Medical treatment in India from Mozambique
Mozambique is the one country in this set where language is the first practical problem rather than an afterthought. Portuguese is not widely spoken in Indian hospitals, so arranging interpreting and translating your records is the step to sort out before anything else.
- Getting there
- From Maputo, via Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Doha or Dubai
- Visa
- Medical visa after a hospital accepts your case. Indian High Commission in Maputo
- Language
- Portuguese interpreting must be arranged in advance. Do not leave it
- Currency
- Metical is not convertible in India. Plan a transfer or carry US dollars
- Commonly travelled for
- Cancer, cardiac surgery, kidney care, orthopaedics
- First step
- Send reports, and tell us you need Portuguese. Free
Language comes first
English is the working language of Indian hospitals, and Portuguese speakers are not common there. This is entirely manageable, but only if it is arranged rather than assumed. Tell us at your first message that you need Portuguese, and we will arrange an interpreter for the consultation and for the hospital stay.
Two further points. Your medical records will need translating, and it is better done properly than by a family member working from a phone, because pathology and radiology reports use precise terms where an approximate translation can mislead a specialist. And a companion who speaks some English makes the whole stay considerably easier, so factor that into who travels with you.
Detail matters most in exactly the situations where it is hardest to convey: describing pain, understanding consent, and following discharge instructions. Do not economise on interpreting.
Getting there
From Maputo, most routings go via Johannesburg, Addis Ababa or a Gulf hub. It is a longer journey than from East Africa, usually with one or two connections, so plan for a full day of travel and build in recovery time at both ends. Check whether any transit country requires its own visa, which catches people out.
Airline routes, mission locations and visa requirements change. Everything on this page is an orientation, not a timetable: confirm current routes with the airline and current visa requirements with the Indian mission before you book anything.
What Mozambican patients travel for
- Cancer, particularly where radiotherapy is needed. Cervical cancer is a major burden in the region and is highly curable when treated completely, including brachytherapy.
- Cardiac surgery, including rheumatic valve disease, which typically affects younger adults.
- Kidney transplant at $12,500, with a living near-relative donor. Read the donor rules first, because they decide whether it is possible at all.
- Joint replacement, from $3,700 for a knee.
- Sickle cell disease, where a transplant in childhood with a matched sibling can be curative.
Visa and documents
India maintains a High Commission in Maputo. The medical visa follows the hospital's invitation letter. Apply for a medical attendant visa for your companion at the same time, and allow extra time if documents need translating and certifying. See our medical visa guide.
What to bring
- Scan images as DICOM files, not only reports
- Medical records with a proper translation, not an informal one
- Full pathology reports, and slides or blocks where cancer is involved
- Current medicines in original packaging, with generic names listed
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate, commonly required when travelling from Mozambique
Money
Hospital bills are settled in Indian rupees or in US dollars depending on the hospital. The metical is not convertible in India, so plan on transferring funds or carrying US dollars rather than expecting to change money on arrival. Ask the hospital's international patient office which payment methods they accept before you travel, and be aware that international card limits catch people out when a large deposit is requested. Arranging a bank transfer in advance is usually simpler than everything else.
Budget beyond the package price. Every cost table on this site excludes flights, visa, accommodation outside the hospital stay, pre-operative investigations and treatment for complications. Build in a contingency, because the most common reason a trip becomes stressful is a stay that runs longer than planned.
After you go home
This is the part of medical travel that most often goes wrong, and it is entirely preventable. Before you leave India, make sure you have your discharge summary and treatment record in writing, your medication list with generic drug names rather than only Indian brand names, a clear follow-up schedule, and the name of a doctor in Mozambique who will take over your monitoring.
Then check, before you fly, that the specific medicines you have been prescribed are available and affordable where you live. Anti-rejection medication after a transplant, blood thinners after a mechanical heart valve, and thyroid hormone after thyroid surgery all have to continue without interruption. A treatment that succeeds in hospital and fails at home for want of a tablet is the outcome all of this planning exists to prevent. Follow-up consultations continue by video.
Questions patients ask
Will anyone speak Portuguese?
Portuguese is not widely spoken in Indian hospitals, so interpreting must be arranged in advance rather than assumed. Tell us in your first message that you need Portuguese and we will arrange an interpreter for the consultation and for the stay. A companion with some English also makes the whole trip easier.
Do my medical records need translating?
Yes, and properly rather than informally. Pathology and radiology reports use precise terms, and an approximate translation can mislead a specialist into the wrong conclusion. Allow time for translation and certification when you plan, because it also affects the visa paperwork.
How much does treatment in India cost for a Mozambican patient?
The same as for anyone else. Prices are not adjusted by nationality: knee replacement from an indicative $3,700, heart valve replacement from $4,500, kidney transplant at $12,500. What differs by country is the cost and length of the journey.
How do I get to India from Maputo?
Most routings go via Johannesburg, Addis Ababa or a Gulf hub, usually with one or two connections and a full day of travel. Check whether any transit country requires its own visa, which is a common and expensive oversight. Confirm current routes with the airline.
How do I get a medical visa from Mozambique?
Through the Indian High Commission in Maputo, after a hospital has accepted your case and issued an invitation letter. Apply for a medical attendant visa for your companion at the same time, and allow extra time if documents need translating and certifying.
Can I pay in meticais?
No. The metical is not convertible in India, so plan an international bank transfer or carry US dollars. Confirm accepted payment methods with the hospital's international patient office before travelling and check your card limits in advance.