The hospital invitation letter
The invitation letter from the Indian hospital is the single document your medical visa application depends on. It must be on hospital letterhead, name you and your condition, state the specific treatment and how long it will take, name your attendants, and be signed and stamped by the hospital. A vague letter is the most common reason a medical visa is refused.
What the letter must contain
- Your full name exactly as it appears in your passport, plus passport number, nationality and date of birth. A mismatch of one letter causes problems.
- Your diagnosis, in clinical terms.
- The specific treatment proposed. Not "treatment" or "surgery", but the actual procedure.
- The name of the treating doctor and their department.
- Expected date of admission and duration of treatment and stay. This is what the visa validity is assessed against, so it should be realistic rather than optimistic.
- Estimated cost, and who is paying.
- Your attendants, named, with their passport details and relationship to you.
- The hospital's full details: registered name, address, registration or accreditation number, telephone and email.
- Signature and official stamp of an authorised person, usually the medical superintendent or head of international patients.
Who issues it, and when
The hospital's international patient department, once they have reviewed your medical reports and confirmed they can treat you. The letter follows the quote, not the other way round. A hospital will not issue one before it has seen your case.
It usually takes two to five working days once the hospital has your reports and you have confirmed you want to proceed with them. Complex cases needing a specialist opinion take longer.
Build this into your timeline. The sequence is reports, then hospital quote, then your decision, then the invitation letter, then the visa application, then flights. People who book flights first almost always regret it.
The mistakes that cause refusals
| Mistake | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Name spelled differently from the passport | Reads as an inconsistent application |
| "For medical treatment" with no diagnosis or procedure | Does not establish a genuine medical purpose |
| Attendants not named | Their applications fail |
| No duration given | The officer has nothing to assess validity against |
| Unsigned or unstamped | Not accepted |
| Issued by a clinic that is not a recognised institution | Raises questions rather than answering them |
| Dated months before your application | Get a current one |
Check it yourself before you submit
Read the letter against your passport and check every spelling, your passport number, your date of birth, each attendant's name and passport number, that your condition and the procedure are both stated, that a duration is given, and that it is signed and stamped.
Five minutes here prevents weeks of delay.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply without the letter?
Technically the form may submit, but in practice an application without a hospital letter is unlikely to succeed. It is the evidence that your purpose is medical.
Does the hospital charge for it?
Reputable hospitals do not charge for the invitation letter. If one asks you to pay for it, ask us before you do.
Can I get a letter from one hospital and be treated at another?
You should not. The letter names the treating hospital, and being admitted somewhere else creates a discrepancy. If you change hospitals, get a new letter, and tell the FRRO if the visa is already issued.
Is an emailed copy enough?
A scanned, signed and stamped letter on letterhead sent by email is normally sufficient. Print it and carry it with you.
How long is it valid?
There is no fixed validity, but it should be recent, within a month or two of your application, and consistent with your travel dates.
Last checked 22 July 2026.
We obtain and check the letter for you
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.