Canadian Medical Travel Coordination
Quick Facts
Last updated: June 2026
Visa for Canadians
Canadian citizens require an e-Medical Visa, valid for 60 days from first arrival with triple entry. The fee for Canadian passport holders is USD 80 plus a 2.5 percent bank charge, paid at least 4 days before travel. An e-Medical Attendant Visa is available for one accompanying family member on the same terms. Apply at the official Government of India e-Visa portal
Official language and hospital languages
Hindi and English are India's official Union languages. At major private hospitals serving international patients, English is the working language and most doctors and nurses are fluent in English.
Currency
Indian Rupee (INR). Major hospital international patient departments commonly quote in USD and accept international cards and bank transfers.
Mandatory e-Arrival Card
Separate from the visa, every foreign passport holder must complete a free online e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before landing. The paper disembarkation card was discontinued on 1 April 2026.
Flights from Canada to India
Most international treatment in India is delivered in Delhi NCR, and all nonstop flights from Canada land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). From there, short domestic connections reach Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
from Toronto (YYZ)
to Delhi (DEL)
Direct: Yes, near-daily on Air Canada and Air India
Flight time: 14 to 15.5 hours
Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 1,000 to 1,400 / peak CAD 1,900 to 2,400
from Vancouver (YVR)
to Delhi (DEL)
Direct: Yes, near-daily on Air India
Flight time: 15 to 16.5 hours
Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 1,000 to 1,400 / peak CAD 1,800 to 2,300
from Calgary (YYC)
to Delhi (DEL)
Direct: Often routed via Toronto or Vancouver
Flight time: 15 to 17 hours when nonstop
Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 1,300 to 1,700 / peak CAD 2,000 to 2,500
from Montreal (YUL)
to Delhi (DEL)
Direct: Seasonal nonstop on Air Canada from October to April; connection in summer
Flight time: 14 to 14.5 hours
Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 1,100 to 1,500 / peak CAD 1,900 to 2,400
Fares shift with season and booking lead time. Lowest fares are typically found in May and June; peak fares run from late December through February.
Where to Stay
Most international treatment is delivered in Delhi NCR (Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida), with strong alternatives in Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Several leading hospitals operate adjacent guest houses for international patients, which is often the most practical choice during early recovery.
The most comfortable windows for travel and recovery in northern India are late September through mid-October, and February through mid-March. Summer (April to June) is extremely hot, the monsoon (late June through mid-September) brings heavy rain, and Delhi's air quality is at its worst from October through February. Patients with cardiac or respiratory considerations often prefer Chennai, Bengaluru, or Mumbai, which maintain cleaner air through more of the year.
3-star hotels
Average nightly
CAD 60 to 70
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Per week, 7 nights
CAD 420 to 490
4-star hotels
Average nightly
CAD 140 to 165
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Per week, 7 nights
CAD 980 to 1,155
5-star hotels
Average nightly
CAD 200 to 500
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Per week, 7 nights
CAD 1,400 to 3,500
Safety and Travel
The Government of Canada places India overall at the second of its four advisory levels, asking travellers to exercise a high degree of caution because of the threat of terrorism throughout the country. Global Affairs Canada's stated position is that tourists are not specifically targeted. Two regions outside the medical hub cities carry higher levels: the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and any area within 10 km of the India and Pakistan border, are rated "avoid all travel"; Manipur in the northeast is rated "avoid non-essential travel".
None of these zones overlap with where treatment takes place. The major medical hub cities (Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad) sit at the baseline level that also applies to many ordinary travel destinations, and standard urban precautions are sufficient.
Featured Treatments in India
India is identified by its own Government of India Ministry of Tourism as a flagship destination for cardiac, orthopedic, and oncology care. Its accredited hospital base is one of the largest in Asia, with roughly 4,650 hospitals accredited by India's National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) and a substantial concentration of JCI accredited hospitals.
Cardiac Care
Cardiac surgery is one of India's flagship specialties, with major centres carrying very high case volumes. Indian cardiac surgeons commonly perform several hundred open-heart procedures per year, and minimally invasive coronary bypass, beating-heart bypass, and complex valve work are widely available at leading hospitals.
