A customer-facing checklist for medical records, entry documents, insurance, payments and practical travel preparation.
Preparation is where most of the groundwork happens, usually over email and secure document upload rather than in person. The steps below generally happen in this order, though timelines vary by case and by how quickly documents come together. By the time you board a flight, the treatment plan, visa and accommodation should already be settled, so travel itself becomes the more straightforward part. None of these steps require you to travel before they are complete, which is part of what keeps the process predictable.
You submit existing medical records, imaging, lab results and a short summary of your history through a secure intake form. This file becomes the single reference point that the reviewing physician, your coordinator and the visa checklist all draw from, so completeness at this stage saves time later. Digital copies are usually enough at this stage; originals travel with you later.
A physician at the partner facility reviews the file and confirms whether the case is a good fit for treatment there. If anything is missing — a more recent scan, a lab value, a specialist's note — the coordinator requests it before the case moves forward, rather than leaving gaps to surface later. The turnaround is typically a few business days once the file is complete.
Once the case is accepted, you receive a written treatment plan describing what is proposed and why. Alongside it comes an itemized cost breakdown, so each fee is attached to a specific service rather than bundled into one number you cannot easily check. You are free to ask questions about any line item before agreeing to proceed.
Your coordinator provides a checklist based on your nationality and the purpose of travel, and explains where each document needs to be obtained, translated or certified. Questions about the checklist go directly to your coordinator, rather than to a general help desk that does not know your case. Some documents take longer to obtain than others, which is why this checklist goes out early.
Travel dates are set around your treatment schedule, not the other way around, so appointments do not need to be rushed to fit a fare. Arrival is timed to allow at least a day of rest before the first consultation. Your coordinator can also advise on timing if you are traveling with a companion.
A short packing note covers what to bring, including original medical records, current imaging, and a full medication list with dosages. Comfortable clothing for travel, a copy of your treatment plan and your coordinator's contact details are worth keeping in your carry-on rather than checked luggage. If you take regular medication, packing an extra few days' supply is a reasonable precaution.
A customer-facing checklist for medical records, entry documents, insurance, payments and practical travel preparation.
Once travel is confirmed, a dedicated coordinator manages the logistics around your treatment, so your attention can stay on appointments rather than arrangements. The six areas below are handled as a matter of course for every patient, not offered as optional add-ons, and each one connects back to the same case file and the same point of contact. Where one area affects another — a delayed visa affecting travel dates, for example — your coordinator adjusts the rest accordingly.
A coordinator explains the specific visa requirements that apply to your nationality and case, since these vary by country and change over time. Support continues while you gather documents and submit the application, rather than stopping once the checklist has been sent to you. If a document is rejected or needs correction, the coordinator helps you resolve it quickly.
An interpreter is present for consultations, procedures and any follow-up discussions, so questions and instructions are understood clearly in both directions. This applies to informal conversations with staff as well as formal medical discussions, including conversations about consent and aftercare. The same interpreter is used where possible, so context is not lost between sessions.
Lodging is arranged near the treatment facility and matched to your appointment schedule, including any recovery period before the trip home. Distance and accessibility are considered alongside comfort, particularly for patients recovering from a procedure who may not want a long journey back each day. Any change to the treatment schedule is reflected in the accommodation booking automatically.
Transport between the accommodation and the facility is arranged for appointment days, so you are not navigating an unfamiliar city on your own. The same applies to airport transfers on arrival and departure, and to any transport needed between connected appointments. Drivers are familiar with the route between the facility and partner accommodation.
One coordinator stays with your case from the first document to your return home, so questions go to a familiar person rather than a general inbox. That continuity matters when a schedule changes or a question comes up outside normal office hours, and it means nothing has to be re-explained from the start. If your coordinator is unavailable for any reason, someone familiar with your case steps in.
Costs are broken down by service — medical treatment, visa support, accommodation, transport and interpretation — so you can see what each part of the trip covers. Nothing is added after the fact without being discussed with you first, and the full breakdown is provided before you commit to travel. If your treatment plan changes, the cost breakdown is updated and shared with you again.
The process does not end when treatment does. A short window of follow-up, usually arranged before you leave the facility, helps confirm that recovery is on track and gives you a clear way to reach the treating team if something feels wrong after you are back home.
Before departure, you receive a written plan for follow-up contact with the treating physician, including how and when to check in. This is agreed while you are still at the facility, not figured out afterward by email, so both sides know what to expect. The plan specifies who to contact and how, so there is no guessing after you leave.
You leave with written guidance covering activity limits, medication and any warning signs to watch for during travel and in the weeks that follow. This is written in plain language, not just clinical shorthand, so it is still useful once you are home and speaking with your own doctor. It also notes which symptoms are expected and which ones warrant contacting your coordinator.
Your coordinator remains reachable after you return home, to help interpret follow-up instructions or arrange further contact with the treating physician if needed. That contact does not end at checkout — it is treated as part of the same case, not a new request. Many patients stay in occasional contact well beyond the initial follow-up window.
The most expensive mistake in medical travel is buying a ticket before medical acceptance. Until the specialist review is complete, it is not known whether the patient is suitable, which investigations are missing or how long treatment will take. Flight and accommodation bookings made before that is clear usually turn into change or cancellation fees. The correct order is: prepare the file, obtain specialist assessment, receive a written plan, then travel.
Entry requirements for Cuba can change from period to period; the tourist card, mandatory travel health insurance and online forms to be completed before arrival all need current verification. No document list is permanent. Confirmation from the Cuban representation and from the airline before departure is the final step, in addition to the list prepared by the coordination team.
Passport validity, a return ticket, accommodation details and travel health insurance are the items most commonly required. For medical visits, an invitation or acceptance letter, the treatment programme and documentation of the payment arrangement may also be requested. If a companion is travelling, the same documents must be prepared for them.
Travelling with medicines and devices is a separate matter. Prescription medicines should be carried in their original packaging, with a physician's report, in hand luggage; medicines requiring cold chain, such as insulin, need a transport solution planned in advance. Quantities and reports may be checked at the point of entry, and an English or Spanish translation makes this easier.
All of them come from breaking the sequence or skipping verification.
A reservation made before medical suitability is confirmed leads to change and cancellation charges. Tickets should be bought after the written treatment programme has arrived.
Not every travel policy covers planned treatment. Whether the policy covers planned care, pre-existing conditions and, if needed, medical evacuation must be checked line by line.
Follow-up appointments, possible additional tests and recovery days must be added to the treatment period. A tight schedule usually ends with a changed return ticket.
Consultations held without English or Spanish translations of discharge summaries, pathology and imaging reports waste time and invite misunderstanding.
The file first. Travel documents obtained without medical acceptance may be of no use. Once the specialist assessment is positive, the treatment programme and estimated length of stay become clear, and travel documents are prepared accordingly.
In most treatments this is recommended. The companion needs their own passport, entry documents and insurance. Accommodation should account for their stay from the outset.
It depends on the treatment. Short assessment visits may take a few days; longer programmes can run for weeks. A precise duration can only be given after specialist review, together with the written programme.
Generally yes; prescription medicines should be carried in original packaging with a physician's report and in hand luggage. Cold-chain medicines need a transport solution arranged in advance, and quantities may be checked on entry.
Travel health insurance may be required for entry to Cuba and the requirement changes from period to period. The policy should therefore be verified before departure, both as a legal requirement and as protection against additional costs.
Send your documents through the secure application area. The coordination team will help organize the file and outline next steps.
