Book a strategy call
Guide · Updated 15 October 2026

NMC Advertising Guidelines 2026: What Doctors Need To Know

The short answer

The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued new ethical advertising guidelines for doctors and hospitals on 6 October 2026, with immediate effect. The notice restricts promotional claims, testimonials, patient stories, misleading search practices and other forms of solicitation. It also identifies permitted forms of factual information and public health education. The relevant clause matters: not every online activity is prohibited.

Read the original NMC notice (PDF, nmc.org.in)
  • Promotion is the key distinction. The notice covers communications that directly or indirectly promote a doctor's or hospital's services. Ordinary public information without promotional intent is treated differently (cl. 3.2, 3.5).
  • Consent does not make every use acceptable. Patient consent alone does not make testimonials, patient stories, before-and-after material or success claims acceptable (cl. 6.2).
  • SEO is not automatically prohibited. The notice bars manipulating search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression. Promotional search content remains subject to the other rules (cl. 8.1 xii; 3.2).
  • Doctors remain responsible for published content. A doctor remains responsible for content an agency publishes on their behalf (cl. 4.4).
Document
Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, Ethics & Medical Registration Board (EMRB), National Medical Commission
Dated
6 October 2026, in force with immediate effect
Covers
Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and hospitals / medical institutions
Enforced by
State Medical Councils for RMPs; the Clinical Establishments Act or state law for hospitals
Background
Framed in view of a Supreme Court writ petition (W.P.(C) 1160/2023) and the 2002 Indian Medical Council ethics regulations

Primary source: the National Medical Commission's notice (a scanned PDF). This page explains it clause by clause.

What is the NMC advertising notice?

On 6 October 2026, the NMC's Ethics and Medical Registration Board issued Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, titled Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by Hospitals/Medical Institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners.

The notice applies to Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), meaning doctors, and hospitals or medical institutions. It took effect immediately.

The notice addresses public communication across different channels. A website, blog, social media post, WhatsApp message, podcast, influencer communication or search-engine communication may fall within the definition when it promotes medical services (cl. 3.2, 3.5).

The purpose of this guide is to explain the notice in plain language, not to provide legal advice. Read the clauses that apply to your practice and seek advice where the notice leaves a question unresolved.

What does the notice prohibit?

These are summaries, not substitutes for the notice's exact wording. The context and qualifiers in each clause matter.

✕ Not allowed

Guarantees and success claims

cl. 8.1 iii

Bars guaranteed cures, claims such as "No. 1" or "100% success", miracle or painless-treatment claims, success rates, patient counts and other unverifiable claims.

✕ Not allowed

Comparative claims

cl. 8.1 ix

Claims such as "best", "leading", "most trusted" or "top" require objective verification through a transparent, independent method. Award claims need the method, date and awarding body disclosed.

✕ Not allowed

Reviews and testimonials

cl. 3.2 Expl. V; 8.1 xi

Fake, paid or misleading reviews and testimonials are barred for doctors and hospitals. Doctors must not request or share patient testimonials or reviews for promotion on social media.

✕ Not allowed

Patient stories and consent

cl. 6.2

Consent alone does not make a testimonial, patient story, before-and-after image or success claim acceptable.

✕ Not allowed

Before-and-after material

cl. 8.1 v

Before-and-after material is barred as promotion. Scientific or educational use is treated differently and requires anonymised patient consent.

✕ Not allowed

Patient identity

cl. 6.1, 6.4, 7.4

Names, faces, identifying anomalies and records must not expose patient identity in the covered contexts.

✕ Not allowed

Search and engagement

cl. 8.1 xii

Fake followers, likes, reviews or views are barred. Manipulating rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression is also barred.

✕ Not allowed

Payments and referrals

cl. 8.1 vii, viii

Commissions, referral fees, lead-generation fees and other consideration tied to procuring patients are prohibited. Agency or influencer payment must not be linked to individual patients.

✕ Not allowed

Offers and inducements

cl. 8.1 x

Discounts, coupons, gifts or free procedures are barred when likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation. Factual fee disclosure is permitted.

