You
are advised to contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission /
Consulate in your country in order to obtain a visa of entry. Please
apply for your visa well in advance. Your travel agent may also be able
to help you. Delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh
& Sri Lanka should apply minimum 6 weeks in advance.
The Government of India has announced a scheme of granting Tourist Visa on Arrival for the citizens of:
Finland
Luxemburg
New Zealand
Cambodia
Japan
Laos
Vietnam
Philippines
Foreign
passengers of countries not mentioned in the above list should ensure
that they are in possession of a valid Indian Visa before they start
their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not
require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not
require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days. A separate
Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders.
The Consular Passport
and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is
responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for
their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through
various Indian missions abroad.
Visa fees are
non-refundable and subject to change without prior notice. The High
Commission reserves the right to grant and decide the type/duration of
visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making
application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry to
India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.
The instruction and
information given here is general in nature, however for specific
information, you may contact the respectiveIndian Mission.
Visa
application form is available at the Indian Mission in the country
where the applicant resides. Visa form for nationals of Pakistan and
Bangladesh are generally different. All NRIs/PIOs, including children
(who do not possess OCI or PIO card) need to apply for Visa in separate
visa forms
Procedure for obtaining Visa
Visas
can be applied for in person or by post at the High Commission of
India based in the country from where the candidate intends to depart
for India. Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes that
are mentioned below:
1. Travel Visa application requirements
Valid passport
Completed application form. (Nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh must complete special application forms)
Two passport-size photographs. (Nationals of Pakistan will require five)
Visa fee
Stamped self-addressed delivery envelope for postal applications
2. Types of Applicable Visa
Business Visa
Validity:
6 months. The applicant is required to submit documents in proof of
his financial standing. Tourists traveling in groups of not less than
four members under the auspices of a recognized travel agency may be
considered for grant of collective tourist visa.
Conference Visa
Conference
Visas are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meetings in
India. The letter of invitation must be submitted along with the visa
application. In addition, you should augment you application for a
conference visa by enclosing copy of permissions received from the
Indian authorities. You may download the same here.
Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences.
3. Visa Fees (subject to change, kindly check with Indian mission in your country)
Visa with validity six months
: US$ 30
Visas with validity one year
: US$ 50
Visas with validity one to five years
: US$100
4. Processing time
Personal applications are processed the same day. Postal applications will take approximately two weeks.
New
Delhi & Mumbai are the most used entry points for India and many
International airlines connect them to all parts of the World. Other
international airports at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa,
Amritsar, Trivandrum, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Mangalore, Aurangabad,
Nagpur, Pune, Jaipur, Trichy, Kanpur and Lucknow too offer numerous
options for travelling to India.
Electricity
230-240V,
50 HZ. Sockets accept round pins. Should you wish to use appliances of
110 volts, some hotels may provide adaptors on request. It is
advisable to carry universal adaptors.
Language
A host of languages are spoken in India. English is widely spoken or understood except in rural areas.
Currency
The
currency in India is the Rupee, which comes in denominations of 1, 2,
5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000. You are requested to use authorized
money changers and banks to change currency. They will issue a
certificate of exchange which is required at the time of re-conversion
of any unused currency. Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999,
it is an offence to exchange foreign currency other than through
authorized money changers or banks. The currency may be exchanged at
the airport on arrival.
Most bank ATMs honor
Visa, Visa Electron, Master & Maestro cards and you may use these
ATMs also to withdraw money.
Most hotels, shops and
other establishments accept credit cards. Master & VISA cards are
accepted at almost all such establishments whereas some of them accept
Diners and American Express cards as well.
If the visa, for stay in India, is for more than 180 days, following is the requirement:
A Registration Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained
from the nearest Foreigners' Registration Office within 15
days of arrival.
Four photographs are also required for registration
The foreigners registered at Foreigners' Registration Office are required to report change of their addresses
All persons including Indian nationals are required to fill in a Disembarkation Card, at the time of arrival
Departure from India
All
persons, except nationals of Bhutan & Nepal, leaving by air, road
or rail have to fill in an Embarkation Card at the time of departure.
Exit Formalities
Every
foreigner who is about to depart finally from India must surrender his
Certificate of Registration either to the Registration Officer of the
place where he is registered or of the place from where he plans to
depart or to the Immigration Officer at the Port / Check-post of exit
from India.
Foreign Travel Tax
Passengers
embarking on trips to any place outside India from a Customs
airport/seaport will have to pay a Foreign Travel Tax (FTT) of Rs. 500
and Rs. 150 (subject to revision) on trips to Afganistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka and Maldives. No tax is
payable on trips performed by ship from Rameshwaram to Talaimanar and in
case of transit passengers, provided they do not leave the customs
barrier. Transit passengers travelling by air who have to leave the
airport on accout of mechanical trouble but continue their journey by
the same aircraft and the same flight number by which they arrive are
also exempt from FTT. Transit sea passengers leaving the ship for
sightseeing, shopping etc. during the ships' call at any of the Indian
ports will not be required to pay FTT.
