India Medical Visa from Nigeria: Requirements, Documents and Timelines (2026)
Planning treatment in India? Here’s what Nigerian patients need to know about medical visa requirements, documents, application steps and timelines in 2026.
Published on 23 September 20269m
TMTC Team
Team of medical writers creating research-based articles, reviewed by healthcare professionals.
If you are arranging treatment in India, for yourself or a parent, the visa is usually the part that feels most opaque. It does not need to be. India's rules for Nigerian patients are published and specific, and in the right order they become a list of tasks. This guide sets out what the High Commission in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos ask for, what they charge, how to sequence the paperwork and what happens once you land.
Key takeaways
- Nigeria does not appear on the Government of India's e-Visa eligibility list, so Nigerian passport holders apply for the paper Medical Visa (MED) in Abuja or Lagos.
- The application turns on two letters: a referral letter from a reputable Nigerian hospital, stamped and signed after examination, and an invitation letter from the Indian hospital giving the treatment dates and each attendant's details, emailed by that hospital directly to the mission.
- Visa fees are revised periodically, so check the Fee Structure published under Consular Services on the High Commission of India, Abuja websiteand confirm the amount payable before you travel to submit.
- Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory except for infants under six months, and oral polio vaccination or IPV is mandatory for residents of Nigeria, listed by the mission among the polio-affected countries. That certificate is valid one year from the date given.
The e-Visa route is not open to Nigerian passport holders
This is a common mistake. The e-Visa portal publishes a list of eligible nationalities, and Nigeria is not on it, although Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa are. The Abuja fee sheet agrees, noting that only nationalities without an e-Visa facility are accepted for paper processing.
A 60 day e-Medical Visa granted within days of an online form is widely described online. That route exists, but not for a Nigerian passport. Your application goes through the mission, on paper, in person, with an interview at the officer's discretion.
Key point: Open theGovernment of India's e-Visa portaland check your nationality under "Countries/Regions who are eligible to avail eVisa" before you plan anything. The list is revised from time to time, and it is the version that counts at the counter.
MED and MED-X: which visa covers whom
A Medical Visa, coded MED, is granted where the sole purpose of the visit is treatment at a specialised, recognised or established hospital in India. A family member travelling to look after you applies separately for a Medical Attendant Visa, coded MED-X, tied to your case rather than issued on its own.
On the electronic route India grants two attendant visas per patient. For the paper route the mission publishes no headline number, but asks for each attendant's details on the invitation letter, with a mobile number for the hospital contact. Decide early who is travelling and document the relationship, since a companion added late tends to slow applications down.
The documents Abuja and Lagos ask for
| Document | What the mission specifies |
|---|---|
| Passport | Original, valid at least six months or for the validity requested, plus a photocopy of the data page |
| Photographs | Two, 50mm by 50mm, light background, glued into the boxes on pages 1 and 2 |
| Application form | Completed online, printed, signed on pages 1 and 2, matching the passport signature |
| Contact details | Your own phone number and email. False or third party details can lead to refusal |
| Referral letter | Typed original on a reputable Nigerian hospital's letterhead, stamped and signed after examination, giving your condition and the reason for referral, sent from its verifiable domain email |
| Invitation letter | From the Indian hospital, stamped and signed, stating the treatment and its start and end dates, with each attendant's details and a mobile number for the hospital contact, emailed by that hospital to the mission |
| Financial evidence | A certified three month bank statement, or a bank letter confirming you can meet treatment and living costs. Sponsored applicants add an affidavit and ID |
| Medical records | Copies of your treatment in Nigeria, including CT, MRI or X-ray reports, with originals available |
| Follow-up cases | Previous medical papers and the discharge summary from the Indian hospital |
| Transplant cases | A compatibility report for donor and patient |
| Hospital undertaking | The Indian hospital accepts responsibility for patient and attendant, including immigration, until departure, worded inside the invitation letter |
Patient tip: TheAbuja medical visa pageasks the Indian hospital to email the invitation to the mission's consular addresses, with separate addresses listed for Lagos, and asks you to attach a printout of both the invitation and the email page to your application. Ask the hospital to confirm it has sent it, and keep the hospital contact reachable by phone.
