationalities can enter Thailand without a visa for a short tourist visit. Royal Thai embassies announced that from 15 September 2026 this exemption is 30 days per visit for eligible countries. Treatment and recovery can take longer than that, so ask us and the Thai embassy which route fits your treatment plan.

If you are treated in Malaysia

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) says citizens of many countries can enter Malaysia without a visa for healthcare stays, and gives a country list on malaysiahealthcare.org. Nationals of countries that need a visa can apply for a medical eVISA. MHTC lists what it needs:

• a passport valid for at least six months
• an appointment letter from the hospital
• an MHTC support letter
• a return ticket and proof of accommodation
• a passport photo

MHTC also advises keeping your treatment letter and medical documents in your hand luggage, because you may be asked for them on arrival. It describes a Special Lane for medical travellers at Kuala Lumpur and Penang airports, which you can ask your hospital about before you travel.

Before you land, check whether you need to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) on the Immigration Department's site, imigresen-online.imi.gov.my. It is not a visa. The same site reminds travellers to declare cash above the equivalent of US$10,000.

If you are treated in Mexico

Mexican consulates state that you do not need a visa for a visit of less than 180 days without paid work if you are:

• a citizen of the United States or Canada, or of another country on the National Migration Institute (INM) list of visa-exempt countries
• the holder of a valid visa from the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country
• a permanent resident of one of those countries

Visitors fill in the Multiple Immigration Form (FMM), which records your visit and allows a stay of up to 180 days. Nationals who do not meet these conditions apply at a Mexican consulate for a visitor visa without permission to carry out paid activities. Confirm the current list on the INM and SRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) sites at gob.mx.

Flying after treatment

You fly home when your treating doctor says you are fit to travel, not before. The wait depends on the treatment and on how you recover, and doctors are often more careful after chest, abdominal, eye or spine surgery.

• Ask about blood clots. Long flights raise the risk of clots in the legs, especially after surgery. Ask your doctor whether you need compression stockings or medicine, and walk the aisle when you can.
• Tell the airline. If you need a wheelchair, oxygen or extra legroom, request it when you book. Some airlines ask for a medical form signed by the doctor, and we help you get it.
• Carry your papers. Keep the discharge summary and a doctor's letter in your hand luggage in case an airline or border officer asks.

What to pack

Documents, in one folder in your hand luggage:

• passports, and printed copies of every visa, e-Visa approval or arrival card
• the hospital letter
• all your medical reports, with scan images on a disc or USB drive
• a list of your medicines with their generic names
• your health insurance policy, if you have one

Medicines. Bring enough of your regular medicines for the whole trip, in their original packs, with the prescription. Rules on bringing medicines differ by country, so tell us what you take and we check.

Clothes. Loose, comfortable clothing. Front-opening shirts are easier after heart or spine surgery. Pack slip-on shoes and a light sweater, because hospitals are usually air-conditioned.

Small things. A phone charger, a plug adapter for your destination, and any religious items you use daily.

Travelling with attendants

We recommend that at least one family member or friend travels with you. An attendant helps you after surgery, listens with you to the doctor and keeps the family at home informed.

Rules for attendants differ. India issues a separate medical attendant visa, as described above. In other countries, an attendant usually needs whatever visa their own nationality requires, and some missions ask for the attendant to be named in the hospital letter. Tell us who is travelling before we request the letter, and send clear passport scans for everyone.

Your attendants stay with you in a hotel or apartment near the hospital, and some hospitals allow one person to stay in the patient's room. We book a place that suits you all.

MediCurage does not exchange money or supply SIM cards. Use authorised exchange counters or a bank, and international roaming or a local SIM bought with your passport.