Choosing a Medical Tourism Company for Nigerian Patients (2026)
Choosing a medical travel company becomes manageable once you know which questions to ask and which answers can be checked independently.
Published on 23 September 20269m
TMTC Team
Team of medical writers creating research-based articles, reviewed by healthcare professionals.
A facilitator coordinates the parts around your treatment: the records review, the specialist consultation, the written plan and price, the visa paperwork, travel, and the handover to your doctor when you return. TMTC's
partner hospitals
include Fortis, Medanta, Artemis, MAX and Apollo, all JCI or NABH accredited. This guide sets out the questions to put to any company, and the paperwork points that apply specifically to Nigerian patients.Key takeaways
- Ask how a company is paid and by whom, and ask for the answer in writing. A fee paid by you and a commission paid by a hospital create different incentives, and knowing which applies helps you read a recommendation.
- Ask for a consultation with the treating Indian specialist and a written itemised quote naming the hospital, the surgeon and what the figure assumes, before funds are committed.
- Check the legal entity. A published company registration number, a physical address and a named contact for complaints can be verified against a public register.
- Nigeria is not on India's e-Visa eligibility list, so ask how a company handles the paper route and who produces the invitation letter the application rests on.
What a medical travel company does
A medical travel company coordinates rather than treats. At its most useful it reviews your records, arranges a consultation with the treating specialist abroad, produces a written plan and price, prepares the visa paperwork, books travel and accommodation, meets you at the airport, keeps one person accountable throughout, and organises the handover to your doctor at home.
The clinical work sits elsewhere. The surgery, the treatment decisions and the clinical responsibility for the outcome rest with the hospital and the treating consultant. Ask a company to set out in writing which parts of the journey it carries and which parts the hospital carries, so you know who to contact overnight.
The questions that narrow the field
| Ask the company | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How are you paid, and by whom? | A fee from the patient and a commission from the hospital produce different incentives, and the answer tells you how to read a recommendation |
| Can I have an online consultation with the treating surgeon before funds are committed? | The plan and the price follow the specialist's review of your records rather than preceding it |
| Which hospital and which consultant, and how many of my procedure do they perform a year? | Volume in your specific procedure is a narrower question than the size of the hospital |
| What does this figure assume about cycles, stents, implants or devices? | Cancer and cardiac quotes move with the plan, so the assumptions are the substance of the price |
| May I have the hospital's name so I can check the JCI and NABH registries? | Accreditation is the one claim you can verify independently before committing anything |
| What does the post-treatment cover include, and where is that in writing? | Cover written for treatment abroad differs from travel insurance, and the limits matter once you fly home |
| What happens to a deposit if the plan changes or I withdraw? | Terms vary, and the answer is easier to obtain before payment than after |
None of these questions requires medical knowledge. They ask a company to put specifics in writing, and the written answer is what you can hold on to.
Checking the company itself
Start with the legal entity. Look for a registration number, a registered address and a named route for escalating a complaint. Those details can be checked against a public register.
Then look at the trail. Independent review platforms, how the company describes its handling of cases that did not go to plan, and whether the people in its videos are identifiable. Ask how long it has worked with Nigerian patients specifically, since familiarity with the Abuja and Lagos requirements comes from handling those cases regularly.
Then ask what happens if you change your mind, and at what point funds stop being returnable. Ask for that in writing alongside the quote.
Key point: Ask directly how the company earns its money and from whom, and ask for the answer in writing. If the answer is a commission from the hospital, ask how hospital recommendations are made and whether you can be referred to a hospital that pays no commission. If the answer is a fee from you, ask what the fee covers and what sits outside it.
The Nigeria-specific step
Nigeria does not appear on the Government of India's
e-Visa eligibility list
, so Nigerian patients apply for a paper medical visa at the High Commission in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos. The Abuja mission's published requirements
ask for a typed invitation letter from the Indian hospital, on letterhead and signed, specifying the treatment along with its start and end dates, sent to the mission from the hospital's own verifiable domain email address, with a printout of the letter and the email attached to your application form. The mission also asks for a certified bank statement or bank guarantee letter covering medical and living costs for the duration of treatment. On vaccination, it asks for yellow fever cover for all except infants under six months, and oral polio or IPV for residents, with the polio certificate valid for a year from the date it is administered.Three questions follow for any company. Who briefs the Indian hospital so that the letter arrives in the form the mission asks for. What happens if the mission asks for documents beyond the published list, which it reserves the right to do. And what the company's role is at the counter, given that you or a close relative attend in person.
