NEW DELHI: The number of tourists arriving in India on medical visa has more than doubled in the last two years, the Indian government told on Wednesday, 2 August.
The number of arrivals in India on medical visa was 66,254 in 2014, which grew to 1, 22,121 in 2015 and 1, 77,972 in 2016.
Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma told Rajya Sabha that the government has not imposed any restriction on medical visa to foreign patients, adding that the country’s medical visa policy has been appreciated by foreign governments.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last week, minister of state for External Affairs V K Singh said that restrictions for medical visa were in place only for those from Pakistan.
In those cases a recommendation letter from Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs is required for securing a visa. Singh had added that in 2017, 1, 05,163 medical visas had been issued.
