The visa is the step patients stress about most and the one that's genuinely easiest. Here's exactly which visa an aligner patient needs, the walkthrough, and the documents we hand you so approval is a formality.
| e-Tourist visa | e-Medical visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Aligner patients — one 5–10 day trip | Hospital-based / multi-visit surgical care |
| Typical validity | 30 days (double entry) to 1 year / 5 years (multiple entry) | 60 days, triple entry, extendable in-country |
| Extra paperwork | None beyond passport + photo | Letter from the treating clinic/hospital (we provide it) |
| Companions | They apply for the same e-Tourist visa | Dedicated e-Medical-Attendant visa exists |
| Verdict | Aligner and veneer patients: e-Tourist. The e-Medical route earns its keep for multi-visit surgical plans like full mouth rehabilitation — we'll tell you which fits when we see your case. | |
This is part of every quote — see what else is included — and your coordinator sanity-checks your application before you submit if you want a second pair of eyes.
The sequence that works: get your free assessment first (so treatment dates exist), apply for the visa the same week, book flights once the ETA lands — total lead time from first photos to sitting in the New Delhi clinic is comfortably two to three weeks (the full timeline). NRIs with OCI cards skip this article entirely — your guide is here.
Usually not. Non-surgical dental care like clear aligner fitting is routinely done on an e-Tourist visa, which is the simplest option for a 5–10 day treatment trip. The e-Medical visa exists for longer or hospital-based treatment and offers extended stays and easier re-entry — useful for complex multi-visit plans, but overkill for most aligner patients.
Typically 24–72 hours after submitting the online application. Apply at least a week before flying to leave room for corrections; the application itself takes about 20–30 minutes.
A passport valid 6+ months with two blank pages, a passport-style photo (phone photos against a white wall work), and a first-page passport scan. For the e-Medical route you also need a letter from the treating hospital/clinic — which we provide free, along with your appointment confirmation, as part of our visa-assistance documents.
Citizens of 165+ countries including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, most of the EU and the Gulf states. NRIs holding OCI cards need no visa at all. Always confirm current eligibility on the official portal — indianvisaonline.gov.in — and beware lookalike third-party sites charging inflated fees.
Appointment confirmation, clinic letter and nationality-specific checklist — included free.