How does India stand In Terms Of Healthcare in Worldview?
Over the past few decades, India has been advancing in medicine by leaps and bounds. Its path-breaking innovations on the medical frontier coupled with excellently skilled medical staffing and relatively reasonable pricing, has attracted patients from all over the world. These factors have made India the best destination for medical tourism in the world.
A medical procedure comparison shows India to be the cheapest when it comes to medical procedures. A Gastric bypass procedure would cost someone roughly $25,000 in the USA, and $12,900 in Costa Rica, $10,900 in South Korea. But the same procedure would only cost $7,000 if done in India.
There is no surprise as to why people all around the world opt travelling to India. Patients in the USA and even elsewhere realise that to get medical treatment in India is overall cheaper, even if they include the travelling and lodging costs.
What Visa Would You Need for Medical Tourism in India?
In the light of a massive inflow of patients from all over the world, the Indian Government has now issued a specialised Medical Tourist visa for India.
The nature of the visa remains the same, regardless of which country you apply for it from. You could be a resident of US, UK, South Africa, Australia, or any of the European countries even.
Foreigners seeking medical treatment in India can avail the medical visa and fly over to India to be treated under world-class doctors and cutting edge technology, for less than half the rate.
How Long Would Your Visa Be Valid For And Can You Extend It?
Wondering how long would your visa allow you to stay in the country? The Indian Government gives an affirming nod towards the fact that this is no leisure requirement, and certain procedures may be troublesome too.
Considering the recovery and the well-being of the patient that comes in for treatment here, the Indian Government grants an initial period of up to a year on the medical tourist visa for India.
However, if there is a requirement for an extension thereon, it would be granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs solely on the recommendations of the State Government or the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO). This recommendation would be supported by medical documents.
A medical tourist visa would allow a foreigner a maximum of three entries into the country, over a span of one year. The State government or the FRRO may allow another additional entry if an emergency situation demands it so.
What Are The Requirements You Would Need To Know?
Apart from being sick enough to want to travel to a relatively cheaper place to get treated, there are certain requirements one needs to look into.
For those seeking medical tourist visas from any of the following countries need to procure a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate as per the Government of India directives: Kenya, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Somalia.
Travelers from these countries need to have Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) Certificate which has to be taken six weeks prior to their entry into India.
The OPV is obligatory for adults and children.
Every medical document you submit, regardless of your nationality, would be checked by the Indian Missions and Posts that are placed in your respective countries. These would confirm whether the request for the medical visa is a genuine one or not.
Apart from that, a person applying for a medical tourist visa in India would need to also provide satisfactory details to the ideal plan they have opted for, what is the initial medical advice they received from the country of their origin which consequently led them to go for the special treatment abroad.
It is, however, important to note that one can get a medical tourism visa in India only for treatment in reputed and recognized medical centres.
Paperwork and Documentation Needed To Get a Medical Tourism Visa
Here is a list of important documents you would need to submit in order to apply for a medical tourism visa:
Passport with 6 months validity.
Recent Passport size photographs.
Photocopy of the passport.
For applicants under the age of 18, a non-objection certificate signed by both parents is needed.
Copy of the online visa application form.
Proof of residential address.
Proof of required funds.
Recommendation from the home country doctor to visit particular specialised medical centre for treatment.
Medical documents of the treatments that are done.
Passport copy of attendant.
Proof of relation with attendant.
Once you arrange this set of important documents required for medical visa to India, you are just a few steps away from receiving quality medical treatment at an unbelievable price.
How to Apply For an India Medical Tourist Visa?
There is not a major difference in applying for a tourist visa and a medical tourist visa.
The procedure of getting Medical tourism visa is more or less the same as that of getting a normal tourist visa.
The only point of difference you would ideally come across is the part where you would have to mention your purpose of entering India (which would be “availing a medical treatment”).
Once you do that, you would have to fill respective forms stating the nature of your disease and why you would opt getting treated in India.
Cost of Medical Tourism Visa
Depending upon which country you are applying for the medical visa from, the visa fees varies.
Different countries have different systems to go through, so as to avail a medical visa, and this might reflect in the costing.
For US and UK nationals, the medical visa to India fees work out as below
1 – US (12 months – triple entry)
Consular fee – $140
ICW fee – $3
Service fee – $4.70
TOTAL = $147.70
2 – US (6 months – triple entry)
Consular fee – $100
ICW fee – $3
Service fee – $4.70
TOTAL = $107.70
3 – UK (12 months or 6 months – triple entry)
Consular fee – $129
ICW fee – $3
Service fee – $4.70
TOTAL = $136.70
To Wrap It Up
Getting medical treatment from a place that offers you best quality medication and leaves your pockets jingling is a wiser choice to make.
All you need is to run your research horses and settle on the best plan you can opt for, check for reviews multiple times, and then make a call.
It would not ideally be too hard for you to get through with your visa process with a genuine reason at hand. And if you have been worried about your condition but the price of availing medical help has been a barrier then help is at hand.
Explore your options through medical tourism in India and get high-impact medical expertise at a fraction of the cost.
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06 Mar, 2019
