India – Practical info

All travellers should be up to date on routine immunisations. Tuberculosis, meningitis, typhoid and antimalarial protection is recommended in some areas of India. Please ensure you consult with your GP for up to date vaccination requirements for the area that you’re travelling to.

There are a number of direct flights available to India from the UK.  Delhi and Mumbai can be reached on direct services with Jet Airways, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.Indirect flights are available with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad to Mumbai and Delhi via the Middle East. Sri Lanka Airlines flies to cities via Colombo. The beach areas of Goa and Kerala can be reached via the main cities.An international departure tax of 500 rupees must be paid when departing India. This is usually included in your air ticket so please check before travel or plan in advance to have 500 rupees upon departure.

British citizens are required to have a visa to enter India. You can find further information about how to apply on the Indian High Commission website. Or contact the Indian Embassy on 0207 836 8484.

Holders of passports endorsed British citizens, who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for an e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) to enter India at certain designated airports.  The date of your journey should not be greater than 34 days from the date of your application. You can find more information about the eligibility criteria on the government of India’s e-Tourist Visa website.

You should check carefully whether or not you’re eligible for an e-TV before you apply. British subject, British protected person, British overseas citizen, British national (overseas), and British overseas territories citizen passport holders aren’t eligible to apply for an e-TV.

Please ensure you carry a copy of your certified e-visa with you at all times (including departing from the United Kingdom) as airlines will require proof you have a valid visa.

As advised from the local governments and the FCO, customers travelling to and from India, with immediate effect, must have a machine readable passport, as immigration will not be accepting passports which are non-machine readable.

The currency in India is the Indian rupee. India has a closed currency, meaning you can’t take rupees in or out of the country. This of course means you cannot exchange your UK pounds prior to arriving in India. There are numerous currency exchanges located throughout the airport and all major stations.

For advice on staying safe and healthy abroad visit our Travel Advice page.

While tipping in India is not compulsory and you can do so at your discretion, it’s usually expected. Most restaurants include a 10 percent surcharge, although you can add more if the service was good. Priests, porters, attendants at hotels, guides, and boatmen are all tipped. Auto rickshaw and taxi drivers are tipped if they do a good job.

Hindi and English are the official languages used by the Central Government. State governments use respective official languages. English is widely spoken.