Visa & entry requirements
Pick your passport country and where you're travelling to for dialysis. We'll show the general visa position and a checklist of documents to have ready — both for the border and for the clinic.
Paperwork the dialysis unit abroad will ask for
Getting into the country is only half of it. Before a unit abroad will confirm your sessions, it usually wants a set of medical records from your home unit. Exact requirements vary by clinic, but most ask for:
- A letter or referral from your nephrologist confirming you're fit to travel
- Your current dialysis prescription: dialyser, blood flow, duration, dry weight and anticoagulation
- Recent blood results, often taken within the last month
- Virology screening (hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV), usually dated within the last one to three months
- Recent treatment sheets from your last few sessions
- Your access type and any notes on cannulation
- A current medication list and any allergies
Ask your home unit early: pulling records together and repeating virology tests can take a few weeks. If you're on peritoneal dialysis, check with your supplier whether they can deliver fluids to your destination, and allow extra time for customs.
Travelling with medication and supplies
Carry medication in its original packaging with a copy of your prescription, and keep a few days' supply in your hand luggage in case checked bags are delayed. Some countries restrict certain medicines or limit how much you can bring in, so check your destination's rules before you fly. Our travelling on dialysis checklist covers the rest of the planning, and it's worth sorting travel insurance that covers dialysis before you book anything non-refundable.
This is general guidance, not immigration or legal advice. Visa rules change and depend on your specific passport and circumstances, not just your nationality — always confirm with the official source linked above or your nearest embassy/consulate before booking travel.