Boost For Medical Tourism: Visa Regime Liberalised, Foreigners Allowed Pre-Existing Disease Treatment On Original Permit

In a boost for its growing medical tourism industry, India has decided to allow foreign nationals who’re on a visit to India without a medical visa to be allowed treatment for pre-existing diseases without converting the document to a medical visa.

As per a press release, some of the tourists were facing difficulties in taking medical treatment in the event of their falling sick during their stay in India. They were being advised by some hospitals to get their visas converted into medical visas before getting admitted despite the government having already revised the procedure last year.

The said procedure exempted foreigners from getting their primary visa converted into medical visa for obtaining indoor treatment up to 180 days for seeking admission in a hospital wing owing to illness.

The government has now decided to extend the process to get the indoor treatment on their primary (original) visa even for pre-existing diseases, except in cases of organ transplant which the foreigner nationals may have been suffering from even before their entry into India. Treatment of diseases that require an organ transplant however, will continue to require a medical visa.