Learn more about cardiology services with Maple Med Global
Orthopedic Surgery
Joint replacement is one of India's most established medical-tourism specialties. Major centres deliver very large volumes of knee and hip replacement each year, with robotic and computer-navigation systems at leading hospitals. This is the specialty where Canadian patients see the sharpest contrast with home wait times.
​Learn more about orthopedic solutions with Maple Med Global
​
Oncology
India offers the full cancer pathway from diagnostics through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation at internationally accredited centres. One distinction matters in particular: proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy, is available in India and is not available anywhere in Canada. Canada is the only G7 country without a clinical proton beam therapy facility, and Canadian patients who qualify for proton therapy are referred to the United States through provincial out-of-country programs. CAR T-cell therapy is also offered in India at certified centres under India's national drug regulator, with broader access than the limited capacity available in select Canadian provinces.
Learn more about oncological care with Maple Med Global
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Organ Transplants
India has decades of high-volume experience in kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplantation at internationally accredited centres. One important rule: under India's Transplantation of Human Organs Act, only relatives may donate organs to foreign patients, with narrowly regulated exceptions. Cases must be planned around this requirement.
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Fertility and IVF
India has a mature fertility-treatment sector with advanced reproductive technology and per-cycle costs well below Canadian private-clinic rates. Access does not depend on provincial waiting lists.
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Ayurveda and Indian Traditional Medicine
Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, is unique to India and supported at the government level by a dedicated Ministry of AYUSH. India also issues a separate e-Ayush Visa for foreign nationals coming for treatment under Indian systems of medicine. Ayurveda is not regulated as a medical practice in Canada, and the depth of qualified Ayurveda care available at Indian centres has no Canadian equivalent.
Costs and Canadian Wait Times
The figures below are indicative cost ranges drawn from cross-verified international-patient sources at major Indian hospitals. Canadian wait times reference the Fraser Institute 2025 wait-time report. For proton therapy, the comparison is different: Canada has no clinical proton facility, and qualifying Canadian patients access proton therapy only through provincial out-of-country referral programs.
Heart bypass (CABG), conventional
India: CAD 9,000 to 14,500
Canada, public wait: Cardiovascular urgent cases 1.9 weeks per Fraser Institute 2025; elective waits vary by province
Heart bypass (CABG), minimally invasive or robotic
India: CAD 12,500 to 20,000
Canada, public wait: Cardiovascular urgent cases 1.9 weeks per Fraser Institute 2025; elective waits vary by province
Knee replacement, single side
India: CAD 5,500 to 10,500
Canada, public wait: Orthopedic surgery median wait 48.6 weeks per Fraser Institute 2025
Hip replacement, single side
India: CAD 7,000 to 11,000
Canada, public wait: Orthopedic surgery median wait 48.6 weeks per Fraser Institute 2025
Chemotherapy per cycle
India: CAD 415 to 1,325
Canada, public wait: Medical oncology median wait 4.7 weeks per Fraser Institute 2025
Proton therapy course
India: CAD 34,500 to 55,000
Canada: Not available in Canada. Canada is the only G7 country without a clinical proton beam therapy facility; Canadian patients access proton therapy only through provincial out-of-country referral programs.
Final quotes are confirmed per case.
Leading Internationally Accredited Hospitals in India
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Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, JCI accredited
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Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai, JCI accredited
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Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, JCI accredited
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Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai, JCI accredited
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Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, JCI accredited
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Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, JCI accredited
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Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, JCI accredited
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Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, JCI accredited
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Narayana Health, Bengaluru, JCI accredited
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This list is informational. Hospital selection for each patient depends on diagnosis, complexity, and treatment plan.
Frequently asked questions
For general questions about Canadian health insurance coverage abroad, complication insurance, follow-up care after returning to Canada, and trip planning, see our General FAQ
Plan Your Treatment in Costa Rica with Maple Med Global
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