United Kingdom UK Medical Visitor Visa

What GOV.UK asks a medical visitor to prove

Five things, in the government's own words. You must show that you:

1. have a medical condition that needs private consultation or treatment in the UK;
2. have made arrangements for the consultations or treatment;
3. have enough money or funding to pay for it;
4. will leave the UK once treatment is completed, or when the visa expires;
5. are not a danger to public health if you have an infectious disease.

Each has a document behind it. The first three are answered by one letter.

The consultant's letter

From a registered doctor or consultant, confirming:

• the condition that needs consultation or treatment;
• the estimated cost and likely duration of any treatment;
• where the consultation and treatment will take place.

The cost and duration lines are the ones that do the work. They tell the officer how much money your bank evidence has to show, and how long a visa you actually need. If the letter says twelve weeks and an estimated £40,000, your funding evidence has to reach that figure plus living costs — and if it does not, that gap is the first thing an officer will see.

Six months or eleven? Decide before you apply

This is the most expensive decision on the application, and it is made at the start:

If the consultant's letter suggests treatment could run past six months, the 11-month visa costs £99 more than the standard one. Extending later costs over a thousand pounds per extension. Ask the consultant for a realistic duration, including follow-up, and apply for the length the treatment needs.

The person travelling with the patient

An attendant — a spouse, son or daughter — applies separately as a Standard Visitor. Their application should refer to the patient's treatment letter and show how their own stay is funded.

Tuberculosis certificate

Depending on where you apply from, you may need a certificate showing you do not have TB. Check the requirement for India on GOV.UK for the length of visit you are applying for, and book the test at an approved clinic if it applies.

Source: GOV.UK — Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: visit for medical reasons, read 21 September 2026. Fees and rules change; confirm on GOV.UK before you apply.