Useful Information

You require a valid passport from your country and a visa from an Indian mission abroad to enter India.
The exceptions are:

• Citizens of Bhutan and Nepal do not require visas
• Nationals of Maldives do not require a visa for visits of up to 90 days
• Persons of Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indians who possess either an OCI or a PIO card, which are the equivalent of a long India visa

Apply for Indian Visa application Online

Currently Indian Government has approved tourist visa on arrival for citizens from Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameron Union Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hongkong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan , Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal , Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

e-Visa is valid for entry through 26 designated Airports (i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Vishakhapatnam) and 5 designated seaports (i.e. Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, Chennai). However, the foreigner can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.

• Your passport valid for at least 6 months
• Visa fee in cash or by postal order (cheques are normally not accepted)
• Two passport-size photographs
• Supporting documents, where necessary
• Duly completed application form
• Some parts of India are “restricted areas” and require special permitsNote: Allow one month’s processing time for postal applications.

International airports operate the conventional green and red channels, with officials liable to carry out sudden spot check on passengers passing through the green channel. If carrying items of high value such as cameras, laptops and the like for your personal use during your trip, you may be asked to fill in a Tourist Baggage Re-export Form (TBRE) when you enter the country, which allows you to bring items into India free of duty, provided you take them back with you when you are leaving.

For the internal flights baggage allowance in the Government Indian Airlines generally is 25 kg in Economy and 35 kg in Business Class. For the private airline operators it is 15 kg in Economy and 35 kg in First Class, where available. You can carry only a single piece of hand baggage (within certain size specifications). Please speak to your airlines for more information.

Airport departure tax is usually included in your international tickets and does not have to be paid at the airport.

Yellow Fever – A vaccination Certificate is required if arriving from an infected area.

Cholera/Typhoid – Innoculation recommended.

Malaria – No certificate is required, but advisable to have a course of pills.

Adult diphtheria & tetanus Single booster recommended if none in the previous 10 years. Side effects include sore arm and fever.

Hepatitis A Provides almost 100% protection for up to a year; a booster after 12 months provides at least another 20 years of protection. Mild side effects such as headaches and sore arms occur in 5% to 10% of people.

Hepatitis B is Now considered routine for most travellers. Given as three shots over six months. A rapid schedule is also available, as is a combined vaccination with hepatitis A. Side effects are mild and uncommon, usually headache and a sore arm. In 95% of people lifetime protection results.

Polio Only one booster is required as an adult for lifetime protection. The inactivated polio vaccine is safe during pregnancy.

Typhoid Recommended for all travellers to India, even those only visiting urban areas. The vaccine offers around 70% protection, lasts for two to three years and comes as a single shot. Tablets are also available, but the injection is usually recommended as it has fewer side effects. Sorearms and fever may occur.

Varicella If you haven’t had chickenpox, discuss this vaccination with your doctor. These immunisations are recommended for long-term travellers (more than one month) or those at special risk (seek further advice from your doctor):

Japanese B encephalitis Three injections in all. Booster is recommended after two years. Sore arm and headache are the most common side effects. In rare cases, an allergic reaction comprising hives and swelling can occur up to 10 days after any of the three doses.

Meningitis Single injection. There are two types of vaccination: the quadrivalent vaccine gives two to three years of protection; meningitis group C vaccine gives around 10 years of protection. Recommended for long-term backpackers aged under 25.

Rabies Three injections in all. A booster after one year will then provide 10 years of protection. Side effects are rare – occasionally headache and sore arm.

Tuberculosis (TB) A complex issue. Adult long-term travellers are usually recommended to have a TB skin test before and after travel, rather than vaccination. Only one vaccine is given in a lifetime.

Tap water is not purified for drinking. Unless you have access to a water filter, or are sure water has been boiled, it is safer to stick to bottled water. Avoid ice in your drinks outside your hotel. Avoid ice cream or food sold by roadside vendors, uncooked or undercooked foods, fruit or vegetables that cannot be peeled.