✕ Not allowed

Third-party promotion

cl. 8.1 xi

The notice restricts prohibited testimonials and endorsements delivered through celebrities, influencers, patients or staff, including indirect routes.

✕ Not allowed

Product endorsements

cl. 8.1 iv

Doctors must not endorse drugs, devices or products using their name, photograph, voice or professional status, whether paid or unpaid.

✕ Not allowed

AI-generated promotion

cl. 7.2

AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial interest are prohibited. AI must not create patient images, voices, testimonials or outcomes. AI-generated promotional content that otherwise complies must carry an AI source mark.

✕ Not allowed

Fear and false hope

cl. 8.1 i, vi

Fear-based marketing, unrealistic expectations, hidden risks and unproven remedies are prohibited.

✕ Not allowed

Solicitation and self-promotion

cl. 8.1 ii

The notice bars soliciting patients, self-promotion and lending a doctor's name, image or voice to promotion. It also lists engaging a third party for marketing medical services.

✕ Not allowed

Doctor photographs

cl. 9.2

A doctor's photograph is not permitted where it amounts to self-advertisement or promotional publicity.

What is still allowed?

The notice does not prohibit every form of public communication. It identifies several forms of factual or educational communication that remain permitted within stated limits.

✓ Allowed

Formal announcements

cl. 8.2 ii; 9.3

Doctors may announce the start of practice, a change of address, temporary absence, resumption of practice and publicly declared fees.

✓ Allowed

Public health education

cl. 5.1; 8.2 iii

Doctors may communicate health education using their own name and designation, provided the communication does not promote their practice, solicit patients or earn from promotional marketing.

✓ Allowed

Research-based communication

cl. 8.2 i

Case studies published in reputed medical journals are identified as permitted.

✓ Allowed

Patient information pamphlets

cl. 8.2 iv

Doctors may provide pamphlets to their own patients, without cure guarantees or superiority claims.

✓ Allowed

Factual hospital information

cl. 8.3

Hospitals may provide information about their name, location, departments, facilities, equipment, services, emergency services, accreditation and charges.

✓ Allowed

Doctor directories

cl. 9.1

Patient information may include doctors' names, qualifications, specialities, registration details and availability.

✓ Allowed

Government campaigns

cl. 7.3

Government campaigns serving the larger public interest are exempt under the notice.

✓ Allowed

Professional identification

cl. 3.2 Expl. III, IV

Electronic posts by doctors should display their name, qualifications, registration status and registration number.

The distinction is not simply between online and offline communication. The purpose, content and context of the communication matter.

Is SEO banned for doctors?

No. The notice does not ban search engine optimisation as a whole. It bars manipulating search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression of professional standing, and it restricts fake engagement (cl. 8.1 xii).

However, search-engine communication with a promotional character can count as advertising. It must therefore follow the other applicable provisions of the notice (cl. 3.2).

In practice, keep online information accurate, factual and appropriately presented. Do not use fake reviews, fabricated engagement or misleading claims to influence how a practice appears in search results. The notice also addresses paid ranking by healthcare platforms that host doctors (cl. 9.4).

No agency can guarantee a particular search position or an AI assistant's citation. Search visibility is not proof that a communication complies with the notice.

What does the notice say about AI content?

The notice makes an important distinction between prohibited AI-generated promotional campaigns and AI-generated promotional content that otherwise complies with its provisions.

AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial interest are prohibited. Adding an AI label does not make a prohibited campaign acceptable. The notice also states that AI must not create patient images, voices, testimonials or outcomes (cl. 7.2).

For AI-generated promotional content that otherwise complies, an AI source mark is required. Doctors should review the purpose and substance of a proposed communication rather than treating a label as permission to publish it.

What penalties can doctors face?

The notice sets out a disciplinary sequence for violations.

