Extending your medical visa
If your treatment runs past your visa's validity, apply to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office to extend it, normally to a total of around six months, on the treating hospital's recommendation. Apply through the e-FRRO portal before your current visa expires. Overstaying, even by a few days, creates problems that are far harder to fix than an extension.
When you will need this
Complications extending an admission. A staged procedure. Oncology protocols that run months rather than weeks. Transplant follow-up. A surgeon who wants to review you before clearing you to fly. None of these is unusual, so plan for the possibility rather than being surprised by it.
How to apply
- Get a letter from the treating hospital. The whole application rests on this. It must state your condition, the treatment given so far, why more time is clinically necessary and how much longer, signed by the treating doctor with the hospital's stamp.
- Apply on the e-FRRO portal at indianfrro.gov.in. Create an account, choose the visa extension service and upload your documents.
- Attend in person if asked. Some cases are decided on documents, others require you to attend the FRRO office covering your city. Bring originals.
- Keep the acknowledgement. It shows you applied in time.
Attendants apply separately. Their extensions do not follow the patient's automatically, and this catches families out constantly.
What you will need
- Passport and current visa
- The hospital's letter recommending extension
- Medical records for the treatment so far
- Proof of your address in India, and the hospital's registration details
- Proof you can pay for the extended stay
- Photographs to the specified format, and your original visa application details
Timing, which is the part that matters
Apply at least two weeks before your visa expires, and earlier if you can. The FRRO can take time, and applying late is the single most common cause of an avoidable problem.
Do not overstay
- You may face a penalty and delays leaving the country.
- It can affect your ability to get an Indian visa in future.
- If you are already close to expiry or past it, tell us or the hospital immediately. A case being actively handled is treated very differently from one presented at the airport on the way out.
What we do
We prepare the hospital letter with the treating team, assemble the documents, file the e-FRRO application, and go with you if you are asked to attend in person. If you are one of our patients you should not be dealing with this alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extend after my visa has already expired?
It is far harder and may involve a penalty. Apply before expiry. If you have already overstayed, get help immediately rather than waiting.
Does extending cost anything?
There is a government fee, which varies. The hospital letter costs nothing.
Can I leave India and come back to reset the visa?
No. Re-entry uses one of your permitted entries. It does not extend validity.
Can I extend to have a second, unrelated procedure?
Not straightforwardly. The extension follows the treatment described in the hospital letter. Discuss it with the hospital before assuming.
Last checked 22 July 2026. FRRO procedures vary between cities and change without much notice.
Send your reports, get real quotes
A hospital cannot price your treatment without seeing your reports. Send them and we come back with itemised estimates from two or three hospitals — usually within 24 hours, or 48 for transplant and complex oncology.