Customs
Visitors
are generally required to make a baggage declaration in respect of
baggage and foreign currency in their possession. They are also
required to obtain the Currency Declaration Form from the Customs. They
should fill in the Disembarkation Card handed over to them by the
airline during the course of the flight.
There are two channels for clearance:
Green Channel
For passengers not in possession of any dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage
Red Channel
For
passengers with dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage or high
value articles to be entered on the tourist Baggage Re-Export Form.
Dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage or high-value articles must
be entered on a Tourist Baggage Re-Export Form (TBRE). These articles
must be re-exported at the time of departure. A failure to re-export
anything listed on the TBRE becomes a payable duty levied for each
missing item. The following duty-free possessions are permissible
Clothes and jewellery
Cameras and up to five rolls of film
Binoculars
A portable musical instrument
A radio or portable tape recorder
A tent and camping equipment
Fishing rod
A pair of skis
Two tennis rackets
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars
95 litres of liquor, and gifts not exceeding a value of Rs. 600 (about US$15).
Depending on the attitude of the customs' official, one may or may not have to enter a portable computer on a TBRE form.
There
are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travellers'
cheques you may bring into India provided you make a declaration in the
Currency Declaration Form given to you on arrival. This will enable
you not only to exchange the currency bought in, but also to take the
unspent currency out of India on departure. Cash, bank notes and
travellers' cheques up to US$ 1,000 or equivalent, need not be declared
at the time of entry. Any money in the form of travellers' cheques,
drafts, bills, cheques, etc. in convertible currencies, which tourists
wish to convert into Indian currency, should be exchanged only through
authorised money changers and banks who will issue an encashment
certificate that is required at the time of reconversion of any unspent
money into foreign currency. Exchanging of foreign currency other than
banks or authorised money changers is an offense under Foreign Exchange
Regulations Act 1973.
Leaving India
Indian
Rupees are not allowed to be taken out of India. Exchanging them before
you depart is the best option. Banking facilities, for the conversion
of rupees into foreign currency are usually located in the same airport
hall as the check-in counters. It’s best to access these facilities
before immigration as they are not available thereafter. All animal
products, souvenirs, and trophies are subject to the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. The export of skins made from protected
wildlife species is not allowed. As a general rule, avoiding such
souvenirs that could be made of animal skins (except crocodile-leather
goods) is best. Generally, items more than 100 years old cannot be
exported without a permit from the Archaeological Survey, which has an
office in Delhi. Reputable shops will provide you with the required
permit or help you procure it. Items without permits will be detained
by Indian Customs if they are believed to be over 100 years old.
Please
consult with your physician regarding health precautions prior to
visiting India. If you are coming from or have visited Africa, South
America or an area infected with Yellow Fever within five days prior to
your arrival in India, proof of inoculation against Yellow Fever is
required. The Organizers do not take responsibility for any individual,
medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are advised to
secure their own insurance policies as necessary.
The
Country Code for India is `91´. Landline numbers in major cities like
Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore & Chennai have eight digits
whereas the numbers in smaller cities could have only 4-7 digits. All
mobile numbers are 10 digits.
Area Codes in India are referred to as STD codes. STD codes for some cities are:
Delhi
11
Mumbai
22
Kolkata
33
Chennai
44
Hyderabad
40
Bangalore
80
Dialing from Outside India
1. Landline
International
access code (`00´ or `+') followed by 91, then STD CODE followed by
LANDLINE NO., eg. +91 11 XXXXXXXX (`11´ is the STD CODE for Delhi).
2. Mobile
International access code (`00´ or `+') followed by 91 and the 10-digit MOBILE NO., eg. +91 XXXXXXXXXX.
Dialing Within India
1. From Indian landline to Indian landline
Local call - Landline no.
Long distance call - 0 then STD Code followed by Landline No.
2. From Indian landline to Indian Mobile
Local call -10 digit Mobile No.
Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digit Mobile No.
3. From Indian Mobile to Indian landline
Local or Long distance calls
0 followed by STD Code, followed by Landline No.
4. From Indian Mobile to Indian Mobile
Local Call - 10 digit Mobile No.
Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digits Mobile No.
Dialing out from India to International numbers
The international access code when dialing out of India is "00" (or `+' when dialing from a mobile phone).
In India both GSM
& CDMA (WLL) mobile systems are present. Please contact your mobile
service providers to check their roaming partners & tariffs in
India. Indian SIM cards may not be easily available due to security
restrictions.
Indian
cuisine differs from region to region. The variety of food you get in
India is outstanding. Generally Indian food is spicy and hot. The
waiters can be told to make it less spicy. Many restaurants serve
Continental, Chinese, Thai, Spanish, French. Mexican, Italian,
Lebanese, Mediterranean, and other cuisines. American fast food is very
popular and outlets are present in most cities and towns. Tipping is
optional but a common practice in India. The usual practice is leaving a
5-10% tip for the services provided.
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.
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