Medical Treatment in India for Patients from the Maldives and Sri Lanka: Flights, Visas, Aasandha and Planning

Quick answer: Patients from the Maldives and Sri Lanka can reach South Indian hospital cities in about one to two hours by direct flight, which makes India one of the easiest places for them to get specialist treatment. Maldivian nationals can usually enter India without a visa for up to 90 days, while Sri Lankan nationals apply online for an e-Medical Visa before they fly. Maldivians covered by Aasandha may get overseas treatment paid for at empanelled Indian hospitals, but only with a valid doctor’s referral and approval first. Plan the medical side with the hospital, then sort out visa, money, language help and follow-up trips before you book flights.

This guide is for families in Malé, the atolls, Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy and elsewhere who are thinking about treatment in India. It covers flights, visas, Aasandha, why most people choose South India, language support, short follow-up visits and paying the hospital. For the bigger picture, see our complete guide to medical tourism in India.

Why South India is the usual choice

Most Maldivian and Sri Lankan patients head to the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The reasons are practical rather than medical:

• Short flights. Direct flights from Malé and Colombo to South Indian airports take roughly one to two hours, so a sick patient spends less time in the air.
• Familiar food. Rice, fish, coconut and mild curries are easy to find near hospitals in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which matters when a patient has a poor appetite.
• Language. Tamil is the main language of Tamil Nadu and is also spoken widely in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. English is used in most large private hospitals.
• Existing networks. Many families already know someone who was treated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai or Bangalore, and hospitals in these cities are used to international patients.
• Climate. The warm, humid weather is close to what patients from both countries are used to.

None of this means one city is “better” for every illness. The right hospital depends on the condition, the specialist team and your budget. A second opinion from an Indian specialist before you travel can help you decide where to go.

Direct flights from Malé and Colombo

Flight schedules change every season, so always check with the airline before you plan around a route. Based on airline and schedule data we checked in October 2026, these direct routes were operating:

If the patient needs a wheelchair, oxygen, a stretcher or a medical escort, tell the airline when you book. Many airlines ask for a medical clearance form signed by the treating doctor, and a stretcher booking needs extra notice. If the patient is too unwell for a normal flight, read about emergency medical evacuation to India.

Visa rules: Maldives and Sri Lanka are different

Maldivian nationals

Under the India-Maldives visa facilitation agreement signed in December 2018, Maldivian citizens can visit India without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism, medical and limited business purposes. Maldivian media reported this visa-free access was restored in October 2021 after pandemic restrictions.

If treatment, recovery or a family member’s stay is likely to go beyond 90 days, plan ahead. Maldivians are not on the list of countries eligible for India’s e-Visa, so a regular medical visa is applied for through the High Commission of India in Malé, using the online form on the Indian visa portal. The agreement also allows visa-free entry to be converted into a medical visa for treatment. Ask the High Commission for the current process, documents and any fees before you travel, especially for long cancer, transplant or rehabilitation plans.

Sri Lankan nationals

Sri Lanka is on the list of countries eligible for India’s e-Visa, which includes an e-Medical Visa for the patient and up to two e-Medical Attendant Visas for family members. According to the official Indian visa website:

• The e-Medical Visa allows multiple entries and is valid for one year from the date of arrival.
• You can apply from 120 days up to at least 4 days before arrival.
• You need a letter from the Indian hospital on its letterhead, with the tentative date of admission or treatment.
• The visa cannot be extended or converted to another type.

The fee table on the official site listed US$25 for Sri Lankan nationals for the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant categories when we checked. Fees change, so confirm on indianvisaonline.gov.in and avoid look-alike agent sites that charge extra. Our medical visa India guide walks through the form step by step.

Aasandha cover for treatment in India

Aasandha is the Maldives’ national health insurance scheme for citizens. It can pay for treatment abroad at hospitals it has empanelled, and India has long been its main overseas destination. Maldivian media reported in January 2026 that Aasandha had agreements with about 60 foreign hospitals, 49 of them in India. Sri Lanka also has empanelled hospitals, and a few hospitals in Dubai and Bangkok were added from January 2025.

Key points families should know, based on recent reports:

• A referral comes first. Aasandha said in January 2026 that patients need a valid doctor’s referral and complete documents to be considered for overseas cover.
• Rules were widened in 2026. Reports from June 2026 said the revised rules look at the type of illness, the patient’s condition and difficulty getting care locally, and can also cover follow-up care abroad. Referrals are expected from specialists at Aasandha-registered providers.
• The hospital list changes. Some Indian hospitals have been paused and later restored. Manipal Hospital, for example, was suspended in mid-2024 over billing above approved rates and was reported back on the approved list in January 2026 for a trial period.
• Not everything is covered. Flights, hotel stays, food and attendant costs may fall outside what Aasandha pays. Ask Aasandha in writing what is covered for your case.

