Planning care in India from Canada
For many Canadians the issue is time: the wait to see a specialist after a referral, and then the wait for treatment. Here are the latest published figures, and what we can arrange if you decide to look at India.
Mumbai from above. Footage still: Vinay Mayekar on Pexels.
What the data says
Median wait from GP referral to treatment across 12 specialties and 10 provinces in 2025, down from 30.0 weeks in 2024.
Median wait from GP referral to a specialist consultation; a further 13.3 weeks from consultation to treatment.
Median total wait for orthopaedic surgery; neurosurgery was 49.9 weeks. Physicians reported an 18.1-week median wait for an MRI scan.
The Fraser Institute is an independent think tank and its figures come from an annual survey of physicians; waits vary a lot by province and specialty. If you are considering treatment abroad, talk to your doctor first about the clinical urgency and about follow-up care when you return.
Sources checked 4 November 2026.
On the ground in India
- Appointment and estimate requests to the hospitals or practitioners you choose
- Visa paperwork guidance and a document checklist
- Airport pickup, transfers and local transport
- Stays near your hospital, for you and the people travelling with you
- Interpreters where available for your language
- Ayurveda, homeopathy or a check-up holiday, if you want one
- A recovery stay and help with your journey home
Practical checks
- Ask your provincial health plan about its out-of-country coverage rules before you go.
- Check whether your private or travel insurance covers planned treatment abroad (many policies exclude it).
- Read the Government of Canada's travel advice for India.
- Plan follow-up care with your doctor at home before you travel.
Your trip from Canada, step by step
What most Canadian patients sort out before they board, and who does each part.
Talk to your own doctor first
Ask whether travel is safe for you, and how they would handle follow-up when you're back.
Get written replies from hospitals
You pick the accredited hospitals. We help you send them your reports and follow up until each one replies in writing. Hospitals reply on their own timelines; we follow up with them, but we don't control how long they take. Our own reply to your enquiry comes within one working day, and it's free.
Fix your dates, then book flights
Book only once the hospital confirms your date. Fly into the international airport nearest your hospital (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, for example, all have international flights) and check current routes from Canada with airlines.
Get your e-Medical visa sorted
Use the official portal only. We give you the checklist and help you request the hospital letter.
Arrive to a plan
Airport pickup, a stay near the hospital, admission support, interpreters and a coordinator you can call.
Quick answers for Canadian patients
Can someone travel with me?
Will I be able to talk to the doctors?
What will it cost?
What do I bring home?
e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas
Canadian passport holders appear on the official e-Visa fee table for the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas (checked 4 November 2026). The portal also carries a specific advisory for Canadian nationals; read it before you apply on indianvisaonline.gov.in.
The portal lists e-Medical visas as valid for one year from arrival with multiple entries (checked 4 November 2026). Rules change; the Government of India decides every application. We give general guidance only.
Please read
- Care Beyond Borders is not a medical provider and does not give medical advice.
- Talk to your own doctor before planning treatment abroad. Don't stop or change prescribed treatment.
- We don't promise outcomes, prices or waiting times. Estimates come from the provider, in writing.
Heal in India, with the ground arranged
Tell us what you're planning and when.