Patient Guide · Bangladesh
Indian Medical Visa for Bangladeshi Patients: How to Apply in 2026
The Indian medical visa is free for Bangladeshi citizens — you only pay a small IVAC processing fee. Here’s exactly how to apply in 2026, what’s currently open, and the two rules that catch patients out.
Current status: what's actually open right now
Visa services between Bangladesh and India have gone through real disruption since 2024, so it’s worth being clear about where things stand rather than assuming normal service.
As of this writing, the Indian Visa Application Centres (IVAC) in all five Bangladeshi cities are open and processing medical visas on a priority basis — IVAC’s own current notice describes these as limited appointment slots for applicants with a genuine urgent medical need, pending a full return to normal operations. Separately, in late June 2026 the Indian High Commission announced the resumption of tourist visa services across all five centres, a sign of broader normalisation after nearly two years of restricted access.
What this means practically: medical visa applications are being accepted and processed, but appointment availability has changed more than once over the past two years and can change again. Book your IVAC appointment as early as you can once your hospital invitation letter is ready, and confirm current slot availability directly on the IVAC appointment portal rather than assuming any fixed wait.
Sources: IVAC Bangladesh · The Daily Star · ANI — checked 14 September 2026
Which visa do you need?
Patients travelling from Bangladesh for treatment in India need a Medical Visa, not a tourist visa — a tourist visa doesn’t permit hospital admission or ongoing treatment.
Unlike many other countries, Bangladeshi nationals currently cannot apply through India’s e-Medical Visa portal. India briefly extended the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant Visa to Bangladeshi citizens in June 2024, but withdrew that access again later the same year. As of 2026, the only route for a Bangladeshi citizen is the regular (paper) Medical Visa, submitted in person through IVAC (Indian Visa Application Centre) — there is no online application path.
Both the visa itself and this guide assume you already have (or are actively arranging) a genuine hospital invitation letter from an Indian hospital — that document is the one thing you can’t apply without.
Source: Visa policy of India, citing Indian government notifications — checked 14 September 2026
What it costs
Here’s the fact most guides bury: the Indian government does not charge Bangladeshi citizens any visa fee at all for entry into India — the Indian medical visa is free of charge for Bangladeshi nationals.
The only amount you pay is IVAC’s own processing fee of BDT 1,500 (all-inclusive), in effect since 10 August 2025. This covers IVAC’s handling of your application, not the visa itself.
Be careful with unofficial “agents” or middlemen quoting higher figures — IVAC publishes its fee directly and warns applicants to be aware of touts.
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — Visa Fees · Beware of Touts/Agents — checked 14 September 2026
Documents you'll need
This is IVAC’s own published checklist for the Medical Visa (categories M-1 and M-3):
- National ID or birth certificate
- Latest utility bill copy (proof of address)
- Bank statement or dollar endorsement (not older than 1 month), active international credit card, or travel card
- Medical invitation letter from the Indian hospital, with a specific date
- All original medical documents relevant to your condition
- Profession proof
- Your last passport copy and all old passports
If a parent or guardian is travelling with a minor patient as the medical attendant, that’s compulsory under IVAC rules — see the Medical Attendant Visa section below. IVAC doesn’t publish a fully separate public checklist for the attendant visa (M-2/M-4), so we confirm attendant-specific paperwork with IVAC directly as part of preparing your application.
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — Visa Types & Documents — checked 14 September 2026
How to apply, step by step
- Get your hospital invitation letter first. Send your medical reports to the Indian hospital and ask for an invitation letter naming your treatment and dates.
- Gather your documents using the checklist above.
- Book your IVAC appointment online at appointment.ivacbd.com — given the current limited-slot status described above, do this as soon as your documents are ready.
- Submit in person at your nearest IVAC centre (Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, or Sylhet) at your appointment time, with the visa processing fee of BDT 1,500.
- Track your application online at passtrack.net.
- Collect your passport once the visa is issued.
Because there is no official published processing-time figure for how many working days this takes, and because appointment slots are currently limited, the honest guidance is to start the moment your hospital invitation letter is confirmed rather than assuming a fixed number of days.
