Some important tips for FIT (Foreign

Independent Traveler) in India

India is a vast country with a population size of more than 1 billion and comprising all experiences in
geography with mountains in North, deep valleys in East, desert in West and beautiful beaches in
South. The 28 states of India are 28 countries in reality, with varied culture, language and people.

Most travelers from foreign countries prefer to

book an organized tour, but of late, there has
been a rise in independent travelers as well.
Some feel that one can experience the real
flavor of India at his own pace in the tranquility
of solitude. Some guided support may be
sought as and when desired, which essentially
means that one can be among the real people
instead of know-all tour operators and guides
all the time. There would be no air-conditioned
bus from one place to other; but he can explore
things himself.

In such cases, a traveler needs to plan well in advance and prepare of checklist of do’s and don’ts. A
little pre-planning can make the trip a lot smooth. Our current blog series is primarily targetted to
provide some key information to travelers from foreign countries.

General Important Things

 At least a week or two before your trip, make a list of what you'll need to take with you.
Make sure your passports are current and that you have enough prescription medications to
last through the trip.

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Tourist Visa on Arrival

 Government of India launched a scheme of Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) in January 2010.
Currently, it is single entry visa for a short period with a validity of 30 days strictly for the
purpose of tourism and a tourist can come to India only twice a year on this visa. Citizens
from 15 countries are cover under the TVOA scheme - Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New
Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia. The fee
for the visa on arrival is $ 60 (Sixty USD) or equivalent amount in Indian Rupees per
passenger (including children). It is important to note that persons holding diplomatic or
official passports are not eligible to avail this facility.
 All other visitors will need a valid visa beforehand. A Tourist Visa, generally valid up to 6
months, is given to those visiting India for tourism or other non-business related purposes.
Plan your visa application in advance. Although a tourist visa for up to six months is usually
easy to obtain, you still need to be aware that there are certain bureaucratic requirements
which you should check before you apply – and remember that they get updated
continuously. A very unusual condition that has been introduced recently is that your photo
must be 2” by 2” in size – sending a photo with different dimensions would lead to rejection.
It is best to apply via a professional visa agency that will sort out the documentation and
submit the application on your behalf.

Pet in the Flight and Hotel

 Unfortunately, India is not a particularly pet-sensitive country. Pets are not generally
allowed in domestic planes, trains, public transport and hotels. In case of domestic travels
via air, it is best to check in advance whether your pet is permitted on board. In domestic
flights of Jet Airways, Air India and Jet Lite, your pet (dogs, cats, household birds and other
pets) can travel in the cargo hold, when properly crated and accompanied by valid health
and vaccination certificates. The pilot should be informed in writing prior to the flight that
there is a live animal in the cargo hold and he would adjust the temperature suitably. Pets
below 10 weeks of age are not allowed to travel by flight. The charge for your pet traveling
on the aircraft depends on the weight of your pet and differs from airline to airline. If your
flight doesn’t allow your pets with you, you would need to send it through cargo to the port
nearest to your destination.
 Similarly, in hotels too, guests are not usually allowed to bring in their pets. It is always
better to check with hotel agents about their policies towards pets. The best option is to
book your stay in vacation homes or homestays in India, which are more caring approach
towards pets.

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Local Culture

 India can be viewed as a conglomerate of 28 countries

and 7 union territories, so different is one region from
the other in terms of geography, climate, culture, food
habits, festivals and rituals or anything that you can
think of. India is the world’s largest democracy with a
population of more than 1 billion people and still there
is large divide between urban and rural centres. Hindi is
widely spoken in most of the states. English is the only
widely spoken foreign language in India.

 In southern part of India, the literacy rate is quite high and most people can speak English
including drivers, local guide or operators and hotel staff. However, it is difficult for people
to communicate in other languages like French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese
etc.
 Local people love to offer greeting with folded hand and say NAMASTE (Hello). They say
DHANYAVAD or SHUKRIYA (Thank You) and MAAF KIJIYEGA (I am sorry). However, shaking
hand is not a problem now, except with women in rural areas. Indian Business Culture is
quite different from the west.

