Travel Essentials

a)      Time: Indian time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT (GMT: +05:30)

b)      Language: With 16 main languages and more than 700 dialects, popular languages are Hindi and English in India.

c)       Weather: Weather in India ranges from tropical in the south to temperate and alpine in the Himalayan North, with winter snowfall at the elevated region and higher temperature at the Thar Desert. India composed off with 3 climates i.e. the hot, the wet and the cool is a having the summer with hot days on the northern plains around April till by September. The monsoon starts in June till August with the northern cities getting cold by October and chilled at night in December. The south India is having a warm climate with neither too cold nor too hot.

d)      Currency: Currency in India is Rupees which is not readily available outside the country. The 24 hours bank exchange counter at all ports across the country enables the Indian currency for immigrants to the country after customs and immigration procedures. The cash encashment certificates provided by hotels/banks when foreign currency is converted to Rupees are to be withheld as evidence when paying local bills as some hotels accept foreign money from foreign tourists. Also while the return journey to convert from rupees to the native money of tourist; these certificates are to be issued by the concerned authorities.

e)      Clothing: It is best to wear light, comfortable cotton dresses with ventilated shoes for better protection for feet rather than open sandals. A pair of sunglass and sun hat is good if it is in handy during the trips and tours in India. Some devotional centers and cultural places will not provide permission to enter with modern dresses and also with shoes where the in such cases, airline stocks are the best options.

f)       Voltage: With a universal adapter, most electric appliances from English will work well in India where the electric voltage in India is 220-240 AC volts. If a regular hair dryer is being on use then it is advisable to carry the same even if it is provided at almost all deluxe hotel rooms.

g)      Cuisine: A wide variety of Indian origin regional and traditional cuisines with religious and cultural choices are available in India with a significant variety tastes by using locally availed spices, vegetables and fruits according to the vegetation, climate and culture of the region. The Indian cuisines are still growing with variant tastes from international kitchens when the country interacts and evolves with the culture and traditions of other nations.

h)      VISA: NonIndian citizen travelers requires to possess a valid travel document such as Original National Passport with a valid visa from an Indian Embassy or Post abroad to enter India for any purpose. Indian visa can be availed by applying through the link of Indian Embassy. The completed physical copy of the Visa application with signature and supporting documents can be submitted at the respective Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly to Indian Mission/ Post on the scheduled interview date. The form filling instructions and appointment scheduling will be available at Instructions section for Regular visa application while technical details will be available for reference at Technical Instructions. The status can also be tracked with the respective visa enquiry link.

Following countries/territories nationals can have the e-Tourist visa facilities for Indian visit.

Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hong Kong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, 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, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, 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, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 Purpose & Eligibility:

         i.            Travelers visit India for self-rejuvenation and recreation, medical treatments, business visits and meets, friendly visit and meets, sightseeing, etc.

       ii.            Passport must have at least 6-month validity from date of arrival to India and minimum 2 blank pages for stamping by Immigration officer.

      iii.            A return ticket/ onward journey ticket should be there with International travelers to India along with the Indian currency for their expenditures during the visit.

     iv.            International Travellers with Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin are required to apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.

       v.            Visa not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders, individuals without a separate passport and International Travel Document Holders.