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — How to Apply — checked 14 September 2026
The hospital-lock rule (and FRRO registration)
Two rules trip up more patients than anything else in the process, and IVAC states both directly:
- You’re locked to the hospital named on your visa. IVAC’s advisory is explicit: “Applicants seeking medical visa should visit the designated hospital only for which visa has been issued.” Changing hospitals after arrival requires permission from the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) in India — doing it without that permission is treated as a visa violation and can affect your ability to travel to India again.
- Register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival if you’ve been issued a one-year multiple-entry medical visa. IVAC’s notice states registration can be done online at indianfrro.gov.in, and that missing the deadline attracts a penalty based on the number of days late.
In practice: confirm your hospital before you apply (this is what the invitation letter locks in), and ask your hospital’s international patient team about FRRO registration as soon as you land.
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — Medical Visa Advisory · FRRO Registration Notice — checked 14 September 2026
Medical Attendant Visa
A medical attendant travelling with you needs their own linked visa — M-2 if you hold an M-1, or M-4 if you hold an M-3. It can only be applied for alongside a genuine, approved Medical Visa; it isn’t available on its own.
One rule IVAC states plainly: a minor patient must be accompanied by a parent or guardian as their medical attendant — this isn’t optional. Beyond that, IVAC doesn’t publish a fully separate attendant document checklist, so we confirm the exact attendant paperwork with IVAC as part of preparing your application, rather than guessing.
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — Visa Types & Documents — checked 14 September 2026
Air ambulance and critical transfers
For patients who need to travel in a medical emergency rather than a planned admission, air ambulance transfer from Bangladesh to India can be arranged — but it’s quoted case by case against the patient’s condition, aircraft availability and route, so there isn’t a fixed price we can honestly publish here. If this applies to you, tell us the patient’s condition and current location and we’ll get you a same-day quote.
Where to apply
- IVAC Dhaka (JFP) — Floor G1, South Court, Jamuna Future Park, Progoti Sharani, Baridhara, Dhaka-1229
- IVAC Chattogram — 1872, CDA Avenue, East Nasirabad, City Center, 2nd Floor, Chattogram
- IVAC Rajshahi — Morium Ali Tower, Old Bilsimla, Greater Road, Barnali More, Rajshahi
- IVAC Khulna — Rahat Center, Syed Ali Hossain Sarok, Choto Boyra, Khulna-9000
- IVAC Sylhet — Rahim Tower, Subhanighat Biswa Road, Sylhet 3100
- Appointments: book online first at appointment.ivacbd.com — walk-ins are not the standard route
Source: IVAC Bangladesh — Branches — checked 14 September 2026
How Geo Healthcare helps
The hospital invitation letter is the document every other step depends on — it has to name the right hospital and treatment, since that’s what locks in your hospital-lock rule above. We coordinate this directly with your hospital in India so the letter is right the first time, then hand you a clean, ready-to-submit document checklist for IVAC, plus a reminder on FRRO registration once you land.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — the Government of India does not charge Bangladeshi citizens a visa fee. The only amount you pay is IVAC's own processing fee of BDT 1,500 (all-inclusive), in effect since 10 August 2025.
No, not currently. India briefly extended e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant Visas to Bangladeshi nationals in June 2024 but withdrew that access later the same year. In 2026, the only route is the regular Medical Visa applied for in person through IVAC.
Yes. All five IVAC centres (Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet) are processing medical visa applications, currently on a priority/limited-slot basis according to IVAC's own notice, alongside a broader resumption of visa services since June 2026. Book your appointment as early as possible.
Not without permission. Your medical visa is issued for a specific, named hospital. Visiting a different hospital without FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) approval is treated as a visa violation.
If you hold a one-year multiple-entry medical visa, yes — IVAC requires FRRO registration within 14 days of arrival, which can be done online at indianfrro.gov.in. Missing the deadline attracts a penalty based on days defaulted.
Yes — a linked Medical Attendant Visa (M-2 or M-4) can be applied for alongside your Medical Visa. If the patient is a minor, a parent or guardian must accompany them as the attendant.
This page explains the Indian and IVAC visa process and is not immigration or legal advice — visa rules, fees and appointment availability can change without notice. Always confirm current requirements directly with IVAC Bangladesh before you apply.
Written by the Geo Healthcare Consultancy patient support team · Last reviewed 14 September 2026