Health tourism, or medical tourism, is a global experience wherein individuals travel long distances to another country to benefit from their more advanced and affordable health and medical conditions. They travel because some medical services, due to limited capacity, high costs, or long waiting lists, may not be easily accessible in their home country.

In recent decades, health tourism has become one of the most popular branches of the tourism industry and has gained significant attention from many, especially developing, countries.

Hospitals and clinics in our country that intend to accept international patients must obtain a license known as the IPD (International Patient Department) from the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. The IPD-holder medical centers have an admission allowance for international patients.

In Isfahan, 48 governmental and private centers, including Alzahra Medical and Educational Center, Amin Medical and Educational Center, Isa ibn Maryam Medical Center, Imam Musa Kazem Medical Center (for accidents and burns), Chamran  Hospital, Hazrat Zainab Hospital, Noor Medical and Educational Center and Hazrat-e Ali Asghar Hospital, Milad Hospital, Family Hospital, Asgariyeh Hospital, Sa'di Hospital, and Parisian Limited Eye Surgery Center have been successful in obtaining the IPD license. Several other medical centers are also in the process of receiving the permit.

From March 2023 to March 2024, a number of 72,591 individuals sought medical services at various medical centers in Isfahan. These included 65,441 from Afghanistan and 7,150 individuals from other nationalities: Iraqis, Bahrainis, Pakistanis, French, Indians, Lebanese, and Bangladeshis. They benefitted the city's range of medical services.