Customs & Baggage Rules:
The general policy of the Government of India is to encourage tourism. Therefore, foreigners are welcomed and are offered various types of visa for hassle free stay plus the option to extend their visits except Tourist visa which are non extendable. Since June 1984, commonwealth citizens have ceased to form a separate category and the requirements of visa has been imposed on them also. Similarly, the visa abolition agreement that existed with some countries have also been rescinded.

VISA NOTE & FEES

Visa is required by all except nationals of Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives (latter for a stay of 90 days only). Visitors should apply for visa at the Indian Diplomatic missions in their country of residence or nearest mission en route.

The information given here is general in nature, for specific queries please check with the Indian High Commission in your country, Ministry of External Affairs and Home Affairs, New Delhi. (addresses & telephone numbers given ahead)

Rules and Regulations

I.   Passport valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the date of intended departure
     from India should accompany visa applications.

II.  Paste one photo and staple the other one on the form at specified place.

III. Foreigners holding other nationalities (other than the country where applying for
     visa) should submit proof of long-term (at least three years) / permanent
     residence for which an additional fee is applicable and will involve extra processing
     time. Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during
     this time.

IV. Following visas are available from the Indian Missions abroad.

Tourist Visa:- Is given for 6 months normally; rest specifically depends on the country of residence. The applicant is required to produce / submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourists travelling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognized travel agency may be considered for grants of collective tourist visa.

Business:- Visa is valid for one or more years with multiple entries. A letter from a sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited, incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application.

Student Visa:- Are issued for the duration of the academic course of study or for a period of five years whichever is less, on the basis of firm letters of admission from Universities / recognized colleges or educational institutions in India. Change of purpose and institutions are not permissible.

Transit Visa:- Are issued for a maximum period of 15 days with single / double entry facilities to bona fide transit passengers only.

Visa to Missionaries:- Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted by government of India. A letter in triplicate from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant's maintenance while in India.

Journalist Visa:- Are issued to professional journalists and photographers for visiting India. The applicants are required to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and in other places, the Office of the Government of India’s Press Information Bureaus.

Conference Visa:- Are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meetings in India. A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted along with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences.

Employment Visa:- Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies, organizations, economic undertakings as technicians, technical exports, senior executives, etc. Applicants are required to submit proof of contract / employments / engagement of foreign nationals by the company or organization.

Fees:- The fee structure depends on the nationality of the passport holder and type/ duration of visa applied. The existing fee structure is:

• Transit Visa US$ 5

• Visas with Validity Up to six months US$ 30

• Visas with validity Up to one year US$ 50

• Students Visa US$ 50

• Visas with validity between one to five years US$ 100

Visa fees indicated in US $ are payable in local currencies as well. Visa fees are not refundable excepts in cases where a visa already issued is cancelled thereafter.

Processing Duration:- Depends on the type of visa applied.

Miscellaneous Information:- The duration of stay in India, for each visit on a tourist visa or business visa, is only for a period of 6 months even though a valid visa may be for more than 6 months.

Visa is given for a period for which passport is valid. For example, if a passport is valid until April 30, 2003 and an applicant is applying for 5 years visa on December 31, 1999, the applicant will not be issued 5 years visa as the passport expires before the 5 year visa. Validity of all visas is counted from the date of their issue. Tourist visa up to 5 years may be granted if the foreigner is connected with the tourism trade.

If visa is for more than 180 days, registration is compulsory within 14 days of first arrival in India.

Visa Extension:- Visitors desirous of extending their visas (except the tourist visa) are required to contact the FRROS personally.

Documents required for visa extension (Original documents)

Passport / Travel documents, Residence Permits, PIO card, etc.
Photocopies of:

1. Front page and visa page of passport.
2. Relevant pages of Residence permits having last extension.
3. Other relevant documents for particular category of visa e.g.
   (a) Bonafide certificate and Identity card for student visa.
   (b) Company letter and terms & conditions for business / employment 
        visa.
   (c) Marriage Certificate in case seeking extension of visa on the ground
        of marriage to  an Indian.
   (d) For research visa - approval of research project from the nodal
       ministry.

Fee is US $ 30 for extension of visa up to 180 days

Fee is US $ 50 for extension of visa beyond 180 days.

Extension of visa in Delhi is available at:  Ministry of Home Affairs - Director (F), Lok Nayak Bhawan, 1st Floor, Khan Market, New Delhi - 110003

Registration of Foreigners

Foreigners holding a visa for more than 180 days must get themselves registered, within two weeks of their arrival, at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) at Delhi / Mumbai/ Calcutta / Chennai. They are required to submit their papers in person.

Children up to 16 years are exempted from registration formalities. A Residential permit is issued to them if their stay exceeds 180 days.

