City guide

Chennai

Chennai International Airport (MAA)

Airport

Chennai International Airport (MAA)

Time zone

IST (UTC+5:30)

Currency

INR (₹)

Language

Tamil, English very common

Getting to your hospital

Chennai International Airport is typically 12-15km from the main hospital corridor around Greams Road, usually a 30-40 minute drive outside peak traffic. Both pre-paid taxis and ride-hailing apps operate from the airport.

Weather & best time to visit

Chennai is hot and humid for much of the year, with the hottest stretch from April to June. The northeast monsoon brings rain October to December, and December to February is generally the most comfortable period to travel and recover.

Hospital districts

Chennai is often described as India's medical tourism capital, with a dense concentration of major hospitals and decades of experience treating international patients, particularly from the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Accommodation

A well-established ecosystem of guesthouses and extended-stay options exists specifically around the Greams Road and Alwarpet hospital areas, built up over years of serving international patients.

Accessible transport

Chennai is generally considered safe and manageable for international visitors, with the hospital districts particularly well set up for patient and companion movement.

Dietary support

South Indian cuisine offers strong vegetarian options as standard, with non-vegetarian and international food also easy to find given the international patient volume the city already serves.

Recovery-friendly communication

Tamil is the local language, but English is very widely spoken, particularly in and around the hospital sector, given Chennai's long history as an international medical hub.

Staying connected

SIM cards and eSIMs are readily available at the airport, and connectivity in hospital and accommodation areas is generally reliable.

Emergency numbers

All-in-one emergency112
Ambulance102
Police100
Fire101

Chennai hosts several consulates directly (useful for many nationalities without needing to travel to Delhi or Mumbai), alongside the treating hospital's 24-hour contact line.

Planning checklist

Passport, visa and medical letter
Hospital 24-hour helpline saved offline
Prescription list and medical records
Local SIM or eSIM activated on arrival
Cash plus card (INR) for the first 48 hours
Travel and medical insurance details
Companion contact info shared with hospital