A hospital invitation letter is the first document most Indian medical visa applications need, and the one patients ask about most. This guide sets out what the hospitals publish about it, how to ask CMC Vellore and Tata Memorial for one, and where the published rules stop. It does not invent a template or a timeline, because neither hospital publishes one.
General information, not medical or legal advice. Hospital procedures change. We read the pages below on 23 October 2026, and each page’s own update date is given. Confirm every step with the hospital before you send documents.
Table of Contents
What a medical visa invitation letter is
An invitation letter is a letter from an Indian hospital that says it will treat you. For the online e-Medical visa, the e-Visa portal asks you to upload a copy of the hospital letter, on the hospital’s letterhead, giving the patient’s details and the dates of admission (as we read it on 3 October 2026, and set out in our Indian medical visa guide). Tata Memorial says the letter is required for international patients applying for a medical visa.
The letter is not the visa. It is the hospital’s side of the application. You still apply for the visa yourself, and your attendants need their own.
How to get a medical visa invitation letter: the steps
- Contact the hospital’s international office by the route it publishes. The routes differ, as the next two sections show.
- Send what the hospital asks for. That is usually your medical details and the patient and attendant details.
- Wait for the hospital to issue the letter. Neither CMC Vellore nor Tata Memorial publishes a turnaround time or a fee for it.
- Upload the letter with your visa application, or give it to the Indian mission if you apply outside the e-Visa route.
How to ask CMC Vellore for the letter
CMC’s page on the procedure (updated 8 May 2025) says to download its AYUSH INFO FORM, an Excel sheet, fill it in, and send it to iro@cmcvellore.ac.in, the International Relations Office. The page we read does not say which attachments to add, how long the letter takes, or how many attendants it covers. For the rest of the CMC process, including booking, registration and police verification, read our CMC Vellore international patients guide.
How to ask Tata Memorial for the letter
Tata Memorial’s International Patients page (shown as last updated on 15 October 2026) says to email the International Patient Advisor (IPA) office at internationalpatients.tmh@tmc.gov.in or call +91-22-24177136. The steps it gives:
- Send your medical reports, investigations and treatment summaries.
- Complete the patient details (Section I) and the attendant details (Section II). The page says all fields in the application form are mandatory.
- A consultant reviews the case and recommends it, and then the IPA office issues the letter.
- The letter covers the patient and up to two attendants.
The page states no fee and no processing time. Tata Memorial also says an international patient must be accompanied by an attendant. See our Tata Memorial international patients guide for the hospital’s other steps.
What about NIMHANS?
NIMHANS’s international patients page says only foreign nationals with a valid Medical (M) visa can be admitted, and that attendants need a Medical Attendant (MX) visa. It says nothing about how to get an invitation letter, and it shows no update date. Use the hospital’s general contacts on that page to ask. Our NIMHANS international patients guide has the rest.
Mistakes that delay the letter
- Sending an incomplete form. Tata Memorial says every field is mandatory.
- Asking before you have reports. Tata Memorial’s consultant reviews the case before the letter is issued, so the reports come first.
- Paying a stranger for the letter. Neither page we read gives a fee for it. A charge from an agent is the agent’s own, not the hospital’s.
- Forgetting the attendants. Tata Memorial says the letter covers the patient and up to two attendants, so list them in the form.
Frequently asked questions
What is a medical visa invitation letter?
It is a hospital letter, on its letterhead, giving the patient’s details and the dates of admission. The e-Visa portal asks for a copy with the application.
How do I get an invitation letter from CMC Vellore?
Fill in CMC’s AYUSH INFO FORM (an Excel sheet) and send it to iro@cmcvellore.ac.in, as its procedure page (updated 8 May 2025) describes.
How do I get an invitation letter from Tata Memorial?
Email the International Patient Advisor office at internationalpatients.tmh@tmc.gov.in with your reports and the patient and attendant details. A consultant reviews the case before the letter is issued.
Does the letter cover my attendants?
At Tata Memorial it covers the patient and up to two attendants. CMC’s page does not say.
How long does the letter take?
We found no processing time on the CMC or Tata Memorial pages.
Is the letter the same as a visa?
No. It supports your visa application. You still apply for the visa, and each attendant applies for their own.
Related guides: Indian medical visa guide; medical attendant visa; CMC Vellore international patients guide; Tata Memorial international patients guide.
Sources checked
- CMC Vellore: Medical Visa Invitation Letter Procedure (updated 8 May 2025, read 23 October 2026).
- Tata Memorial Centre: International Patients (page shows last update 15 October 2026, read 23 October 2026).
- NIMHANS: International Patients (no update date shown, read 23 October 2026).
- Government of India e-Visa portal (read 3 October 2026).