  1. First violationWarning and mandatory ethics training.
  2. Second violationCensure and a monetary penalty.
  3. Third violationSuspension of registration for 3 to 6 months.
  4. Serious violationsSuspension for 6 to 12 months for the serious categories described in the notice, including misleading cure claims, patient inducement and digital mass solicitation.
  5. Repeated violationsRemoval from the register for 1 to 3 years.

The State Medical Council follows a show-cause process and issues a reasoned order (cl. 10.1 to 10.3). A doctor may appeal to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) within 60 days. A second appeal may be made within 60 days of the first appellate order (cl. 11).

Hospitals are dealt with under the Clinical Establishments Act or the applicable state law (cl. 10.1, 11.5). The consequences in an individual case depend on the applicable process and findings; this summary does not predict an outcome.

What should doctors check this week?

Use this checklist as a starting point for reviewing your public communication. It is not a certification of compliance.

  • Website: Check service descriptions, claims, fees, doctor profiles, patient information and any promotional language.
  • Google Business Profile: Check factual details, photographs, descriptions and review-related practices. The notice does not clearly resolve every question about Google reviews; seek legal advice on your situation.
  • Social media: Review posts, reels, captions, stories and shared material for testimonials, patient stories, offers, unsupported claims and promotional use of a doctor's image or voice.
  • Patient privacy: Check images, records and case material for information that could identify a patient. Consent alone does not make promotional use acceptable.
  • Search visibility: Remove fake engagement and practices that manipulate rankings or visibility to create a misleading impression.
  • AI content: Check whether content is promotional, whether the AI restrictions apply, and whether AI-generated promotional content that otherwise complies carries the required source mark.
  • Fees and arrangements: Review referral, commission and lead-generation arrangements connected to procuring patients.
  • Professional identification: Check that electronic posts carry the doctor's name, qualifications, registration status and registration number as required.
  • Review process: Assign responsibility for checking public communication against the relevant clauses before publication.
  • Unclear cases: Obtain medical-law advice rather than assuming that consent, a third-party publisher or an online platform makes a practice acceptable.

For a deeper channel-by-channel review, see our related guides:

What the headlines say versus the notice

Some summaries of the notice may overstate its reach. These distinctions are important when making decisions about a practice.

Headline or claimWhat the notice says
"SEO is banned for doctors." SEO as such is not banned. Manipulating rankings or visibility to create a misleading impression is barred, and promotional search content remains subject to the other rules (cl. 8.1 xii; 3.2).
"All discounts and offers are banned." Offers are barred when likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation. Factual, transparent fee disclosure is permitted (cl. 8.1 x).
"AI content is fine if labelled." AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial interest are prohibited. Labelling does not make a prohibited campaign acceptable (cl. 7.2).
"Patient consent makes testimonials acceptable." Consent alone does not make a testimonial, patient story, before-and-after image or success claim acceptable (cl. 6.2).
"Hospitals cannot request or display reviews." The request-or-share rule is framed for doctors and applies to promotion on social media. Fake or paid reviews are barred for doctors and hospitals. The notice's application to particular review platforms may require legal advice (cl. 3.2 Expl. V).
"Influencers, unboxings and sponsored reels are all expressly banned." The notice restricts prohibited testimonials and endorsements through third parties, as well as payments tied to individual patients. It does not specifically name unboxings or sponsored reels (cl. 8.1 viii, xi).
"Booking fees are expressly prohibited." The notice names commissions, referral fees and lead-generation fees tied to procuring patients. "Booking fees" are not specifically named (cl. 8.1 vii, viii).
"The notice directly regulates marketing agencies." It applies to doctors and hospitals. Doctors remain responsible for content an agency publishes on their behalf (cl. 4.4).

The practical lesson is straightforward: do not treat a headline or social post as the rule itself. Check the relevant clause and retain its qualifications.

What does the notice mean for healthcare marketing agencies?

The notice applies to doctors and hospitals, not agencies directly. However, doctors remain responsible for content an agency publishes on their behalf (cl. 4.4).