No registration is required for a stay of less than 180 days. Pakistan nationals are required to register themselves within 24 hours of their arrival with the nearest police station.

Those holding a long-term multiple entry visa do not require ‘Intended Departure Clearance’ from the city office when leaving the country.

Accredited journalists are given the ‘Intended Departure Clearance’ at the airport.

The address of the FRRO are as follows:

For those who are not residing in the areas mentioned above, they should contact the following office:

Joint Secretary (Foreigners), Ministry of Home Affairs, 1st Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,
Khan Market, New Delhi-110 003.

Lost passport:-

1. Foreigners should file a report with the local police regarding loss of passport.

2. After obtaining new travel documents the foreigner should approach for grant of
    visa / exit permit with the following details.

(a) Date & type of visa

(b) Name of Indian Mission from where visa was granted.

(c) Port of arrival including flights number / details of vessels.

(d) Places visited in India.

3. At least one week time is required for confirming the details and visa / Exit permit
    can be granted after one week. 
    Place of Application: Ministry of Home affairs, New Delhi

Immigration Passport

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

Arrival Formalities:- If the visa for stay in India is for more than 180 days, a Registration Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained from the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of arrival. All persons, including Indian nationals, are required to fill in a disembarkation card at the time of arrival. Four photographs are also required for registration. Foreigners registered at the FRRO are required to report any change of their addresses.

Special Permits:- Some areas in India, usually border districts, are out of bounds for normal travellers due to political and security reasons. However, some of these are extremely beautiful and fascinating places, their remoteness lending them a special quality, and special permits may be procured if one wishes to visit them.

Permits are usually provided to groups and for a limited number of days. There is no extra charge for acquiring the permits and they may be obtained from the Indian Mission abroad or governmental agencies within India.

Customs on Arrival

There are two customs clearance channels. The green channel is for travellers carrying no dutiable items while the red channel is for travellers carrying dutiable items.

Duty - free items:- Duty free items which you may bring to India include personal effects like clothing and other articles but not if this is commercial merchandise. All expensive electronic equipments must be declared at the customs which will be rechecked on departure. Take care to obtain an Export certificate for these items if you are travelling to neighbouring countries and intend a multiple entry.

You cannot bring in gold coins and gold or silver bullions into the country. Weapons brought into the country should be licensed and declared. Any cash or travellers cheque over US $ 10,000 or equivalent must be declared. Possession of narcotic drugs is strictly prohibited.

Gifts worth Rs 4,000 for tourists of foreign origin and Rs 12,000 for tourists of Indian origin, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gm of tobacco, 1 litre each of wine and spirit is allowed free of duty.

Mishandled / Lost Baggage:
If your baggage is mishandled or lost in transit, obtain a certificate to this effect from the airline and have it countersigned by the customs.

Customs Enquiry / Complaints:
Assistant Collector of Customs at the International Airport OR Commissioner of Customs, New Customs House, Near IGI Airport, New Delhi 110037 Tel: 5696042

Customs Home Page : http://konark.ncst.ernet.in/customs/

Customs on Departure

Prohibited items of export:

• Gold Jewellery valued at above Rs. 6,000.

• Animal skins and skin products.

• Antiques (over 100 years old) **

• Wild plants, seeds or parts

**For verification contact: Archeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi. Tel: 301945 / 3018987 / 3019110 or ASI Offices in other states.

Visitors leaving India after less than six months are exempted from Income Tax clearance procedures, but it is advisable to keep your encashment certificates handy in case of an enquiry.

A Foreign Travel Tax must be paid by all tourists on departure, Rs 150 for departures to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives and Rs 500 for all other countries.

Health:- If a foreign tourist originates from or has transitted through endemic yellow fever countries (Africa, South America, Papua New Guinea), he / she must possess a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

No other vaccination certificate is mandatory. Precautions can be taken against typhoid, hepatitis, meningitis, measles, mumps, cholera etc,.

Inland Air Travel Tax:-
An Inland Air Travel Tax is leviable at 10 percent of the basic fare, on all passengers embarking on an inland air journey. Passengers paying their airfare in foreign exchange will be exempted from payment of this tax. In addition, infants, cancer patients, the blind and invalids (those on stretchers) are exempted after fulfilling certain conditions in the relevant notifications.

Departure from India
All persons, except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan, 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 shall surrender his Certificate of Registration either to the Registration Officer of the place where he is registered or of the place where he intends to depart or to the Immigration officer at the port / checkpost of exit from India.

