Before you start

Employer group medical cover, or a private policy
Vaccinations appropriate to India — typhoid and hepatitis A at minimum
A local doctor identified before you need one

Step-by-step

1
Confirm what your employer's group cover actually includes
Group medical policies vary enormously in room-rent limits, sub-limits per condition, maternity cover and whether dependants are included. Read the policy document rather than the summary, and consider a top-up policy if the sum insured is low for a private hospital admission.
Via employerWho: YouFirst month
2
Get vaccinated before you arrive
Typhoid and hepatitis A are the baseline for India; hepatitis B, rabies pre-exposure and Japanese encephalitis depend on your circumstances. Discuss with a travel clinic at home, because some courses need weeks.
In personWho: You
3
Identify a hospital and a GP near you in week one
Mumbai's private hospitals are excellent and concentrated — Hinduja, Lilavati, Kokilaben, Breach Candy, Jaslok. Know which is nearest, which your insurance has a cashless arrangement with, and how long it takes in traffic at peak.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
4
Take mosquito precautions seriously through and after the monsoon
Dengue and malaria both spike from July through October. Standing water breeds mosquitoes, and the aedes mosquito that carries dengue bites during the day. Repellent, screens and eliminating standing water on balconies are effective and worth the habit.
In personWho: You
5
Be careful with water and street food in your first months
Drink filtered or bottled water and let your system adjust before eating widely from the street. This is not a permanent restriction — plenty of residents eat street food constantly — but the adjustment period is real and unpleasant if rushed.
In personWho: You
6
Plan for winter air quality
Mumbai's air is better than Delhi's but deteriorates markedly from November to February. If you have asthma or young children, an air purifier at home is a reasonable investment, and checking the daily index becomes a habit.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Insurance policy documents and cashless card
Vaccination records
Any prescriptions, with generic names rather than brand names
Passport, required at hospital admission

Things most newcomers don’t know

Leptospirosis after the monsoon is the risk nobody warns you about.

Wading through flood water — which in Mumbai is unavoidable some days — carries a real risk of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection from contaminated water entering through cuts or mucous membranes. Doctors here prescribe prophylaxis after significant exposure. If you have waded in flood water and then develop fever, say so explicitly to the doctor.

Source: community-reported

Room-rent sub-limits are what actually break Indian health policies.

Many group policies cap the daily room rent they will pay, and if you take a room above that cap the insurer proportionately reduces every other charge in the bill — surgeon's fees, tests, everything. A policy with a low room-rent limit can leave you paying a large share of a claim you thought was covered. Check this specific clause.

Source: community-reported

Cashless arrangements are hospital-specific, not universal.

Indian insurers maintain networks with particular hospitals for cashless treatment; outside the network you pay and claim reimbursement. Knowing which nearby hospital is in your insurer's network — before an emergency — is the difference between showing a card and finding several lakh rupees at short notice.

Source: community-reported

Mumbai's private hospitals are genuinely world-class and cheap.

Complex procedures cost a fraction of US or European prices at hospitals with internationally trained staff. This is why medical tourism to India exists. For a foreign resident it means that even a modest policy goes a very long way, and that paying out of pocket for routine care is often simpler than claiming.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Not reading the room-rent sub-limit in an employer group policy.
Assuming a hospital is in your insurer's cashless network without checking.
Wading through monsoon flood water without considering leptospirosis.
Relying on an Indian policy for treatment outside India — it generally does not cover it.
Eating widely from the street in your first fortnight before adjusting.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.