India is a premier destination globally for top-notch medical treatment, not limited to just Asia. However, securing a medical visa to India may present challenges if the correct criteria are not followed. This article aims to provide comprehensive guidance on obtaining a medical visa from Sierra Leone to India, ensuring a smooth and successful process.
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What Is A Medical Visa?
Before delving into the details of medical visas from Sierra Leone to India, let’s refresh our knowledge about medical visas. We may already know them, but a quick review won’t hurt and can help clarify certain aspects.
A target country issues a medical visa to a person from the origin country visiting the target country for treatment. There are various types of medical visas, like:
- Medical Visa (MED) – This visa is issued to international medical travelers for medical consultation or treatment.
- Medical Attendant Visa (MED-X) – This visa is given to the person accompanying the international patient holding a valid medical visa for support purposes.
- Medical Escort Visa – It is provided to the medical professional (nurses, doctors, or paramedics) accompanying a patient during their travel to India.
- E-Medical Visa – It is an online facility for eligible countries to streamline the visa application process.
The Medical Visa is a short-term visa, valid for 60 days from the visitor’s entry into India. It permits a stay of up to 60 days at one time and allows three entries within its validity period. This means the holder can enter India thrice during the 60-day validity.
Despite being a short-term visa, the Medical Visa can be obtained up to three times yearly. If the need for medical treatment arises after the initial 60-day stay, the individual can apply for this visa two more times within one year.
It’s important to note that the visa validity commences from the day of issuance, not the day of entry into India. In case of visa extension requirements, patients must present a medical certificate to the state department and Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Upon approval, the visa can be extended for an additional year.
Eligibility For Medical Visa From Sierra Leone To India
A patient will have to check their eligibility to apply for the visa. The criteria are as follows:
- You should be traveling specifically for medical treatment.
- The patient should hold a standard passport (no diplomatic or other Passport).
- The Passport should be valid for at least six months.
- The Passport should also have at least two blank pages for stamping purposes.
- The patient should seek care at a reputable, renowned, or specialized hospital or healthcare facility in India.
- Up to two attendants who are blood relatives are allowed to accompany the applicant.
- The patient should have a VIL (Visa Invitation Letter) from the institute where they will seek the treatment.
A Visa for Commissioning Surrogacy is NO longer permitted.
Below is a brief list of ailments that are considered a priority case when processing an application:
- Heart-related problems
- Neurosurgery
- Organ transplantation
- Renal disorders
- Congenital disorders
- Ophthalmic disorders
- Joint replacement
- Gene therapy
- Plastic surgery
- Radiotherapy
Requirements For Medical Visa To India From Sierra Leone
Just like other visas, a medical visa also has many requirements to complete to obtain the visa. These requirements are:
- An electronic scan of the first page of the visitor’s Passport
- Copy of the visitor’s recent passport-style color photo to be affixed at the top of the visa application form.
- A working email address
- A debit card or a credit card for the payment of the application fees
- Documentation of Residence
- Worker identification card
- Bank statement for the last three months in the name of the applicant or an Affidavit, along with a bank statement of the sponsor who will bear the expenses.
- Filled out completely and accurately on the application for a medical visa.
- Preliminary medical advice from a Sierra Leonean Doctor/Hospital, along with all the investigatory reports
- A return or onward ticket out of the country.
- Copy of a letter from the Indian Hospital the visitor would be seeking treatment from (VIL).
There are certain requirements specific to a medical visa to India from Sierra Leone, such as:
- The Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
Note: According to a notification by the Ministry of Health and Family Services, Government of India, the validity of the yellow fever vaccination certificate has been increased from 10 years to lifelong. This lifetime validity applies automatically to all existing and new certificates, beginning 10 days after the date of vaccination.
Get more details from here.
Refer to this link for more details on medical visas from Sierra Leone to India.
Filling Up Medical Visa To India Form Step-wise
The patient has to follow the following steps to get their medical visa from Sierra Leone to India.
- Go to the website of the Indian Government Indian Visa Online. You will be directed to the government website to complete the regular visa application form. Scroll and click on regular/paper visa application.
- Fill up your basic details like your home country, Indian mission/office, nationality/region, email address, DOB, purpose of visit, visa type, etc. Post this step; a temporary application id will be generated. Keep the temporary application id for future reference.
- Now, start filling up the form. Keep all the relevant documents with you while filling up the form.
- The form consists of various sections – Personal details, Passport details, Contact details, Medical travel details, declaration, and documents.
- Applicant Details: In this section, you must provide basic personal information, such as your name, date of birth, gender, and passport number.
- Passport Details: In this section, you will need to provide the details of your Passport, such as the passport number, issue date, and expiry date.
- Applicant’s Address Details: In this section, you must provide your address information, such as your phone number, address details, mobile number, etc.
- Family details: In this section, you must provide information regarding your parents, like their names, nationality, etc. Your marital details and roots in Pakistan (if any) will also be asked here.
- Profession/Occupation details: In this section, you must provide information regarding your occupation, like your present occupation, company name, address, etc. You will also be asked about your previous association with the Military, police, or security organizations.
- Details of Visa sought: In this section, you will need to provide details about your medical travel, such as the purpose of your visit, the name and address of the hospital or clinic where you will be treated, and the dates of your travel.
- Previous Visa/Currently valid Visa Details: In this section, you will be asked whether you have visited India. If yes, you must fill up the details like previously visited cities, visa number, type of visa, etc. This section will also ask whether your request for an Indian visa extension has been previously refused.
- Other information: This section includes information regarding countries you have visited in the last ten years and whether you have visited any SAARC countries within the three years.
- Reference: In this section, you will be asked about your reference from India and your home country. If you don’t have a connection in India, you can add GoMedii’s contact information if you travel to India for medical treatment with GoMedii’s help.
