India Profile offers you some useful India travel tips that smoothen your holiday experience in the land of color and heritage.

 

	Once on Indian soil tourists are required to obtain a Currency Declaration Form and fill up the Disembarkation Card. Foreign nationals are required to make an oral declaration of the baggage they carry.
	There are two main customs clearance channels – the Green Channel and Red Channel, depending upon.
	Tourists with a visa permit for 180 days must acquire a Registration certificate and a residential permit and must submit 4 passport size pictures at the time of registration.
	While leaving the country foreign nationals are required to submit the Certificate of registration that was issued on arrival in the country.
	Foreign nationals are required to have a Yellow fever vaccination certificate while traveling to India. It is advisable to get yourself checked so that you can enjoy your India travel in comfort.
	There are many five star, deluxe and heritage hotels all over India. Each hotel lives up to international standards of hospitality.
	There are a number of budget hotels and guesthouses for budget travelers. The concept of home stay is becoming more and more popular by the day.
	Tourists can also stay at the YWCA and YMCA hostels located in different parts of India.
	It is perfectly safe to travel to India at any time during the year.
	It is advisable to ask your agent to arrange for train and road travel while you're coursing destinations in India.
	Tourists can book language interpreters and guides though English is a commonly understood language in India.
	Make sure you drink bottled water or packaged mineral water while on India tours.
	Try and avoid spicy food, especially if you're not used to it.
	Local people in India destinations are fairly friendly and helpful.
	Tourist must procure special tour permits from authorized India Tourist Offices.
	All banks in India function from Monday to Friday from 1000 hours to 1230 hours.
	All post offices in India work from Monday to Friday from 1000 hours to 1630 hours.
	All the government and administrative offices in India operate from 0930 to 1700 hours on weekdays.

 

Do's and Don'ts …

Carry your passport and important travel documents at all times

Carry attested Photostat copies of travel documents in person and keep the originals safely.

You mustn't buy air / rail or travel tickets from unauthorized persons.

Foreign nationals are required to pay all their bills through credit cards, foreign currency or traveler's cheques. Indian rupees is accepted only in case of proof of legal currency exchange.

 

Photography

For amateur photography of national monuments, there are no restrictions on taking photographs with a still camera (with flash inside the camera synchronized with exposure) or an 8mm.movie camera. It is prohibited to photograph places of military importance, i.e. airports, bridges, sensitive border regions. Certain temples may prohibit interior or exterior photography. Charges may be levied to photograph some monuments, forts or temples. Inside museums, or when photographing art works, flash cameras are prohibited. Photography inside the Taj Mahal is prohibited but prior permission can be requested from the Archaeological Survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi, 110 001.

 

We at Asia Travel & Tours will assist you with same. If tripods or other outside aids such as props or floodlights are used, or for professional and commercial photograph, special permission must be obtained from the Archaeological Survey of India. Similar permission must be obtained for movie cameras other than 8mm and for video cameras.

 

Tipping

Some hotels include service charges on their bills. In such cases tipping is not necessary. Where this is not done, at tip of 10% is customary. If you are in a big group and the food bill is high, the tip on the total can come down to 5%. The porter who takes your baggage to your room is usually tipped Rs.5 per bag or Rs.10 to Rs.20 per trolley. (These estimates are for 5 and 4-star hotels and are proportionately less in 1, 2 or 3 star hotels.) Tipping of taxi drivers is not customary.

 

Currency

The units of Indian currency are the Rupee and Paisa (100 Paisa = 1 Rupee). Paper money is in denominations of Rupees 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Coins are in denominations of Rupees 1, 2, 5 and 10. There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travelers' checks a tourist may import, provided a Declaration form is completed on arrival. This will facilitate the exchange of imported currency as well as the export of unspent currency on departure. Cash, bank notes and traveler's checks up to US $ 10,000 or equivalent need not be declared at the time of entry.

 

Any money in the form of traveler's checks, drafts, bills, checks, etc., which tourists wish to convert into Indian currency should be exchanged only through authorized money- changers. Tourists are warned that changing money through unauthorized persons is not only illegal but also involves the risk of receiving counterfeit currency. To exchange foreign money other than through banks or authorized money- changers is an offence. Please note that no Indian currency whatsoever can be imported or exported, except for Rupee travelers' checks. Banks abroad to keep Rupee balances with their agents in India and are able to draw upon these balances to issue Rupee travelers' checks to intending tourists. There are 24- hour exchange facilities available at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai international airports.

 

CUSTOMS / IMMIGRATION / VISAS

Customs Formalities
Visitors have to make an oral baggage declaration of baggage and foreign currency in their possession. Those in possession of more than US$ 10,000 or equivalent in the form of travelers' checks, bank notes or currency notes and other similar modes are required to acquire a Currency Declaration Form before leaving customs. Visitors should fill in the Disembarkation Card given to them by the airline during the course of the flight.

 

There are two channels for Custom clearance:
1. Green Channel: It is for those passengers who do not have any dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage.
2. Red Channel: For passengers with dutiable articles or high value articles or unaccompanied baggage that needs to be entered on the Tourist Baggage Re-export form.

 

Immigration Passport
All foreigners require a valid national passport or valid travel documents and visa granted by Indian Missions abroad before entering India.

1. Arrival Formalities: If the visa is for more than 180 days, a Registration certificate and Residential Permit needs to be obtained within 15 days of arrival from the nearest Foreigner's Registration Office. All passengers including Indians are required to fill in a Disembarkation Card on arrival. Four photographs are required for registration. The Foreigners need to report any change in address to the Foreigner's Registration Office.

2.Exit Formalities: Every foreigner departing from India should surrender his Certificate of Registration. This can be surrendered either to the Registration Officer of the place where the passenger is registered or from where he/ she intends to depart or to the Immigration Officer at the Port / Check post of exit from India. All persons leaving India have to fill in an Embarkation Card at the time of departure. Visas.

Requirement of Visa: Foreigners intending to visit India need to obtain a visa from the Indian Mission of their country. They should possess a valid National Passport. Various categories of Vise include TRANSIT VISA, DOUBLE ENTRY / MULTIPLE VISA, BUSINESS VISA, STUDENT VISA, LANDING PERMIT FACILITY, TOURIST GROUPS, CONFERENCE VISA, EMPLOYMENT VISA etc. For further detail on these get in touch with the nearest Indian consulate.

 

Health Regulations

No vaccinations are required to travel to India. However, foreign tourists if originating or traveling through Yellow Fever endemic countries may be required to produce a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate conforming to International health Regulations.