Before you travel, confirm with Aasandha that your chosen hospital is currently on its overseas list and that your approval is in place. If you go to a hospital that is not empanelled, or before approval, you may have to pay yourself. Also see our guide to travel insurance for medical treatment in India, since most travel policies do not cover planned treatment.

Maldives vs Sri Lanka: planning at a glance

Language help: Tamil, Sinhala and Dhivehi

Doctors in large private hospitals usually speak English, but nurses, billing staff and auto drivers may not. Language gaps matter most when consent forms are signed, when medicines are explained at discharge and when diet rules are given.

• Tamil: Tamil-speaking Sri Lankan families often find day-to-day life easiest in Chennai, where Tamil is the main language.
• Sinhala: Sinhala speakers are less common in Indian hospitals. Ask the international desk early whether a Sinhala interpreter can be arranged.
• Dhivehi: Some hospitals that see many Maldivian patients have staff or interpreters who speak Dhivehi. Ask before you choose the hospital, not after admission.
• Malayalam and Kannada: These are the local languages in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore, so a local helper is useful outside the hospital.

Our article on interpreter support for medical tourists in India explains what to ask for and how to check that the interpreter is accurate.

Short trips for follow-up visits

Because the flights are short, many patients return home soon after treatment and come back for check-ups, scans or the next chemotherapy cycle. This can save on hotel costs and lets the patient recover at home, but it needs planning:

1. Before discharge, get the full follow-up schedule in writing, with dates for reviews, scans and stitch or drain removal.
2. Ask the doctor whether the patient is fit to fly and how soon after surgery.
3. Find out which tests can be done at home and shared by email, and which must be done in India.
4. Agree how to contact the treating team if a problem appears at home, and what counts as an emergency.
5. For Maldivians, check that each visit fits within the 90-day visa-free limit across your trips, or arrange a medical visa. For Sri Lankans, the one-year multiple-entry e-Medical Visa usually covers repeat visits within its validity.

Read more about post-treatment follow-up after flying home.

Paying the hospital

Indian private hospitals usually ask international patients for an advance deposit at admission, based on the written estimate, and settle the final bill at discharge. If Aasandha has approved your treatment at an empanelled hospital, the payment arrangement is between Aasandha and the hospital, but you may still pay for anything outside the approval.

• Ask for a written cost estimate that lists what is included and what is not. Our hospital cost estimate audit guide shows what to check.
• Ask the hospital which payment methods it accepts for international patients, such as bank transfer, international cards or cash, and whether any card fees apply.
• Sri Lankan patients should check their bank’s current rules for sending money abroad for medical treatment before they travel.
• Ask for an itemised bill and keep every receipt for insurance or Aasandha claims.

For practical payment options in India, see how to pay a hospital bill by UPI or credit card.

Choosing your city

Your doctor’s referral and the hospital’s experience with your condition should come first. After that, city choice is about flights, language and where you will feel at home. We have city guides for families going to Kochi, Chennai and Bangalore, covering hospital areas, stays and getting around.

How NEIMHAANS helps

NEIMHAANS is a non-clinical patient navigation service that has supported families travelling for treatment since 2007. We help with hospital coordination, appointment planning, visa paperwork guidance, airport pickup, stays near the hospital, language help and follow-up visits, so the family can focus on the patient. We do not give medical advice or sell hospital packages. See our services to learn more.

Sources

• Government of India e-Visa page: eligible countries and e-Medical Visa rules
• Government of India e-Visa fee table by country
• PM India: Cabinet approves India-Maldives visa facilitation agreement
• High Commission of India, Malé: advisory for Maldivian nationals applying for medical visa
• Raajje.mv: visa-free travel to India restored for Maldivians (2021)
• Edition.mv: Aasandha says a referral letter is needed for overseas cover (January 2026)
• Edition.mv: Aasandha services resume at Manipal Hospital (January 2026)
• MMTV: Aasandha overseas treatment rules revised (June 2026)
• MFR: Aasandha expands to Dubai and Bangkok hospitals
• FlightsFrom: direct routes from Malé and from Colombo
• AeroRoutes: Maldivian expands India flights from December 2025

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information, not medical, legal, insurance or financial advice. Rules, schemes and hospital policies change, so always confirm details with your hospital, insurer or the relevant authority.