A new Ayush (AY) visa was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for foreign nationals seeking treatment using Ayush systems or Indian medical practises such as therapeutic care, wellness and yoga. With this, Chapter 11 - Medical Visa of the Visa Manual has been replaced with Chapter 11A - Ayush Visa, which deals with treatment under Indian systems of medicine. As a result, relevant adjustments have been made to the Visa Manual, 2019.
The Ayush Visa aims to attract foreigners who wish to undergo Ayush therapy, wellness, and Yoga in India. The introduction of this visa aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in April 2022.
This will boost medical value travel in India, and also strengthen the vision of making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon. The Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) are collaborating to develop a one stop Heal in India portal to promote India as a global medical tourism destination. The Ayush system of treatment is being promoted both domestically and internationally by the Ministry of Ayush. It recently agreed to an MoU for the development of medical value travel in Ayurveda and other conventional medical systems with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the ministry of tourism.