Due to the sheer size of the subcontinent, it is quite difficult to confine the different seasons to particular periods of the year. One can say, India has three major seasons: winter, summer and the monsoons.
The winter months (Nov-March) are pleasant throughout India with bright sunny days. In the Northern plains the minimum temperature at times drops steeply, and there is snow fall in the hills. The rest of the country is pleasantly cool, never really cold. The summer months (April-June) are hot in most parts of India with the mercury touching 45 Degrees centigrade. It is the ideal times to explore the sub-Himalayan region. The Monsoons tend to be depressing in some regions, and yet seem to uplift the spirit in some other parts of India

The majority of India works on 220 volts AC 50 Hz. However, it is possible that certain areas have DC supplies and it may be a good idea to check before using electrical appliances. Socket sizes vary, so it is well to take along a set of plug adaptors.
Note: You will probably need to get an adapter for your devices. It’s pretty easy to get “all-in-one” adapters that you can use to plug your device’s power chord into before plugging into the power supply.

India is a “shopper’s paradise”. Due to the patronage received over the past centuries, different types of arts developed in different areas. Silk, brocades, carpets, rugs, brass-ware, textile, miniatures, wooden carvings, furniture and jewelry are great bargains. Returning or exchanging of goods once bought is not entertained. If you desire, the shops will export your purchase to your address. Most shops that sell to tourists welcome the major credit cards, some even except personal cheques.

Hotels, restaurants, taxis, etc., in this part of the world, do not include a tip in their bills. It is not obligatory to tip, but expectations are there.

The currency of India is Rupee. You can get your US dollars exchanged with Indian rupees at airports and hotels. You can also swipe your Debit cards at ATM machines to withdraw the money in local currency (Rupees). At all the exchange facilities mentioned here, the rate of exchange may vary. The most convenient among these would be ATM.

You can always check the current rate of exchange at www.xe.com

We suggest carrying some amount of local currency, as credit cards / dollars are not acceptable at all the places. You might require local currency in smaller transactions for shopping, meals, tipping or short taxi rides.

In some of the restaurants, they expect the guests in smart casuals while most of the restaurants do not have any dress code policy. So, it is always advisable to check on the same in advance.

In Religious places, shorts and sleeveless clothes are not allowed. We would suggest wearing clothes covering your body.

Also, the weather in India varies in different regions. So, we suggest packing considering these points.

If you are visiting North India in Oct- March period, we suggest comfortable, hand-washable clothing and couple of warm clothes. On a good sunny day, you might feel the heat of the sun. We suggest carrying hats and sunglasses too.

Paths in India are uneven, so we suggest packing nice and comfortable walking shoes.

Internet connectivity in India has now reached every nook and corner of the country. One can easily notice people busy with their smart phones in markets and public areas.

And because of this, availability of Internet is also easy, though chargeable.While some of the hotels offer complimentary internet, there are still quite a few hotels which offer internet on chargeable basis

In public places or in vehicles, please do not expect free wi-fi. However, one can always purchase a local sim card, which offers internet data at reasonable charges and can also make local / ISD calls as well.

While calling in India from your country, please prefix the country code +91 before the phone number.

India is a diverse country and weather varies in different regions. Oct- March is the period with relatively colder weather, April- June are generally hot and dry whereas July- September is humid and wet.

India has a huge diversity in its culture, customs, and languages changing every 500-600 kilometers. You will find the culture here very different from the US. So, here are some of the points, which we feel might help you understand people.

• Indian cuisine is famous the world over because of the various home-grown spices that are used to cook the food. The food is spicy for someone not used to it. However since the Hotels have the experience of catering to tourists from different nationalities, they are generally able to meet everybody’s tastebuds.
• Indians dine during the late hours of the evening contrary to Americans, who prefer dining early evenings around 1800 hrs or 1900 hrs. The Restaurants in India open up not before 7 PM for Dinner.
• People respect their elders and Indians generally do not call them by name to express their respect. It is very likely that kids you pass by during your tour might call you Aunty or Uncle……..

People, here, are very friendly and you should not be surprised if somebody starts talking to you or requests a picture with you. It might be considered intrusive in some cultures but in India, it is only a matter of course. Because of the high density of the population in India, the concept of personal space is not the same as in the US. The Indians are generally very curious about foreign visitors. One should not feel conscious if one sees people staring at you or asking you questions that are none of their business. It is just friendly curiosity