Importance of Religion

 Indians are very attached and sentimental about their religion. There are 6 prominent
religious creeds in India – Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism.
Foreign visitors always receive a warm welcome at religious places and get local assistance
from the tourist centres in the respective premises. It is important to show respect to the
religious orientation and beliefs. It is also easy to make some good friends through this.
Foreign Independent Travellers (FIT) can learn local culture and customs, taste local food
and can get exposure to the true India.
 Each religion has some key important centres like Akshardham (Hinduism), Jama Masjid
(Muslims), Basilica of Bom Jesus (Christianity), Golden Temple (Sikhism), Dilwara Temple
(Jainism) and Lumbini (Buddhism).

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Indian Currency (Rupees)

 Foreign exchange is easily available in most big cities. Visitors can exchange foreign currency
at airports and hotels too. However, it is better to check with a couple of banks or financial
institutions to make sure that you get the best rate. Foreign currency (dollars, pounds,
euros, etc) is accepted in most upmarket places and tourist spots but it is better not to rely
on them. Remember that exchanging money is very bureaucratic and requires your
passport. Also, if you have any surplus at the end of your trip, it may be costly and difficult to
exchange back to your home currency – so don’t go around with much more than you need,
and try to spend your rupees before you go.
 One good option is to withdraw money from an ATM. India has a big network of ATMs now –
MasterCard and Visa. State Bank of India (Largest Public Bank) and ICICI Bank (Largest
Private Bank) have the largest spread of ATMs in the country. Visa, Visa Electron, Master,
Cirrus and Maestro cards can be used in all the SBI and ICICI Bank ATMs. Many other ATMs
operate with international credit cards. They are available 24Hrs. For local currency, the
maximum withdrawal limit is Rs. 25,000 ($550) a day using international silver card and Rs.
50,000 ($1,100) a day for the international gold cards. It is possible not to get caught in small
towns without adequate cash, as the ATM network is quite good in most cities.

Mobile SIM and Internet

 International travelers used to face numerous problems due to lack of reasonably priced
connectivity options. The availability of international SIM cards has resolved the concerns
for making long distance calls from foreign base. On the other hand, global data cards have
provided a cost-effective option for accessing internet with a pocket-sized device. Both
postpaid and prepaid data cards are available in the Indian market. Traveler can buy a
prepaid internet data card (data traveler) and can enjoy a seamless internet connection
throughout India, except Jammu & Kashmir state, enjoying high speed connection
everywhere, except big cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai where the speed could be
marginally low due to congestion.

 There are three key options for pan India

connection - Reliance Netconnect, Tata
Indicom Photon and Airtel Wireless.
Normally, a data card costs around Rs.
2,000 ($45) and has several different tariff
plans, ranging from Rs. 100 ($2.5) to Rs.
1500 ($35) (unlimited).

 A mobile phone connection is one of the cheapest options in India. An Indian prepaid SIM
Card, together with a tri-band unlocked GSM cell phone, will allow you not only to have a
local cell phone number for India but enjoy local rates - that too, without a contract. You can
purchase a prepaid SIM card by submitting photocopy of passport. There are many cell
operators in India. Incoming calls are free in the city where you buy the number. However,
one need to pay roaming charges in the other cities for both outgoing and incoming services.
It is advisable to purchase a SIM card from the city where you are planning to stay for a
longer time. Traveler can also use calling cards, such as Matrix.

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Bargaining for Souvenirs in India

 You may have heard about bargaining for

souvenirs in India. This is reasonable, and in some
ways, expected. If you visit an upmarket tourist
shop, for expensive items, it is fair to bargain as
much as is possible. However if you visit a small
store or street trader, whereas they may be willing
to bargain with you, please remember many exist
on poor pay, some around $15 a day, and every
penny saved represents lesser money for them, so
don’t bargain them out of existence. A rough guideline is that a fair price is about half the price
you’d pay in more affluent countries. If you are pushing them beyond, perhaps you are being
unfair.
 In Delhi, you can buy handicraft and arts materials from Delhi Haat or from States Emporium
at Connaught Place.