An agency working with healthcare providers should therefore understand the rules governing the content it prepares and publishes. The notice does not create an NMC approval or certification for marketing agencies.

One point needs particular care. Clause 8.1 (ii) lists engaging a third party for marketing medical services among conduct doctors should avoid. Clauses 8.1 (viii) and (xi) also regulate third-party arrangements and prohibited endorsements. The notice does not clearly explain how these provisions fit together.

Doctors should seek medical-law advice on this question before deciding which third-party marketing arrangements are appropriate. This guide does not resolve that uncertainty.

Medmatis is a healthcare-only agency based in Kolkata. Our work is built around the NMC's ethical advertising guidelines, with clause references and factual communication at the centre of the approach. This describes how we work; it is not an NMC approval, certification or guarantee of compliance.

How Medmatis works inside these rules →

Frequently asked questions

When did the NMC advertising guidelines take effect?

The NMC's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026, says the guidelines come into force with immediate effect. Refer to the official notice for the operative text and any later clarifications.

Do the guidelines apply to every online post by a doctor?

The notice covers communications that directly or indirectly promote medical services. Ordinary public information without promotional intent is treated differently. The content and purpose of the communication matter (cl. 3.2, 3.5).

Can a doctor use patient testimonials if the patient gives consent?

Consent alone does not make a testimonial, patient story, before-and-after image or success claim acceptable. Doctors must not request or share patient testimonials or reviews for promotion on social media (cl. 6.2; 3.2 Expl. V).

Are before-and-after photos always prohibited?

The notice bars before-and-after material as promotion. It identifies scientific or educational use with anonymised patient consent as a distinct context. Consent alone does not make promotional use acceptable (cl. 8.1 v; 6.2).

Is SEO prohibited for doctors?

No. SEO as such is not banned. The notice bars manipulating search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression. Promotional search communication must still follow the other applicable rules (cl. 8.1 xii; 3.2).

Can doctors post educational videos on social media?

The notice permits public health education in a doctor's own name and designation when it does not promote the practice, solicit patients or earn from promotional marketing (cl. 5.1; 8.2 iii). Promotional use of a doctor's image or voice raises separate issues that need careful review (cl. 8.1 ii; 9.2).

Can a clinic advertise discounts or packages?

The notice bars discounts, coupons, gifts and free procedures when likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation. Factual fee disclosure is permitted. The notice does not name every possible package or health-camp arrangement, so seek advice where the position is unclear (cl. 8.1 x).

Can a doctor use AI to create social media content?

AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial interest are prohibited. AI must not create patient images, voices, testimonials or outcomes. AI-generated promotional content that otherwise complies must carry an AI source mark; labelling does not make a prohibited campaign acceptable (cl. 7.2).

Who is responsible if an agency publishes content for a doctor?

The doctor remains responsible for content an agency publishes on their behalf (cl. 4.4). The notice does not directly bind agencies in the same way it binds doctors and hospitals. The application of the third-party marketing provisions needs careful legal interpretation.

What should a doctor do if a rule is unclear?

Check the relevant clause in the official notice and obtain advice from a qualified medical-law adviser. Google reviews, health camps and the relationship between clauses 8.1 (ii) and 8.1 (viii) are questions the notice does not clearly resolve. Do not assume an answer where the notice is unclear.

Source, review and change record

  1. National Medical Commission, Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026: Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by Hospitals/Medical Institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners (primary source)
  2. Text copy of the same 13-page notice, as published by Medical Dialogues
  3. Medical Dialogues, "NMC issues ethical advertising, public communication guidelines for doctors, hospitals" (7 October 2026), used to cross-check
Last checked: 15 October 2026

15 October 2026. First published, checked against the text of the notice. Clause numbers follow the notice's own numbering. Clause 12 lets the NMC issue clarifications and advisories; we will update this page and record each change here.

General information, not legal advice. Medmatis is a healthcare marketing agency, not a law firm or a medical provider. Read the notice itself and take advice on your own situation.

Want your marketing built around these rules?

See how we work →
Call WhatsApp