- Additional question details: In this section, you will be asked a few questions to reply in simple Yes or No. You will have to provide details accordingly if you answer yes to a question.
- Upload photograph: This section will ask you to upload a photograph with certain specifications, such as:
- Format – JPEG
- Size – Minimum 10 KB, Maximum 1 MB
- The minimum dimensions are 350 pixels (width) x 350 pixels (height).
- A recent front-facing photograph with white background is to be uploaded by the applicant.
- Do not crop the Passport Image to use it as your recent photograph. Upload a clear front-facing photograph with preferable white/light-colored background.
- Declaration: A checkbox will be there at the end where you will need to declare that you are applying for a medical visa and that you have read and understood the terms and conditions of the visa.
- Verify the details and note down your application number.
- Print the application form and submit it to concerning Indian Mission or Agency for processing of visa application with relevant documents, like:
- Your PassportPassport (front and back pages)
- A recent photograph (passport size)
- A medical certificate from your doctor
- A letter from the hospital or clinic where you will be treated
- Once the form is filled and submitted, take a print of the completed application form and sign and submit the physical copy along with the supporting documents and the PassportPassport to the concerned Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly at the Indian Mission on the scheduled appointed date.
- You can either pay online or at the embassy/commission.
Read the instructions here for a medical visa from Sierra Leone to India.
The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded photograph is unclear and as per specification.
Note: Copy of confirmation letter from recognized hospital/clinic in India which has offered treatment for the applicant. A copy of the invitation letter should be sent directly to the High Commission of India, Freetown by email at cons.freetown@mea.gov.in
Note: Sierra Leone is eligible for an Indian e-visa
What Is E-visa?
An e-visa or electronic visa is a digital travel document issued by a destination country to citizens of the country of origin. This system was designed to simplify the visa application process, sparing travelers from lengthy and tiresome bureaucratic procedures and offering an alternative to obtaining visas at border checkpoints.
There are three sub-categories of e-visas:
(a) e-Tourist Visa: Intended for recreational purposes, sightseeing, casual visits to meet friends or relatives, and attending short-term yoga programs.
(b) e-Business Visa: Granted for all activities allowed under a regular Business Visa.
(c) e-Medical Visa: Specifically for medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine.
Filling Up The E-visa Form
An e-visa is a much simpler and streamlined version compared to a traditional visa. The payment for an e-visa can be made online, and within 24-48 hours (on an urgent basis), you can obtain your medical e-visa. You have to follow these simple steps:
- Fill up the form for an Indian e-visa.
- Upload all the relevant documents like passport-sized photographs, passport pages, etc.
- Pay e-visa fees online (debit/credit card/payment wallet).
- Receive the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) online, which will be mailed to you.
- Print the ETA and present it at Immigration Check Post, where eVisa will be stamped on the PassportPassport.
Note:
- When a medical visa from Sierra Leone to India is applied online, there is no requirement at any stage to visit Indian Embassy or Indian Consulate. Once the eVisa for India is received by email, you can go to the Airport.
- Sierra Leonean citizens must keep a soft copy of an email received on their Phone/Computer/Tablet or a printed copy and carry the eVisa to the Airport. There is no stamp requirement on the Passport for Sierra Leone citizens for the e-medical visa sent in an email.
Know more here.
Medical Visa Processing Fees From Sierra Leone To India
The medical visa processing fee from Sierra Leone to India is $80, for the period of treatment or up to 1 year, whichever is less.
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Indian Medical Visa Processing Time From Sierra Leone To India
While a traditional medical visa from Sierra Leone to India can take 3-7 days or 15 days during peak season, an e-medical visa only takes 24-48 hours to process (on an urgent basis).
Medical Visa Assistance From Sierra Leone to India Provided By GoMedii
GoMedii India will gladly assist you in obtaining a Medical visa from Sierra Leone to India. Apart from visa assistance, we also assist in various other services, such as:
- Personalized care and support to our patients
- Making accessible, thorough medical treatment comparison plans.
- Assistance in getting a letter inviting you to the suggested hospital for a visa.
- Health management (health wallet – click here to avail of the facility).
- Schedule appointments with medical facilities and practitioners across India to obtain multiple medical opinions.
- Provide support with the hospital’s billing, payments, and system issues.
- Considering patients’ financial constraints, arranging suitable accommodations, and providing information on affordable flight options to ensure medical tourists can travel to India with appropriate arrangements.
- Arranging facilities such as air ambulance, interpreter for the patient, if required.
- Airport and other commute services
- Local SIM card assistance
- Arranging FOREX services for the patient and their family
- Medicine and prescription fulfillment
- Assisting in easy discharge
- Providing tour management services post-treatment
- Arranging for post-treatment follow-up care
- Insurance and financing assistance
Important Links
- High Commission of India, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Things to remember During Visa Extension
- Online Registration
- Health Regulation
FAQs On Medical Visa From Sierra Leone To India
How do I get a medical visa to India?
Obtaining a medical visa to India is a straightforward process. Fill up the form for an Indian e-visa, providing all necessary details and uploading relevant documents. Proceed to pay the fees, and within 3-5 working days, you will receive your e-visa via email.
How long can you stay in India on a medical visa?
The Medical visa for India allows you to stay for a total of 60 days. You may leave and re-enter up to 2 more times during this period.
How much is an Indian medical visa from Sierra Leone?
The medical visa processing fee from Sierra Leone to India is $80, for the period of treatment or up to 1 year, whichever is less.
How long does it take to get an Indian medical visa?
Indian medical visa, both paper and electronic form, takes 3-5 business working days to process. However, you can get the e-medical visa within 24-48 hours on an urgent basis.
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