Medical Visa India vs Thailand, Korea, Turkey: Stays Compared

A treatment plan has a length, and so does a visa. When the two do not match, the patient has to leave mid-recovery, apply again, or stay without permission. Four of the main destinations handle this very differently.

India, Thailand and South Korea each run visas built for patients. Türkiye lets most Western visitors in without a visa for 90 days, but its e-visa is only for tourism or business. This article compares the four on three questions. How long can you stay, who can come with you, and what must the hospital produce first?

The four countries side by side

India: one visa, two lengths

India's government e-visa portal lists an e-Medical visa and an e-Medical Attendant visa.¹ It allows "only two e-Medical Attendant Visas" against each e-Medical visa.¹ Patients can apply up to 120 days before arrival.¹

The same portal gives two different durations. Its list of categories describes the e-Medical visa as lasting "one year (365 days) from the date of arrival", with multiple entries.¹ Its frequently asked questions say the e-Medical visa is valid for "60 days from the date of first arrival".¹ A 2018 Home Ministry document also gave 60 days, with triple entry.¹⁰

Both cannot be the current rule, and the portal does not say which applies. A patient whose treatment runs past 60 days should get the answer in writing from an Indian mission before travelling.

Thailand: the free month just got shorter

Thailand cut its visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026.⁸ The change was published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and applies to 60 countries and territories, including the UK, the US and Germany.⁸ It is for tourism only.⁸

Treatment that needs longer has a visa route. Thailand's foreign ministry describes a tourist visa for medical treatment for stays of up to 60 days, and a non-immigrant visa for treatment of up to 90 days.² Embassies ask for a hospital letter confirming the treatment.³

Embassy pages differ on the details. The Singapore embassy says its medical tourist visa is single entry, with a stay set by the hospital's letter.³ The Kuala Lumpur embassy splits the two routes at 60 days and tells patients to ask the immigration bureau about extensions.¹¹ A Bangkok visa agency describes a newer one-year, multiple-entry medical visa with stays of up to 90 days per entry.⁷ Check with the embassy where you will apply.

South Korea: two patient visas

South Korea has visas built for patients. A Korean hospital explains them as C-3-3 for stays of less than 90 days and G-1-10 for stays over 90 days within one year.⁴ The patient's spouse and children can apply to come as carers.⁴

Both routes start with the hospital. Patients can apply at a consulate with a diagnosis and a Korean hospital's confirmation of the appointment. Or the hospital can apply for a visa certificate on their behalf.⁴ A Korean travel guide adds that the hospital must be registered with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.⁵

Hospitals may ask for money first. The Korean hospital notes that patients "may be asked to deposit a certain percentage" of the estimated cost.⁴ The travel guide puts that at 10-20%.⁵

Türkiye: visa-free, but for what?

For many Western visitors, Türkiye looks simple. Its foreign ministry exempts UK, US and German ordinary passport holders from visas for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.⁹

The ministry also says its e-visa is "only valid when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce".⁹ Other purposes need a visa from an embassy or consulate.⁹ In 2020 Türkiye's embassy in Oslo announced treatment visas for patients holding an invitation from USHAŞ, the state-owned international health services company.⁶

The official health tourism portal does not settle it. Its medical visa page describes the visa in general terms, without saying whether visa-free entry may be used for treatment.¹² None of the official sources reviewed here says that visa-free entry may be used for treatment.

What the rules leave out

Recovery time is the trap. A procedure may take a day, but follow-up appointments and a check before flying can take much longer. The visa has to cover the whole period, not the operation.

Companions are treated separately. India limits attendants to two per patient.¹ Korea names spouse and children.⁴ A friend who is not a relative may need a tourist visa of their own.

Rules change, and fast. Thailand's cut took effect two weeks after it was published.⁸ Any figure here should be checked against the official page in the month you apply.

How to plan the visa

Start from the full treatment plan, including follow-up visits, and add a margin. Then choose the visa that covers it, not the one that is easiest to get.

Ask the hospital for the exact document your visa needs: an appointment letter, an admission certificate, or an invitation. Get it before you book flights.

Where official pages disagree, as India's e-visa portal does, get the answer in writing from the mission that will issue your visa. Keep that email with your passport.

Footnotes

1. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html — Government of India, e-Visa portal, visa categories and frequently asked questions. Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

2. https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/eb9u2bRVs7/ค่าธรรมเนียมฝ่ายกงสุล/2566/Visa_Categories_19-06-23/Visa_for_Medical_Treatment.pdf — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, "Visa for Medical Treatment" (published Jun 2023). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. https://singapore.thaiembassy.org/en/page/tourist-mt-visa — Royal Thai Embassy, Singapore, "Tourist Visa (Medical Treatment)" (updated Mar 18, 2025). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. https://eng.dsmc.or.kr:49910/content/02global/03_03.php — Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, "What is a Medical Visa?". Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

5. https://koreaexperience.com/blog/korea-medical-tourism-visa-how-to-apply — Korea Experience, "Korea medical tourism visa: how to apply" (updated Feb 7, 2026). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

6. https://oslo-emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowAnnouncement/372346 — Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Oslo, "Announcement regarding visa applications for medical treatment purposes" (published Jun 5, 2020). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³

7. https://www.explera.co.th/blog/2026-09-14-thailand-medical-treatment-visa-agent-guide/ — Explera, "Thailand's Medical Treatment Visa", a Bangkok visa agency's guide (published Sep 14, 2026). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩²

8. https://www.ttgasia.com/?p=120418 — TTG Asia, "Thailand cuts visa-free stay to 30 days for 60 countries", on Ministry of Interior announcements in the Royal Gazette (published Sep 8, 2026). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

9. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa — Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Visa information for foreigners". Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexIII_01022018.pdf — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, "Details of visas granted by India", Annex III (published Feb 2018). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩

11. https://kualalumpur.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/medical-treatment-mt-or-non-immigrant-o-for-medical — Royal Thai Embassy, Kuala Lumpur, "Medical Treatment (MT) or Non-Immigrant (O) for Medical Treatment" (updated Jul 17, 2026). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩

12. https://healthturkiye.gov.tr/medical-visa — HealthTürkiye, Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health portal, "Medical Visa" (published Apr 25, 2023). Accessed Oct 3, 2026. ↩

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