Key points
- Repatriation needs the foreign treating doctor's agreement, an Indian hospital's acceptance and the right documents in both countries.
- If there is travel insurance, contact the insurer's assistance team before anything is booked.
- Families in India and abroad should agree one decision-maker.
When someone falls seriously ill or is injured while abroad, families usually want two things at once: the best care where they are, and to bring them home as soon as it is safe. Medical repatriation is the process of moving the patient back to India for continued care, with the treating doctors’ agreement.
For how we coordinate this, see international air ambulance and medical repatriation.
First steps for the family
- Find out who the treating doctor is at the foreign hospital, and how to reach them or the hospital’s international patient office.
- Check for insurance. Travel insurance, employer cover or a credit card benefit may include repatriation. Call the insurer’s assistance line early. Read does insurance cover air ambulance and repatriation.
- Agree one decision-maker in the family, even if relatives are in several countries.
- Locate the patient’s passport and any documents the hospital is holding.
The clinical decision
The foreign treating doctor decides when the patient is fit to travel and what support the journey needs. The choice is usually between a dedicated air ambulance and a scheduled flight with a medical escort. Sometimes the right answer is to continue treatment where the patient is for a while longer.
The receiving hospital in India
An Indian hospital must accept the patient before the transfer is booked. Families often prefer a hospital in their home city. The receiving team will need the foreign hospital’s medical reports, ideally in English.
Documents across two countries
- The patient’s passport and, for non-Indian citizens, an Indian visa
- Medical reports and a fitness to travel assessment from the foreign hospital
- Hospital discharge and any exit formalities required by the foreign country
- Settlement of the foreign hospital bill, or a guarantee of payment from the insurer
The documents guide has a fuller checklist.
Time zones and communication
Repatriation often involves people in three or more time zones: the foreign hospital, the family abroad, the family in India and the receiving hospital. A single coordinator who keeps everyone updated, and who confirms each step in writing, prevents conflicting information reaching different relatives.
If you need to bring someone home, call the coordination desk, which is staffed 24 hours, or start an enquiry.
