Over 18.11 lakh foreign nationals visited India for medical tourism during 2023-25: Govt

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said the medical tourism sector is "a rapidly growing sector having immense global potential" and is being supported through initiatives of various ministries, departments, trade bodies and private sector hospitals.

According to data shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 18,11,950 foreign nationals visited India on medical tourism-related visas between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025. This included 17,51,088 Medical Visa/Medical Visa (E) holders, 56,908 Medical Attendant/Medical Attendant (E) visa holders, 3,375 AYUSH Visa/AYUSH Visa (E) holders and 579 AYUSH Attendant Visa (E) holders.

The reply stated that the Central Government promotes medical and wellness tourism primarily through the Ministry of Tourism, while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare supports the sector through stakeholder consultations and coordination with various government ministries and private organisations, including NATHEALTH, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC).

The government also said emergency visa services are available through Indian Missions and Posts abroad, and Medical and AYUSH visas are expedited in emergency cases, subject to prescribed conditions. Indian Embassies and Consulates have also made helpline numbers available for such cases.

To facilitate medical travel, the Ministry of Home Affairs has increased the validity of the e-Medical visa from 60 days to one year, expanded the number of permitted entries from three to multiple entries, and extended the e-Medical visa facility to nationals of 176 countries. The government also said the e-Visa regime covers AYUSH treatment through dedicated e-AYUSH (M3) and e-AYUSH Attendant (M4) visa categories, as part of efforts to support medical and wellness tourism. (ANI)