Patient Guide · Nigeria
Indian Medical Visa for Nigerian Patients: How to Apply in 2026
A step-by-step guide to the Indian Medical Visa and Medical Attendant Visa for patients travelling from Nigeria for treatment in India — documents, fees, and where to apply.
Which visa do you need?
Patients travelling from Nigeria for treatment in India need a Medical Visa, not a tourist visa. A tourist visa does not permit hospital admission or ongoing treatment, and using one for medical care can cause problems at immigration or at the hospital itself.
India offers two ways to apply for a Medical Visa:
- e-Medical Visa — applied for entirely online at indianvisaonline.gov.in. Nigeria is on India’s eligible-country list for this route.
- Regular (paper) Medical Visa — submitted in person at the High Commission of India in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos. This is the route the High Commission’s own published guidance for Nigerian applicants describes in detail, and it remains the more commonly used route for Nigerian patients today.
Both routes require a genuine hospital invitation letter — the one document neither route lets you skip.
Documents you'll need
The exact list depends on which route you use, but this covers what the High Commission of India, Abuja asks Nigerian applicants for:
- Original passport, valid at least 6 months, with 2 or more blank pages
- Two passport photographs, 50mm × 50mm, plain light background
- Signed visa application form (paper route) or completed online form (e-Visa route)
- Typed referral letter from your treating hospital or doctor in Nigeria, on letterhead
- Copies of your medical records — scans, MRI/CT reports, X-rays relevant to your condition
- Discharge summaries from earlier treatment in India (follow-up visits only)
- Donor–recipient compatibility report (transplant cases only)
- Hospital invitation letter from the Indian hospital, on its letterhead
- Proof of funds — a certified bank statement covering the last 3 months, or a bank guarantee letter
- Sponsor's affidavit and ID, if someone else is funding your treatment
- Return flight booking
- Valid Polio vaccination certificate (OPV/IPV)
- Valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate
How to apply, step by step
If you’re using the regular (paper) route via the High Commission or Consulate:
- Get your hospital invitation letter first. Send your medical reports to the Indian hospital and ask them to email the invitation directly to cons1.abuja@mea.gov.in and cons.abuja@mea.gov.in, and to give you a printed copy as well.
- Gather your documents using the checklist above.
- Complete the application form and sign it in blue ink.
- Submit in person at the Abuja or Lagos office between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM on a working day.
- Attend an interview if the Consular Officer asks for one — bring originals of everything you submitted.
- Collect your passport once the visa is issued.
If you’d rather apply online, the e-Medical Visa follows the same document logic through India’s official e-Visa portal — applications open between 120 days and 4 days before travel.
Visa fees
The High Commission of India, Abuja, lists the Medical Visa fee for Nigerian applicants at US $252 (including a $2 surcharge), payable when you apply. Checked 11 September 2026 — visa fees change, so confirm the current amount on the High Commission’s own page before you pay.
If you apply through the e-Medical Visa portal instead, the fee is calculated automatically for your nationality at checkout on the official site — it is a separate fee schedule from the offline figure above, so don’t assume the two match.
Naira equivalents aren’t published by the High Commission since the fee is set in US dollars and moves with the exchange rate — budget in dollars and convert close to your payment date.
Medical Attendant Visa
Up to two attendants are permitted per patient — a close relative, family member, or friend.
If you apply offline through the High Commission, the attendant’s name and mobile number simply need to be included in the hospital’s invitation letter — there’s no separate form. If you apply through the e-Medical Visa portal, each attendant applies separately for their own e-Medical Attendant Visa, linked to your e-Medical Visa.
Either way, an attendant’s visa is only valid alongside a genuine, approved Medical Visa — it can’t be applied for on its own.
Validity, and what happens after you arrive
An e-Medical Visa is valid for one year (365 days) from your date of arrival, allows multiple entries, and cannot be extended or converted to another visa type once issued.
If your visa is valid for more than 180 days, Indian immigration rules require registration with the local FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) within 14 days of arrival — your hospital’s international patient team can usually help with this.
Air ambulance and critical transfers
For patients who need to travel in a medical emergency rather than a planned admission, air ambulance transfer from Nigeria 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
- High Commission of India, Abuja — 364 Cadastral Zone, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT
- Consulate General of India, Lagos — 8A Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos
- Submission hours: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Monday to Friday (working days)
How Geo Healthcare helps
The hospital invitation letter is the single most common reason a Nigerian patient’s visa application gets delayed — it has to name the right treatment, the right dates, and reach the right email addresses. 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 the High Commission or the e-Visa portal.
Frequently asked questions
You can apply online through India's e-Medical Visa portal, or in person at the High Commission of India in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos. Both routes need a genuine hospital invitation letter from the Indian hospital treating you. See the step-by-step section above for the full process.
The High Commission of India, Abuja lists the offline Medical Visa fee at US $252 for Nigerian applicants (checked 11 September 2026). The e-Medical Visa has its own fee, calculated at checkout on the official portal. Naira equivalents aren't published since the fee is set in dollars.
Your passport, photographs, a referral letter from a Nigerian hospital, your medical records, a hospital invitation letter from India, proof of funds, a return flight booking, and valid Polio and Yellow Fever vaccination certificates. The full checklist is above.
Yes — up to two attendants per patient. On the offline route, their details go into your hospital invitation letter. On the e-Medical Visa route, each attendant applies for their own linked e-Medical Attendant Visa.
Yes, for emergency transfers, but it's arranged and priced case by case depending on the patient's condition and route. Contact us with the details and we'll arrange a quote.
This page explains the Indian government’s own visa process and is not immigration or legal advice — visa rules, fees and document requirements can change without notice. Always confirm current requirements with the High Commission of India, Abuja before you apply.
Written by the Geo Healthcare Consultancy patient support team · Last reviewed 11 September 2026