Tours to India Directory

Quick Facts about India
Capital: New Delhi
Area: 1.3 million square miles
Population: 1027 million (2001 Census
Currency: 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 pais
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in nort
Language: Hindi, English, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese

Visa Entrance
Citizens of all countries, except Nepal & Bhutan, require a valid national passport or valid travel documents and a valid visa granted by Missions abroad for entering India. Nepalese or Bhutanese citizens need no passport or visa but should possess suitable documents for their identification when proceeding from their respective countries.

Visas :-
Requirement For Visa : Foreigners desirous of visiting India can do so after obtaining visa from the Indian Mission in their country of their residence. They should possess a valid National Passport - except in the case of nationals of Bhutan & Nepal, who may carry only suitable means of identification.

Tourist Visas : Usually, a multi-entry visa, valid for a period of 180 days, is granted for the purpose of tourism. The visa is valid from the date of issue.

Collective Visas : The facility also exists for the issue of collective visas to group tours consisting of not less than four members and sponsored by a travel agency recognised by the Government of India. Such groups may split into smaller groups for visiting different places in India after obtaining a collective "licence to travel" from the immigration authorities in India. However, they must reassemble and depart as the original group.

Transit Visas : Transit visas are granted by Indian Missions abroad for a maximum period of 15 days.

Currency and Bank Info :-

Currency in India There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travellers' cheques a tourist may bring into India provided he makes a declaration in the Currency Declaration Form given to him on arrival. This will enable him 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 moneychangers is an offence under Foreign Exchange Regulations Act 1973. Changing Money Importing and exporting the currency is strictly against the rules. International airports have currency-exchange booths that are always open for arriving or departing overseas flights. It is always better to change certain amount of money in small denominations. Always change money from an authorized moneychanger and do not forget to take the encashment slip. Some banks now charge a nominal fee for this slip, which is necessary for paying hotel bills or travel expenses in rupees. The encashment slip is also required when reconverting rupees into another currency.

Tips for International Passenger on their arrival to India :

Do not feel pressurized by local porters at the airport when you arrive. Most airports have carts available, so you can collect and transport your own luggage if you wish. Get your entire luggage and do not allow anyone to quickly move off with your bags. Most taxis and ground transportation can be arranged through counters inside the airports. If you have to take a domestic flight [Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, Sahara Airlines] usually these airlines provide FREE transportation between the airports. Banks are also located inside the international airports, so you can change some money immediately. We strongly recommend you exchange part of your money inside the airport and not outside the airport with touts.

Languages Spoken :

Although the Indian constitution recognizes eighteen languages as the official languages of the country, Hindi and English are the most commonly spoken languages. Some of the officially recognized languages are very state-specific spoken by the people of that particular state only. For instance, the local people of Maharashtra speak Marathi. By using the term ‘officially recognized’, one means that these languages may be used for appearing in government examinations. In reality, only Hindi and English are nationally used languages.

English has gained tremendous importance in the Indian education system and economy. Most of the schools, especially in the cities and towns, have English as the first language and all communication, written and spoken, takes place in English. A person coming to Mumbai city for a job, will be unable to get one if he does not know the English and Hindi languages.

Eighteen languages recognized by the constitution of India are:

Assamese. Bengali. Gujarati. Hindi. Kannada. Kashmiri. Konkani. Malayalam. Manipuri. Marathi. Nepali. Oriya. Punjabi. Sanskrit. Sindhi. Tamil. Telugu. Urdu.

Health Regulation :

Yellow fever: Any person (including infants) arriving by air or sea without a certificate is detained in insulation for a period up to 6 days if arriving within 6 days of departing from an infected area.

Malaria risk exists throughout the year in the whole country excluding parts of the States of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim. No certificate required, but a course of anti-malaria pills is recommended.

Drinking water: Bottled water is available and usually provided in flasks in hotel rooms. For people with delicate digestive systems. It is advisable to use bottled mineral water, this is widely available.

Facilities: It is advisable to bring specific medicines. There are state operated facilities in all towns and cities and private consultants and specialists in urban areas.