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Arrival/Departure
Citizens of all
countries (including Commonwealth) require a valid passport
and an appropriate (entry, transit or tourist) visa. The
visa must be obtained abroad from an Indian Mission. Tourist
visas are generally valid for 120 days stay in India.
If you are planning to visit a neighbouring country such as
Nepal and then re-entering India, a double/multiple entry
visa should be obtained for extending the visa apply for a
letter of permission from the
Ministry of Home Affairs (Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan
Market. Phone: 469 3334, 461 2543, 461 7649) Thereafter the
letter is to be presented to the
Foreigner's Regional Registration Office (FRRO)
located at Hans Bhavan, Tilak Bridge, New Delhi. Phone: 2331
9489, 2331 8179.
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Customs Clearance
Visitors who do
not have any dutiable goods or 'high-valued' articles or
foreign exchange in excess of US$ 2500 or unaccompanied
baggage, all of which need to be declared, can simply walk
through the Green Channel. Others must go to the Red Channel
for clearance. If you are on a tourist visa with less
baggage, it is very unlikely that customs will hassle you,
in any case, customs officials are keener to keep a check on
citizens than foreigners.
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Currency Regulations
You can bring
in any amount of foreign currency, travellers cheques, etc.,
and take out as much as you brought in. However, if you are
carrying more than US$ 2,500 (or equivalent) you should
declare it on arrival, to be attested by the Customs
Officer. No Indian currency may be brought into or taken out
of the country.
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Export Regulations
The visitor can
take back all articles brought in by him. In addition, he
can take out the following purchased in India: (a) Souvenirs
(including Indian silk, wool, handicrafts, etc.) without any
limit; (b) gold jewellery and silverware up to Rs.100,000 in
value. Export of most wildlife products is prohibited or
strictly regulated. Therefore avoid buying anything made of
ivory, reptile skin, tortoise shells and any part of wild
animals.
Foreign
Tourists and NRIs
Call the
International Tourist Bureau
(First Floor, New Delhi Railway Station, Paharganj
side. Phone: 334 6804, Fax: 334 3050) for advice and
bookings. You can also enjoy unlimited travel on Indian
Railways from 7 to 90 days with an Indrail Pass. Banks Banks
are open from 10 am to 2 pm from Monday to Friday and 10 am
to noon on Saturdays. Central Bank in Ashok Hotel and State
Bank of India at the Airport are open round the clock.
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Credit Cards
Large
establishments generally accept American Express, Visa and
Diners Club credit cards.
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Etiquette
By nature, Delhiites are affectionate. They will go all out
to make you feel at home. While visiting temples / places of
worship one should always leave one's footwear outside.
Suitcases with code numbersTry to carry suitcases
made of light material with wheels, or suitcases with number
lock system. Keep your suitcases locked, and always carry an
extra lock and suitcase chains, so that if you have to leave
your luggage for some unavoidable reason, you can lock them
in waiting rooms, hotel rooms etc.
Carry only essentialsTaking cognisance of time, place
and season of visit, carry only the most important things
with you. Avoid unnecessary items like too much of eatables,
bulky clothing, heavy items, etc.
Important documents Avoid carrying valuable things.
Wear a money necklace or stitch a pocket inside your outfit
to keep important documents like passport, credit cards,
travellers' cheques, etc. It's always better to take
photocopies of important documents and leave them with
someone trustworthy. Make sure you keep a card mentioning
important contact numbers, your age, blood group, etc, so
that people may help you in the event of an emergency.
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Taxis / Autorickshaws
Always book your taxi inside the airport. If you take a
pre-paid taxi, pay a stipulated fare while at the airport
counter. After which you need not pay anything to the taxi
driver.
Hordes of touts and taxi men will crowd around you and offer
to take you to wherever you need to go. You are very likely
to get overcharged upon reaching your destination. You are
not expected to tip taxis. If you are unsure about the cost
conversions - which are usually one and a half times to
twice what the meter reads, you can always ask for a meter
card from the driver.
Taxis charge a minimum fare of about Rs 8 and auto-rickshaws
about Rs 5 for the first kilometre. There are no extras,
except for luggage for which Rs.5 is charged per piece and a
late night charge for travel between 11 pm and 5 am.
Hotel Bookings
For hotel bookings and other information, check out our
Travel & Accommodation section. There is no dearth of hotels
in Delhi. There are numerous touts offering hotel services
at the airport. If you must consider employing their
services, make sure they have some kind of a visiting card.
Take the card to a nearby policeman or airport authority and
ask him if it is a reasonable hotel.
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Emergency lines
Police : 100,
Fire: 101,
Ambulance: 102,
Cardiac arrest: 105
For
Extension of Visa :
The foreigner's Regional Registration Office (F.R.R.O.)
Hans Bhawan, Tilak Bridge, New Delhi
Timing : 9.30 am to 1.30 pm; 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm
Permits
for Restricted Areas :
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Lok Nayak Bhawan, opp. Khan Market, New Delhi
(Monday to Friday Timing : 10 am to 5 pm)
Money
Exchange :
(Beyond Bank Hours)
i) State Bank of India, I. G. I. Airport, 24 hours
ii) Central Bank of India, Ashok Hotel, 24 hours
iii) Delhi Tourism, N-36 Bombay Life Building, Middle
Circle, C.P. New Delhi - 110001
(Monday to Saturday) Timings : 9.30 am to 6.00 pm |
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