Before You Travel: A Checklist for Treatment in India

Once you have decided to explore treatment in India, preparation becomes more specific.

You need to know what the specialist requires, which arrangements have been confirmed and what still needs attention before departure. Keeping these details in one place can make the process easier to manage.

Use this checklist to organise your questions and conversations.

Confirm the proposed treatment plan

Keep a written record of the procedure being considered, the hospital, the treating specialist and the next assessment.

Check whether the plan is provisional or has been confirmed following review. Ask what may still depend on an in-person examination or further tests.

Discuss your travel plans with your UK clinician before committing to treatment overseas. See the UK government’s guidance on planned treatment abroad.

Organise the records requested by your specialist

Ask for a specific list of documents rather than sending everything you have.

The treating team may request reports, scans, previous treatment details and a current medicines list. Confirm how records should be shared and whether original scan files are needed alongside written reports.

Keep a copy of what you send and note any questions you want answered during the assessment.

Check passports and entry requirements

Check the requirements that apply to your nationality and reason for travel, including the appropriate visa and passport validity.

If a companion is travelling with you, check their requirements separately. Do not assume the same visa category applies to both of you. Consult the current India entry requirements on GOV.UK.

Lotus & Lark can help coordinate visa assistance, but entry decisions remain with the relevant authorities.

Plan medicines and travel-health advice

Ask your prescriber about carrying your regular medicines, any documentation you need and how to maintain your usual treatment while away. Do not change prescribed medicines unless your clinician tells you to.

Allow time to obtain travel-health advice appropriate to your health, itinerary and planned treatment. The UK government’s checklist includes checking medicine restrictions and preparing for your healthcare needs abroad. Read the medical tourism planning checklist.

Confirm accommodation and transport

Before departure, make sure you know:

• Where you will stay before and after treatment
• Whether the accommodation meets your access requirements
• Which meals and companion arrangements are included
• Who will collect you from the airport
• How you will travel to hospital appointments
• Whom to contact if arrival times change

Keep booking confirmations and contact details accessible during the journey.

Leave room for the clinical schedule

Avoid building your trip around the shortest possible stay.

Ask the treating team how much time to allow for assessment, treatment and reviews. Confirm the process for changing travel dates if your schedule needs to move.

Keep a simple travel folder

Bring together your identification, travel confirmations, hospital details, written quote, requested medical records and coordinator’s contact information.

A companion should know where to find the essential details, with your permission.

Preparing for treatment in India? Lotus & Lark can help coordinate the practical arrangements around your agreed care plan, from travel assistance to your accommodation and arrival.