 "Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi in New Delhi.")
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi , announced a major relief for Afghan citizens on Monday, declaring that medical visas for India will restart soon.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, the minister said that visa hurdles—which had created big challenges for Afghan patients seeking treatment in India—had now been resolved through diplomatic coordination between India’s Ministry of External Affairs and its Afghan counterpart.
Calling India a crucial healthcare destination for Afghans, he revealed that applicants needing medical treatment will once again be able to approach the Indian Embassy in Kabul directly for visas.
The move is expected to restore a critical lifeline, as thousands of Afghan patients traditionally travelled to cities like Delhi and Mumbai for surgeries, specialised treatment, and long-term care unavailable at home.
In addition to reopening medical travel, the minister announced that an Indian private hospital is set to open a branch in Afghanistan, a development aimed at reducing the burden on Afghan families who often have to travel abroad for even routine treatment.
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He added that the renewed visa access, coupled with planned healthcare collaboration, would significantly strengthen the humanitarian and people-to-people ties between India and Afghanistan.
The minister also confirmed that business visas would now be issued smoothly in Kabul, and that both nations would host trade and visa-promotion exhibitions to further facilitate mobility.