Dialysis While Travelling in India: Booking and Documents

Three mornings a week, four hours a session, for years. For people on haemodialysis, the machine sets the calendar — and travel can feel like something that belongs to other people. It does not have to. With a few weeks of planning, many patients travel to India for a family wedding, a pilgrimage, a second opinion or a kidney transplant assessment, and keep every session on schedule.

Is it safe to travel on dialysis?

For many people whose condition is stable, yes — with their own kidney doctor’s agreement. The questions to ask your nephrologist are simple: is my fluid balance steady, is my access (fistula, graft or catheter) working well, and are my blood results settled? If you are newly on dialysis, recently unwell or waiting for an access operation, it may be wiser to wait.

Long flights mean long sitting. Book an aisle seat, walk and flex your calves often, keep to your fluid allowance in the air, and keep all medicines — including phosphate binders and blood-pressure tablets — in your hand luggage. Plan the flight for the day after a session, not the day before.

Travelling with a companion helps, especially on the first trip. They can carry bags, keep an eye on swelling or breathlessness, and handle the paperwork at the dialysis unit while you rest. Many units welcome one family member to sit with you during the session.

How booking dialysis in India works

India has a large dialysis network. The government’s Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme runs 1,704 centres, mainly serving Indian residents; as a visitor you will usually book sessions at a private hospital or a specialist dialysis chain, where the price is published and paid per session.

One haemodialysis session (US$)

One haemodialysis session (US$)
USA · Medicare base rate	282
India private · top	37
India private · low	19

USA: CMS end-stage renal disease base payment per treatment for 2026, before adjustments — not a cash price. India: NephroPlus private-centre range ₹1,800–3,500, converted at ₹95 per US$.

Tell us your dates and city — Delhi, Chandigarh or wherever your trip takes you — and how many sessions a week you need.
We share your papers with the dialysis unit’s nephrologist, who confirms they can take you.
The unit confirms slots in writing, with the address, the time and what to bring.
On arrival, a short check-in with the unit’s doctor before your first session.

Some units ask for a deposit to hold slots during busy seasons. If you need a dialysis-friendly hotel or a long stay, our care team arranges it close to the unit.

The documents every unit will ask for

Letter from your nephrologist with your diagnosis and dialysis prescription: frequency, duration, dialyser, blood and dialysate flow, dry weight and anticoagulation.
Recent blood tests, usually from the last month, including haemoglobin, electrolytes and urea.
Viral screening — hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody and HIV — recent enough for the unit’s rules, often within one to three months. Units use this to choose the right machine and room for you.
Vascular access details: fistula, graft or catheter, and which arm.
Medication list and allergies, plus your last three session records.
Passport and visa. If treatment is the purpose of your trip, read our medical visa guide.

A small boat on Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh with green forest and hills behind

Planning the days in between

Most people dialyse on alternate days, which leaves the days in between for family, rest or sightseeing. Chandigarh is about an hour from Delhi by air, with flat, shaded walks around Sukhna Lake and the Rose Garden. Day trips are planned around your session days, never across them.

Dialysis-friendly trip: Delhi, Chandigarh and nearby

1
Delhilarge dialysis network; about 1 hour by air to ChandigarhOpen in Google Maps ↗
2
昌迪加尔hospital and private dialysis unitsOpen in Google Maps ↗
3
AmritsarGolden Temple; plan as a non-dialysis dayOpen in Google Maps ↗
4
Kasaulihill air, about 1.5 h by roadOpen in Google Maps ↗

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a name to zoom.

Keep to your diet even on holiday. Indian food can be high in salt and potassium — pickles, papad, tomatoes, bananas, coconut water and dried fruit are common traps — and hot weather tempts you to drink more. Ask the unit’s dietitian for a list of safe local dishes; dal, rice, rotis, paneer and vegetables cooked well can all fit a renal diet in the right portions.

Questions to ask before you go

Does my nephrologist agree I am stable enough to travel?
Which unit, which machine type, and will they follow my prescription exactly?
What is the price per session, and what does it include — dialyser, tubing, injections?
What happens if I feel unwell between sessions? Who do I call at night?
Does my travel insurance cover dialysis and kidney-related emergencies abroad?

If you are also exploring a transplant, read our transplant guide for foreign patients and the organ transplant guide. For travel cover, see travel insurance, then tell us your dates.

Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.

常见问题

Can I get dialysis in India as a tourist?

Yes. Private hospitals and dialysis chains accept visitors. Book sessions four to six weeks ahead and send your nephrologist’s letter, recent blood tests and viral screening.

How much does one dialysis session cost in India?

Private centres typically charge about ₹1,800–3,500 per haemodialysis session (about US$19–37). Ask what the price includes.

What documents do I need for holiday dialysis?

A letter with your dialysis prescription, recent blood tests, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV screening, access details, medication list and recent session records.

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