Documents for medical treatment abroad
A foreign clinic almost always asks for a medical summary or report with the case history, translated into the clinic's language, and for an international passport for the visa or patient registration. An apostille is needed here less often than in other situations: medical documents are usually not apostilled but translated and certified by the clinic or a translation agency.
Needed almost always
- Medical documents are usually not apostilled, but a translation is almost always required
- Not apostilled; a copy is needed for the visa and clinic registration
- The clinic decides whether an ordinary or a certified translation is required
- May be issued in English directly by the insurer or the clinic
Often requested
- Prepared by the receiving clinic
- usually no more than 1–3 months old on the visa application date Consulates usually require it to be no more than one to three months old
- Needed where a child travels for treatment without both parents Route
- Needed for the visa and for registering a minor patient at the clinic Route
Sometimes needed
A common mistake is not asking the clinic in advance which form of translation it accepts: an ordinary agency translation, a notarised one, or one by a sworn translator in the country of treatment. Requirements differ even between clinics in the same country. The second point, often missed when travelling with a child, is that a notarised travel consent has to be arranged in advance where the child is not travelling with both parents — a medical visa does not remove that requirement.
The exact list and the form of translation are set by the receiving clinic and, where a visa is needed, by the consulate. What follows is a guide, not a guaranteed set for a particular hospital.
Germany and Israel, both common destinations for medical travel, accept translations of medical documents by a translator accredited with the clinic or by a sworn translator, and do not usually require an apostille on medical reports. Turkey and South Korea, which actively receive patients on medical visas, more often ask for a translation and the clinic's invitation, with an apostille needed only on accompanying documents such as a child's travel consent. For a medical visa to Schengen countries — Germany, Spain, Italy — consulates usually want translated rather than apostilled medical documents, together with proof of funds and the clinic's letter of guarantee.
Questions
Does a medical summary need an apostille for treatment abroad?
Who should translate medical documents — an agency in Russia or a translator in the country of treatment?
Is a travel consent needed if only one parent travels with the child for treatment?
What if scans and tests were done on equipment whose format the foreign clinic cannot read?
We can prepare the whole set
Translation, copies, apostille and legalisation for every document on the list, with courier delivery across Russia.