A facilitator prepares and sequences the paperwork. The application itself is yours, and the mission decides both the outcome and the duration granted. Ask a company to describe its role in those terms in writing.
How TMTC answers these questions
Here are the same questions answered as they apply to
TMTC
.The sequence starts with a free initial consultation and record review, followed by an online consultation with the treating Indian specialist, with a fixed itemised quote issued after it. Treatment takes place at accredited partner hospitals, and you can review the
specialists
before deciding on an institution. The published rates are base rates rather than final prices, and the final figure follows the treatment plan.The limits are worth stating as plainly. The
post-treatment insurance
included in the package covers a flight back to India and treatment in India if a complication arises, rather than treatment in Nigeria, so read the policy for what it covers where you live. And the visa file is prepared and sequenced rather than obtained on your behalf, since the decision rests with the mission. Every recommendation is reviewed by TMTC's Medical Director of Primary Care, a UK-registered GP, giving the plan an additional layer of independent UK clinical oversight.Patient tip: Ask for three documents before funds are committed. A written treatment plan from the treating specialist. An itemised quote naming the hospital and stating what the price assumes. And a written statement of what happens if the surgeon finds something unexpected during the operation.
After treatment: who is responsible for what
Responsibility between discharge and the flight home is worth settling in advance. Ask where you will stay in that period, who supervises you there, and who decides when you are fit to travel.
Our patients stay at the
aftercare centre
, with a doctor and nurse on site around the clock, daily physiotherapy and nutritionist-designed meals, until a clinician certifies them fit to fly rather than until a booking runs out. You travel home with a discharge summary and imaging handover, structured remote follow-up, and coordination with your own doctor in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt or wherever you live, since that clinician is the one who sees you in person afterwards.Records First, Then the Consultation, Then the Quote
The order of operations is the part worth carrying away. Records first, then a consultation with the treating specialist, then a written plan and an itemised quote, then funds, then flights. Ask any company to work in that sequence, and ask for each step in writing as you go. The accreditation question can be settled on the JCI and NABH registries in a few minutes. If you would like to start with the records review and the specialist consultation, a
free consultation
is where that begins.Frequently asked questions
How do I check that a medical travel company is legitimate?
Look for a published company registration number, a physical address and a named contact for complaints, then check the hospitals it names on the JCI and NABH registries yourself. Ask how the company is paid and by whom, and ask for that answer in writing alongside the quote.
Should I pay a deposit before travelling?
Ask what the deposit covers and when it stops being returnable, in writing. Patients are generally better placed once they have had a consultation with the treating specialist and hold an itemised quote naming the hospital, the surgeon and what the price assumes.
Can a company obtain my Indian medical visa for me?
A facilitator prepares and sequences the documents, briefs the Indian hospital on the invitation letter and checks the file, while the application remains yours and the decision rests with the mission. Nigeria has no e-Visa route, so the paper process at Abuja or Lagos applies.
What should the quote include?
The named hospital and consultant, the procedure, the implant or device brand where relevant, accommodation for you and a companion, transfers, and a statement of what sits outside the figure. Ask what happens to the price if the surgeon finds something unexpected once the operation has begun.
What happens if I have a complication after returning to Nigeria?
That depends on the cover you hold, so read the policy before you travel. In a TMTC package the post-treatment insurance covers a return flight to India and treatment there, rather than treatment in Nigeria, and you return with documentation your local doctor can act on.
Sources referenced for this guide: The Medical Travel Company published service pages and Nigeria market information; Government of India e-Visa portal, eligibility list; High Commission of India, Abuja, medical visa requirements; Joint Commission International and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers accreditation registries.
Please note: Visa requirements, fees and arrangements change from time to time. Confirm the current position with the relevant mission or official portal before booking travel or committing to treatment.
Disclaimer. This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified doctor. Treatments, risks, recovery and outcomes vary by individual and depend on your personal circumstances; speak to a registered clinician before making any treatment decision. Insurance cover, including any post-treatment cover, is subject to the full terms, limits and exclusions of the policy document, which is provided before you book.
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