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Passport, visa and money mattersIf you choose to build your own India trip with our bite-sized India tours or try one of our holidays to India, our friendly India travel specialists will offer you advice about the application procedur- as India's tourist visa process can be a little tricky.To apply for a visa, you'll need a passport with a minimum of 6 months’ validity, 2 passport photos, and the completed visa application form which can be downloaded from: http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk We try to be accurate with the advice that we offer, but the Indian High Commission can change the process at any time without notification. So, it's always best to check the latest instructions direct with your nearest India High Commission/Visa Application Centre. A tourist visa costs around £30 (extra fees may be applicable). |
India tourist information: Visa application tips• On the VFS website there is a premium rate number for their call centre Visa Helpline – 09057 570045 and an email address info.inuk@vfshelpline.com please direct all queries to the VFS office as they are the experts and can answer any questions and will be aware of any possible changes to the visa process. |
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India tourist information: Passport tips• Passport photos are no longer standard size for the India Visa Application. Photos must be 50mm x 50mm and present the full head from top to chin (the distance between needs to be 25mm - 35mm). If this is not correct your application may be rejected.• Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date to the UK. • Your visa will be valid from the date it is issued so do not apply too soon. • You'll need a clear page in your passport for the visa to be affixed as it is a full-page sticker rather than a passport stamp or electronic visa. • The application process can be very quick or take a few weeks. You can check with the Visa Application Service via their website, telephone or email for instruction as to the likely turn-around for your application. |
India tourist information: MoneyThere is no limit to the amount of money or travellers’ cheques that you can bring into India. Cash of cheques up to a value of US $5000 do not need to be declared and tourists are advised to exchange notes and cheques only at banks or official exchange offices.Top tip: You should also keep the receipts because you'll need them to change any leftover money back when you are leaving the country. However, Indian currency may not be imported or exported, so you cannot bring Rupees (INR) into India when you arrive. You can take GB pounds, Euros and Travellers’ Cheques in sterling, and you should have no problem having any of these changed in India. |
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India tourist information: Additional infoATMs: In larger cities, you'll find that they will take most international bank cards.Top tip: Don’t accept any torn bank notes if you are given them as change, as most Indians will not accept them as payment, so you'll be consistently refused. This applies to Rupees (INR or Rs), Euros or GBP notes, and you can exchange any damaged Rs notes in banks. In India we calculated the exchange rate as follows (approximately): £1 = 82Rs, or 100Rs = £1.20. The exchange rate is naturally subject to change. Bank opening times: Opening times vary from region to region. Banks: 10am to 2pm (Mon-Fri) and 10am -12 noon on Saturday. Otherwise most hotels can exchange money for you. Post offices: 10am-5pm (Mon-Fri), and Saturday morning. Offices: 9.30am -5.30pm (Mon-Fri) and 9.30am- 1pm on Saturday. Coins and notes: There are 1, 2 and 5 Rs coins and there are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Rs bank notes. Departure tax: Passengers travelling to a destination outside India will pay a departure tax of Rs.500. Those travelling to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or the Maldives will pay Rs.150. |
India tourist information: Additional infoLanguageIn India there are lots of different languages spoken. Hindi is the language most often used, but English is spoken widely as well and is the official language. But there are literally hundreds of other languages spoken in India. Time difference The time difference with India is 5½ hours (later than in the UK) in the summer time it is only 4½ hours time difference with the UK. Electricity In most places the voltage is 220V, but in some places there is also DC current. It is advisable to check the voltage before you plug in any electrical gadget. The plug points also vary from place to place. |
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India tourist information: Health and safetyIndia is generally a safe country to travel in, despite having a population of more than 1 billion people and having areas of vast poverty, you shouldn't experience any problems. But like any country you visit it's worth keeping up to date with the information provided by the Foreign & Commonwealth Offices website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/ and then on the 'Travel advice per country' link.Vaccinations There is no need to produce a vaccination book except for those people who have travelled through areas where yellow fever is endemic (such as some parts of Africa and South America). The vaccination book must conform to the applicable international standards. See also the page with information about Health. |
India tourist information: Contacting homeYou can contact home by telephone, fax, telegram or telex. The larger hotels and post offices in the larger cities offer an international 24-hour service. You can direct-dial almost all phone calls outside the country and there are also excellent connections between the large cities, but occasionally the number has to be requested through an exchange.The postal service is also generally good. Tourists can bring and collect personal post at the counters of the Tourist Mail Service in the General Post Offices, as well as at the India Tourist Offices in the tourist centres. You can also buy stamps in the hotels. |
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