Visa:
Foreign Nationals coming into India are required to possess a valid passport of their country and a valid Indian Visa. There is no provision of ‘Visa on Arrival’ in India and no fee is charged for immigration facilities at the airports. Foreign passengers should ensure that they are in possession of valid Passport and Indian Visa before they start their journey to India.

The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through various Indian missions abroad.

Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The Indian Mission reserves the right on granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.

Specific Visas are granted on theĀ  basis of purpose of staying in India.Special permits are required for visiting certain areas in india. For information on this is provided by the VISA authorities.Additional feeĀ  is required to pay for each restricted/protected areas namely Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For VISA services kindly contact the respective authorities in the country and region of residence.

Antiques:
Antiques which include sculpture, painting or other works of art and crafts,illustrative of science, art, crafts, religion of bygone ages and of historical interest which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years may not be exported out of India. Manuscripts, or other documents of scientific, historical, literary or aesthetic value in existence for not less than seventy-five years; art treasures-not necessarily antiques but of artistic and aesthetic value, also cannot be exported out of India.

Photography:
Tourists should seek permission from the authorities concerned before taking photographs of places of military importance, railway stations, bridges, airports, military installations, metro trains, tribal areas and sensitive border regions. It is prohibited to take photographs in some of the temples, historical monuments, forts, palaces, tombs and monasteries. Visitors are required to take special permits from the Archaeological Survey of India for photographing monuments with tripods and artificial lights. Camera fee is charged extra in some historical monuments.

Protected Areas in India:
There are certain places in India where entry is restricted. Tourists are required to take special permits from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), New Delhi for visiting these places. These places include certain areas of Assam, North Eastern Frontier States (Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh) border areas of Jammu & Kashmir, selected areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Union Territories of Andaman and Lakshadweep Islands.

Language:
There are 22 National Languages recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country.

The official language is Hindi in the Devanagri script. The States are free to decide their own regional languages for internal administration and education. English is widely spoken.

Time:
GMT + 5 1/2 hours

Electricity:
Voltage in most places is 220 volts AC, 50 cycles, although some areas also have DC supplies.

Communications:
The Indian telecommunications Network is the fifth largest in the world and is the second largest among the emerging economies of Asia.

Today it is the fastest growing market in the world. Private operators like vodafone, Reliance, Tataindicom have made mobile telephony the fastest growing industry (over 164% p.a.) in India.

Wireless and Broadband internet is among the fastest growing communication sectors.

The international direct dialing code for India is +91.

Travel Tips:
1. Foreigners coming from or through Yellow Fever countries must be able to produce a valid vaccination certificate.

2. Vaccinations like Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies and Typhoid are recommended. There are some health risks in India like Cholera, Dengue Fever, Dysentery, Malaria and Meningitis. Travellers are advised to take precautionary measures against the same.

3. Foreigners visiting India, who hold long-term visas (more than 180 days) are required to obtain a Registration Certificate and Residential Permit from the nearest Foreigners’ Registration Office (FRRO) within 15 days of arrival. The foreigners registered at FRRO are required to report change of their addresses.

Certificates of registration issued by the Registration Officers should be surrendered to the immigration officer at the port/check post of exit from India.

4. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act bans all forms of wildlife trade. Violations of the provisions of the Act are punishable with heavy fines and imprisonment. Foreigners are therefore, advised not to buy any wild animals or their products and derivatives like articles of ivory, fur and skin.

5. Climate in India generally is cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The south is coolest between November to January. In June, winds and warm surface currents begin to move northwards and westwards, heading out of the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf. This creates a phenomenon known as the south-west monsoon, and it brings heavy rains to the west coast. Between October and December, a similar climatic pattern called the north-east monsoon appears in the Bay of Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast.

6. Some religious places in India have dress codes, like covering your head, being barefoot, etc. Tourists are advised to comply with them, so as not to seem offensive towards the religious sentiments of the concerned community.