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How to Get a Medical Visa for India: A Step-by-Step Guide for African Patients

From invitation letter to embassy appointment — everything patients and attendants from the DRC, Kenya, and West Africa need to know before flying to India for treatment.

SSF Global Care Team · 28 July 2026 · 6 min read
Airplane wing above the clouds during an international flight

India issues a dedicated Medical Visa (M Visa) for international patients, and a Medical Attendant Visa (MX) for up to two family members travelling with them. For most of the African countries we serve, the process is straightforward once your hospital invitation letter is ready — and that letter is exactly where SSF Global begins.

Step 1: Secure a hospital invitation letter

After your medical opinion is confirmed, the treating hospital issues a visa invitation letter naming the patient, the diagnosis, and the planned treatment window. We coordinate this directly with the hospital's international patient desk so the letter matches your passport details exactly — small mismatches are the most common reason applications get delayed.

Step 2: Apply online, then attend the embassy appointment

The application is filed on the official Indian visa portal, with the invitation letter, passport scans, recent photographs, and proof of funds attached. Processing typically takes 3 to 7 working days depending on the embassy.

Our coordinators prepare the complete document checklist for your country and review every upload before submission, so you attend the appointment once, with everything in order.

Step 3: Travel with the right paperwork in hand

Carry printed copies of your visa, invitation letter, medical reports, and hotel or guest-house confirmation. On arrival in Delhi, an SSF Global coordinator meets you at the airport — before immigration questions ever become a worry.

Ready to begin? Share your reports through our medical opinion form and we will handle the visa journey with you, end to end.

Ready to take the next step?

Share your medical reports and receive a specialist opinion — free, confidential, in English or French.

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