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Testing relatives who live abroad for the family gene fault | CION Cancer Clinics
A relative living abroad can be tested for the exact gene fault found in your family, wherever they are. They need the first carrier's full report and the counsellor's family letter. Testing where they live is often simplest, because their screening will happen there too. This page explains what to send, the routes open to them and what each involves. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team helps carriers and their families plan checks, next steps and support after a genetic result.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can a relative who lives abroad be tested for the family fault?
- Which way of testing suits a relative abroad?
- How do you help a relative abroad get tested?
- The words a doctor abroad will look for
- Testing abroad, or testing on a visit home?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about relatives abroad
- Common questions about testing relatives abroad
The short answer
Can a relative who lives abroad be tested for the family fault?
Yes. A relative in the Gulf, the United Kingdom, the United States or anywhere else can be tested for the exact fault found in your family. They need a copy of the first person's full report and the family letter. Usually the simplest route is to test in the country where they live, because their screening will happen there too.
Why the report travels well
Genetic reports use an international naming system for genes and variants. A laboratory in London or Dubai can read a report from Hyderabad and test for the same change. What it needs is the full report, not a summary or a phone message saying "she has the gene".
Why it is easy to put off
Relatives abroad are busy, far away and often well. News passed on in a family call can sound vague and less urgent than it is. A clear letter, sent in writing, is far more likely to lead to a test than a conversation.
Which relatives abroad to tell first
Start with the closest ones: brothers, sisters and adult children of the carrier. Their result decides whether their own children need a test. Cousins and more distant relatives usually come later, once the nearer branch of the family has been tested.
Send the documents by email as well as by message. A relative's doctor abroad will ask for a copy they can file.The three routes
Which way of testing suits a relative abroad?
Each route works. The right one depends on where they live and where their follow-up will happen.
Test in the country where they live
They take the report and family letter to their own doctor, who refers them to a local genetics service. Counselling, testing and any screening then happen in one system.
Usually best when
- They live there long term
- A genetics service is available locally
- Their insurance or health system covers the test
Test during a visit home
They have counselling and give a sample while in Hyderabad. The result follows by video call after they have returned.
Send a sample across borders
Some laboratories accept saliva kits from abroad. Customs and permit rules on biological samples make this slower and less predictable than people expect.
What every route needs
- The full report of the first carrier
- The family letter from the counsellor
- Counselling before and after the test
- A plan for screening if the result is positive
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
How do you help a relative abroad get tested?
Send the documents in writing
Email a clear scan of the full report and the family letter. Add a short note on how they are related to the carrier.
Explain what the letter asks for
Tell them it asks for a test of one known variant, not a broad panel. Their doctor will find this easier to arrange.
Offer a call with the counsellor
Many counsellors will speak to a relative abroad by video, in Telugu or English, to explain the finding and answer questions.
Let them choose the route
Whether to test locally or on a visit home is their decision. They also have the right not to be tested.
Ask them to share the result
Their result matters to their own children and siblings. A copy should go into the family's record if they are willing.
In the letter
The words a doctor abroad will look for
- Family letter
- A letter from the counsellor explaining the finding and asking a relative's doctor to arrange a targeted test.
- Known familial variant
- The exact fault already found in the family. Relatives are tested for this one change only.
- Variant name
- The string of letters and numbers on the report that names the exact change. It is written the same way worldwide.
- Clinical genetics service
- The hospital team in many countries that offers counselling and testing to families with a known fault.
- Accredited laboratory
- A laboratory checked against a recognised quality standard. Ask for one wherever the test is done.
- Telegenetic counselling
- Genetic counselling given by video or phone call, often used when a relative lives far away.
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Side by side
Testing abroad, or testing on a visit home?
Testing where they live
Testing on a visit to Hyderabad
Screening and testing in one health system
Result must be carried back to a local doctor
May be covered by local insurance or public care
Usually paid for privately
Waiting lists can be long in some countries
Can fit into a planned trip
Counselling in the local language
Counselling in Telugu is possible
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how testing works in every country. Each health system has its own referral routes, costs and waiting times. Your relative should ask their own doctor, who will know the local service.
It cannot explain the law where they live
Rules on genetic information and insurance differ from country to country. Some countries have specific protections that India does not. Your relative may want to understand the local position before testing, especially if they plan to buy life cover.
Who this does not apply to
Not every relative abroad needs a test. If their parent on the carrier's side has already tested negative, they cannot have inherited the fault through that parent. Distant relatives are usually tested only after closer ones. What a specific result means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
If you are unsure which relatives abroad should be told, your counsellor can help you draw up the list.Commonly believed
Four things families assume about relatives abroad
"A report from India will not be accepted abroad."
A full report from an accredited laboratory is used worldwide. Gene and variant names follow one international system, so a doctor abroad can order the same targeted test.
"They should come home to be tested properly."
Testing where they live is often better, because their screening and follow-up will happen there. A visit home is one option, not a requirement.
"Telling them on a family call is enough."
Spoken news gets lost or softened. The written report and the family letter are what a doctor abroad needs before arranging a test.
"Their different diet and life abroad protects them."
An inherited fault is present from birth, wherever a person lives. Lifestyle can affect overall health, but it does not remove an inherited fault.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about testing relatives abroad
What should I send to a relative abroad?
A clear copy of the first carrier's full report and the counsellor's family letter, sent by email so they can forward it to their doctor. Add a line explaining how they are related to the carrier and on which side of the family.
Will their doctor abroad know what to do?
Most family doctors will refer them to a local genetics service once they see the family letter. If the doctor is unsure, the relative can ask for a referral to clinical genetics by name.
Is it cheaper to test in India or abroad?
It depends on the country. In some, a relative of a known carrier is tested through the public health system or insurance at little cost. In others, private testing in India on a visit home may cost less. Ask locally before deciding.
Can we post a saliva kit to them?
Some laboratories allow it, but moving biological samples between countries brings customs and permit rules. Delays can spoil a sample. Ask the laboratory before posting anything, and consider local testing first.
Can counselling be done by video call?
Yes. Counselling by video is widely used for relatives who live far away. It works well for explaining the finding and the choices. The sample itself still has to be given in person.
What if my relative abroad does not want to be tested?
That is their right. Share the information clearly once, and leave the door open. Many people come back to the question later, often when they have children of their own.
Will testing abroad affect their visa or job?
Rules on genetic information differ by country, and we cannot advise on any particular one. Your relative should check the local position on insurance and employment before testing, and ask their genetics service if they are unsure.
Should their screening follow Indian or local advice?
Local advice, from the doctors who will actually do the screening. Guidelines are broadly similar across countries, but details differ. Their local genetics service will set out a plan that fits where they live.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is genetic testing?
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Testing relatives who live in another stateThe same problem, closer to homeWhat to send a relative: the family letterThe document a doctor abroad will ask forTelegenetic counselling and remote appointmentsCounselling a relative by video callSending samples abroadThe rules on moving samples across borders
Talk to us
Have a relative abroad who should know?
Tell us where they live and how they are related to the carrier. We will help you put together what they need to take to their own doctor. One helpline serves every CION centre.