Eating and Travelling in India

The Indians generally use their hands for eating, and at best,
may use a spoon. Use of knives and forks is not common.
Most authentic restaurants have hand washing rooms. If
you want such cutlery, and are in such a restaurant, ask for
two spoons. It is not a bad sign to visit a restaurant without
knives and forks – some of the best and most authentic
restaurants with the most elite food are primarily for the
inhabitants of the region, who are familiar with the taste of
high standard local food. Of course, hotels and restaurants
with western cuisine will have full cutlery, and most places
will find a knife and fork for you.

Allow time for traffic

Car ownership is on the rise in most Indian cities.

However, due to the limited expansion of road network,
congestion is common. If you want to travel in urban
centres, avoid the rush hours. Try to start early (7:00 –
7:30 AM), or in the late morning (11:00 AM onwards) or
in the evening (7:00 PM onwards) or go on weekends, if
you want a fast ride. If you are not fussed then of course,
it does not matter, but budget the extra time (sometimes
hours) to reach your destination. Do not plan a mad dash
to an airport or train station. Keep in mind that if on
Sunday afternoon it took half an hour, it could take two
hours on Monday morning.

Precautions for the Traveler to India

 In India, especially the South, insects such as mosquitoes can be very irritating if you are not
careful. Don’t sleep with windows open. Close windows at around 6:00 PM, and keep them

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 closed all night. Otherwise, even if there is insect repellent, you may be kept awake all night
with insect bites.
 Remember not to keep sweet food out too long as it may get invaded by ants. Instead of
opening your window, use air conditioning, if available, or fans in your room. When you
pack, it is advisable to keep some toilet tissue, and carry this with you, as it is slightly
unpopular in India.
 Bring your medicines in case you are on some medical regime. Most other necessities, if
required, can be obtained by visiting an appropriate store. Of course top class and expensive
western style hotels will have most of these facilities, but it is always better to be prepared
when you are staying elsewhere.

Emergency Numbers in India

Indians are very hospitable and if you ask for

something, they will take great trouble to help
you, but it may be time consuming. Just be
patient, help will be on hand. Calm down and
remember that not everything can be done
immediately.

It is important to note key numbers – Police

(100), Fire Brigade (101), Ambulances (102),
National Toll Free Trauma Care number (108)
and Railways Inquiry (139). To call police from
GSM mobile phone, people need to call 112.

Registration with Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO)

 A foreign national, especially in case of FIT, visiting India should register himself with
Immigration Cell, New Delhi. Foreigners visiting India on long term (more than 180 days)
Student visa (S) (including those coming for study of Yoga, Vedic Culture, Indian system of
dance and Music), Research Visa (R), Employment Visa (E), Missionary Visa (M), Medical Visa
(M) or Medical Attendant (MX) Visa are required to get themselves registered with
concerned FRRO/FRO within 14 days of his/her first arrival, irrespective of the duration of
their stay.
 It is mandatory for all properties for accommodation in the state to submit a Form C to the
Registration Officer (Copies of Form C can be obtained, from any FRO on application) for
each foreign national staying with them within24 hours of their arrival. The Commissioner /
Superintendent of Police of Cities / Districts are the Foreigners Registration Officer.
 If the passport of the foreigner is irrecoverably lost, he should report the same to the
nearest police station, and obtain a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) in the case of
theft or a certificate if it is lost otherwise. The foreigners should obtain new
passport/emergency certificate from their embassies in India. Before leaving India, the
foreigner should seek an exit permit from the Chief Immigration Officer or from the
Foreigners' Regional Registration Officers and produce the same at the point of
embarkation.

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Electricity

 In India electricity voltage is 220. You will not find adaptor very easily at all the places. It is
advisable to carry the convertor if you want to use 110 or 240 voltage equipment.

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