The Hospital Invitation Letter for an India Medical Visa: What It Is and How to Get One

Last checked: 16 September 2026. The official sources for every fact are listed at the end of this guide.

Of all the questions about the Indian medical visa, the sharpest is about one document: the hospital invitation letter. It is what turns a plan into an application — and it is the point at which an information search becomes a real conversation, because you cannot produce this document yourself.

What the invitation letter is

It is a letter from the treating Indian hospital, addressed to the visa authorities, confirming that the hospital will treat you. Indian missions require it before they will issue a Medical Visa, and they are specific about its contents.

What the letter must contain

Requirements are set by each mission, but across the Abuja and Nairobi missions the invitation letter must:

• Be typed on the hospital's official letterhead, stamped and signed, with contact details.
• Name the patient — and any attendants — with their passport numbers.
• State the nature of the illness and the treatment to be undertaken.
• Give the duration of treatment, or the start and end dates.

Some missions and applications also refer to a reference number on the letter; follow the exact format your mission asks for.

Why only the treating hospital can issue it

An invitation letter is a commitment by a specific hospital to treat a specific patient. That is why it can only come from a hospital that has accepted your case after reviewing your reports — no agent, and no patient, can write it. For example, a patient with a cardiac condition needs a cardiology department to review the angiogram and confirm the planned procedure; a cancer patient needs the oncology team to confirm the regimen; an orthopaedic patient needs the surgeon to confirm the operation and the expected length of stay. The letter follows that acceptance.

How you actually get one

This is exactly what a coordinator arranges:

• You share your diagnosis and reports (see "what the hospital needs before it can write an estimate").
• We send them to the international-patient office of a suitable NABH- or JCI-accredited hospital.
• Once a specialist accepts the case and prepares a written estimate, the hospital issues the invitation letter, naming you and your attendants with passport numbers and the treatment details the mission requires.
• You use that letter to apply for your Medical Visa.

For Kenya, if you are seeking SHA cover, the same hospital review also produces the pro-forma invoice the scheme's pre-approval needs.

*This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice. Confirm visa requirements with the relevant Indian mission and your treatment plan with a qualified doctor.*