Health:-
Yellow Fever - anyone (except infants up to the age of six months) arriving by air or sea without a certificate is detained in isolation for up to six days if that person

• Arrives within six days of departure from an infected area, or
  

• Has been in such an area is transit (excepting those passengers and members of the crew who, while in transit through an airport situated in an infected area, remained within the airport premises during the period of their entire stay and the health officer agrees to such exemption), or
  

• Has come on a ship that started from or touched at any port in a Yellow Fever infected area up to 30 days before its arrival in India, unless such a ship has been disinfected in accordance with the procedure laid down by WHO, or
  

• Has come by an aircraft which has been in an infected area and has not been disinfected in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Indian Aircraft Public Health Rules, 1954 or those recommended by WHO

The following countries and areas are regarded as infected:

(a) Africa:- Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Ivory coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.

(b) America:- Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Note: When a case of Yellow Fever is reported from any country, that country is regarded by the government of India as infected with the Yellow Fever and is added to the above list. 

Vaccination centres For Yellow Fever For International Travellers

Delhi:
Health Organization, Palam Airport. (Tue. and Thursday 1400 - 1600 hrs) Tel. 3295507.

Public Health Laboratory, Municipal Corporation, Town Hall, Alipur Road, Mon & Fri 1000 - 1200 hrs. Tel. 252 2058

Dr. Ram Manohar Lolia Hospital (Wed & Sat 1100 to 1300 hrs) Tel: 3365525 / 3735337

International Inoculation Centre, Mandir Marg, New Delhi - 110001

Mumbai:

Health Office, Mumbai Airport.

Port Health Organisation, Seamens Medical Examination Organization, Nav Bhawan

Calcutta:

All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health.

Health Organization, Dum Dum Airport.

Port Health Organization.

Cochin:  Port Health Organization

Goa: Urban Health Organization, Panaji.

Hyderabad: Institute of Preventive Medicine

Jamnagar: Irwin Hospital

Kandla: Port Health Organization.

Kasauli: Central Research Institute

Lucknow: Balrampur Hospital

Chennai: King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy.

Port Health Officer / Assistant Port Health Officer / Assistant Airport Health Officer, Port Health Organization.

Marmugao: Port Health Organization

Porbandar: Office of the Civil Surgeon

Pune: Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, BJ Medical College

Vishakhapatamam: Port Heath Organization.

Help Addresses:

Government of India Tourist office (GTI) 88 Janpath, New Delhi 110001, India. Tel: 332 0005 / 0008 / 3320342, Fax: 332 0109

Money currency:- The Indian currency is the Rupee and it is a fully convertible currency. The Rupee notes are available in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2,1. Coins are available in the denominations of 5,2,1 (rupee) and 50 and 25 paise.

Foreign Exchange:- Foreign exchange / currency brought into India must be declared at customs where the value of foreign currency notes exceed US $ 2500 or the aggregate value of the foreign exchange including currency notes exceeds US $ 10,000 or equivalent. You can exchange money at international airports where 24 hour exchange facilities are available through banks and approved money changers. You can also change money from nationalized banks and other banks in the country.

Usual banking hours are 10 am to 2 pm on week days and 10 am to 12 noon on Saturdays. However, not all banks will exchange foreign currency or travellers cheques particularly in small towns. Most recognized hotels will exchange foreign currency 24 hours but a substantial service charge may be levied here.

Well-known credit cards are widely accepted in India. These may include Diners, Masters, Visa and American Express credit cards. They are handy not only in paying your hotel bills and airfares, but also in buying souvenirs in small boutiques in way-off towns. Indian Railways also accepts bookings with credit cards in metros.

Electricity:- Usually 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the round 2 and 3 pin type.

Climate:- During the hot season, temperatures in the north can reach 104ºF. The monsoon breaks in June and peters out in September or October. In the cool season, average temperatures are 50ºF - 59ºF in the north and the weather is mainly dry. However, the south has a less variable climate. Madras is always hot. Average temperatures range from 75ºF in January to 90ºF in May and June.

Aviation:- There are five designated international airports in India - at Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and Trivandrum. Of these, the first two are the most used. Limited international flights are also operated from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Goa, Calicut, Cochin, Amritsar, Varanasi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Tiruchirapalli, Agra and Jaipur. These are designated as ‘customs airports’ and allow landing of tourist charter flights and international flights by the national carriers of India.

The international airports at the four major metros have a fairly comprehensive range of facilities. These may include duty - free shops, restaurants, business centres, restrooms for the disabled as well as telephone booth, travel assistance counters, hotel booking counters, airline booking counters, foreign exchange counters, mobile phone rentals and so on. Check out individual city sections for details of facilities in respective cities.

Domestic Airports

India has a total number of 115 domestic airports. Many of these have been  significantly upgraded of late. Beginning with Delhi - the capital - the brand new Indian Airlines terminal is comfortable and comprehensive. Technology-wise also, the airport has been substantially upgraded.

There are new terminal buildings at Agra, Cochin, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad featuring contemporary design and facilities.