India Visa, Passport and Money Advice
Apply for a Tourist Visa
All you need to do is follow the link to the official e-visa website, select e-TouristVisa category and start your application following instructions on the website. This can be done anytime up to 4 days prior to your arrival in India. The visa will be valid for 365 days from the date it’s been granted and will multiple entries to India. British citizens holding full UK passport will be able to stay in India for up to 180 consecutive days from the date of entry (other nationalities up to 90 days at a time) during this period. All you need to do is make sure you are entering India at one of the main airports (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin, Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy, Varanasi, Calicut, Mangalore, Pune, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Madurai, Bhubaneswar, Port Blair).
Longer length or multiple entry visas for India
If you’re entering the country at any other airport or land checkpoint that hasn’t been mentioned on the e-TV website, you’ll need to apply for your tourist visa in person by scheduling an appointment to visit an Application Centre in the UK. Or you can apply by post. For more information on applying, you can visit the India Visa Information website.
Please note: Due to the very changeable nature of visa rules in India, we recommend seeking further information about how to apply for India tourist visas on the Indian High Commission website.
Local Currency
The Indian currency is the rupee and as it can’t be imported or exported, you won’t be able to pre-purchase it in the UK. Instead you’ll need to get them when you arrive. Currency can only be changed at banks or authorised money changers in India, including hotels. Both US dollar and GB sterling travellers’ cheques can be exchanged, and we suggest obtaining low denominations for small purchases and tips. Don’t accept any torn banknotes if you’re given them as change, as most places won’t accept them as payment. This applies to rupees (INR or Rs), euros or GBP notes. You should be able to exchange any damaged Rs notes in banks.
Credit and Debit Cards
ATMs are plentiful in India towns and cities and they accept most international bank cards. But you’re unlikely to come across many cash machines in more rural areas so it’s worth taking some extra cash with you if you’re heading to the countryside.
Tips and Haggling
We’d recommend tipping for good service when travelling in India. This is generally expected, but how much you tip is totally up to you. You should tip in rupees and we’d recommend 500-800 Rs per couple per day for a day tour with a guide, or 400-600 Rs for a local driver. A 10% tip is the norm in restaurants and hotels when no service charge is added to the bill. Obviously this is very much a rough guide and you are completely free to give whatever you feel is appropriate.