Fees and health formalities
Visa fees are revised from time to time, so rather than repeat a figure that may be out of date by the time you read this, open
Consular Services on the High Commission's website
and download the Fee Structure listed there, then confirm the payable amount before you travel to submit. Payment includes a contribution to the Indian Community Welfare Fund and is made in cash, so carry the correct sum on the day.Applications are accepted between 1000 and 1200 hours on working days, and the officer may ask for documents beyond the published list. Carry your yellow fever certificate in original, and arrange polio vaccination early, since it runs for a year from the date given.
Timelines: how to sequence the work
The mission does not publish a fixed processing time for medical visas from Nigeria, so treat any number of days you read elsewhere as an estimate rather than a commitment. What you can control is the order, and the order is what costs people weeks.
Work backwards from the treatment dates. First, the clinical picture: current records, imaging and a specialist opinion on whether travel is warranted. Second, the Indian hospital issues the invitation letter with realistic dates, allowing margin for recovery running long. Third, the Nigerian referral letter, naming the same hospital. Only then do the form, the appointment and the submission window make sense. Passport renewals come first, since the mission asks for at least six months of validity.
At
TMTC
this sequencing sits with one coordinator: the specialist consultation, the fixed itemised quote, the invitation letter from the accredited partner hospital
and the visa support all run in one workflow.After you land: registration, recovery and cover
Registration is a legal step, not a formality. The Bureau of Immigration requires foreign nationals on a medical visa valid for more than 180 days to register with the jurisdictional FRRO or FRO within 14 days of arrival, through the e-FRRO portal. If that applies, start it in your first week.
Recovery is the part most patients underestimate. Our patients stay at the
aftercare centre
with a doctor and nurse on site around the clock, daily physiotherapy and nutritionist-designed meals, until certified fit to fly. The post-treatment insurance
included covers the flight back to India and treatment in India if a complication arises, rather than treatment at home, a distinction worth reading in the policy itself. You go home with a discharge summary, imaging handover and coordination with your own doctor. 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.Starting the Paperwork With Clear Eyes
The Nigerian route is slower than the electronic one open to some other African patients, and it rewards preparation. Get the passport validity right, the two letters right and the financial evidence right, and much of the rest is queueing. Everything here is checkable against the sources below, and worth verifying against them. If you would like the paperwork sequenced alongside the clinical planning, a
free consultation
is a sensible place to start.Frequently asked questions
Can Nigerian citizens apply for India's e-Medical Visa?
No. Nigeria does not appear on the Government of India's e-Visa eligibility list, so Nigerian passport holders apply for the paper Medical Visa at the High Commission in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, in person, with supporting documents and an interview at the officer's discretion.
How many people can travel with me as attendants?
Attendants apply separately for Medical Attendant Visas linked to your case. India's electronic route allows two per patient. On the paper route, the mission asks for each attendant's details and a mobile number for the hospital contact to appear on the Indian hospital's invitation letter, so confirm who is travelling before it is issued.
What happens if my treatment takes longer than my visa allows?
Extensions are decided by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in India, not by the mission in Nigeria, and require current documentation from your treating hospital. Raise it as soon as the clinical plan changes and well before the visa expires, since late applications create avoidable complications.
Do I have to register with the FRRO after arriving?
The Bureau of Immigration requires foreign nationals on a medical visa valid for more than 180 days to register with the jurisdictional FRRO or FRO within 14 days of arrival, through the e-FRRO portal. Check your endorsement on arrival, since it depends on the validity granted rather than your planned stay.
How much does the medical visa cost from Nigeria?
Check the Fee Structure published under
Consular Services on the High Commission of India, Abuja website
rather than any figure quoted elsewhere. Fees are revised periodically and payment is made in cash, so confirm the exact amount before travelling to submit your application.Sources referenced for this guide: High Commission of India, Abuja, medical visa requirements and published fee schedule; Government of India e-Visa portal, eligibility list and FAQs; Bureau of Immigration, registration requirements for foreign nationals; The Medical Travel Company service pages.
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.
Ready to open the door to better health?
