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Visa requirements, security, medical & other essential information
The following information will give you the basic facts you need to know before starting out on your trip. Visa requirements, security concerns, local medical facilities and laws vary tremendously across the Asia Pacific region, so it is important that you know the facts for your destination and don't arrive without a visa or inadvertently break a local law! The information on this page is intended to give you an overview - please be sure to confirm entry requirements with your travel agent when purchasing your ticket.
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:
India is the world's largest democratic republic. It is a country with a very diverse population, geography and climate. Tourist facilities varying in degree of comfort and amenity are widely available in the major population centers and main tourist areas.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:
Visitors require a passport and visa to enter and exit India for any purpose. Visitors must obtain visas at an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad prior to entering the country as there are no provisions for visas upon arrival. Those arriving without a visa are subject to immediate deportation.
Each visitor should carry photocopies of the face page of the traveler’s passport and the page which contains the Indian visa in order to facilitate obtaining new passports from your Embassy or Consulate and exit visas from the Indian government, in the event of theft or loss of the passport.
Foreign citizens whose primary purpose of travel is to participate in religious activities should obtain a missionary visa rather than a tourist visa. Indian immigration authorities have deported visitors who were conducting religious activities while holding a tourist visa.
Foreign citizens who visit India to study, do research, work or act as missionaries, as well as all travelers planning to stay more than 180 days are required to register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office where they will be staying.
FRRO maintains offices in New Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Amritsar. In smaller cities and towns, the local police headquarters will normally perform this function.
SAFETY AND SECURITY:
Some terrorist groups are active in India. In recent years, there have been occasional terrorist bombing incidents in various parts of India. These bomb blasts have occurred in public places as well as on public transportation, such as trains and buses, in markets and in other public areas, resulting in deaths or injuries.
There were two significant terrorist incidents in northern India in July 2005. On July 5, suspected Islamic militants attacked a disputed religious site at Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in the deaths of five persons, and on July 28, unidentified terrorists exploded a bomb on a train in Uttar Pradesh bound for New Delhi, killing thirteen passengers.
In October 2004, over 35 people were killed in separate bombing incidents in a train station and market in Dimapur, capital of the Northeastern state of Nagaland. In 2003, terrorists set off several bombs in Mumbai (Bombay), including on public transportation, at a public market and at the Gateway of India, a popular tourist destination, leaving over 50 people dead and 160 injured.
The motive for these blasts has not been clearly established. Anti-Western terrorist groups are believed to be active in India. Therefore, visitors should exercise particular vigilance when in the vicinity of government installations, visiting tourist sites, or attending public events throughout India.
In particular, the disputed region of Kashmir in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced an inordinate number of terrorist incidents, including several bombings in the capital city of Srinagar.
Visitors should exercise caution when swimming in open waters along the Indian coastline, particularly during the monsoon season. Every year, several people in Goa, Mumbai and other areas drown due to the unusually strong undertow.
It is important for visitors to heed warnings posted or advised at beaches and avoid swimming altogether during the monsoon season.
Demonstrations can occur spontaneously and pose risks to travelers' personal safety and disrupt transportation systems and city services. In response to such events, Indian authorities occasionally impose curfews and/or restrict travel.
Political rallies and demonstrations in India have the potential for violence, especially immediately preceding and following elections. Visitors are urged to avoid demonstrations and rallies.
In addition, religious and inter-caste violence occasionally occurs unpredictably. In early 2002, violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat resulted in at least 950 deaths according to official figures. While such violence rarely targets foreigners, mobs have attacked Indian Christian workers.
Missionary activity has aroused strong reactions in some areas -- usually rural -- and in January 1999, a mob murdered an Australian missionary and his son in the eastern state of Orissa.
In January 2003, a visiting American was attacked in Kerala by Hindu activists who accused him of preaching to the local community. The principal risk for foreigners is that they could become inadvertent victims. A similar incident occurred in June 2005, when residents of a Mumbai suburb attacked three American tourists participating in a Christian prayer meeting.
During the Dassera and the Diwali festivals, travelers to Calcutta and Eastern India should exercise additional caution. Large and sometimes unruly crowds gather on these holidays, especially in the immediate vicinity of the Pandals (elaborately decorated temporary structures).
Such concentrations heighten the risk of petty theft, accidental injury, groping, and crowd disturbances. Transportation, even for emergency purposes, is more difficult during the holiday season, and travelers may become disoriented amidst large, flowing crowds.
AREAS OF INSTABILITY:
Jammu and Kashmir:
It is recommended that visitors avoid travel to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, with the exception of visits to the Ladakh region and its capital, Leh.
A number of terrorist groups operate in the state, and security forces are active throughout the region, particularly along the Line of Control (LOC) separating Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and are visible in the primary tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley – Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Since 1989, as many as 60,000 people (terrorists, security forces, and civilians) have been killed in the Kashmir conflict, including approximately 700 civilians in 2004 alone. Many terrorist incidents take place in the state’s summer capital of Srinagar, but the majority occurs in rural areas. Foreigners are particularly visible, vulnerable, and definitely at risk.
Occasionally, even the Ladakh region of the state has been affected by terrorist violence, but incidents there are rare. The last such case was in 2000, when terrorists in Ladakh's Zanskar region killed a German tourist. The Indian government prohibits foreign tourists from visiting the Kargil area of Ladakh along the LOC.
In 1995, the terrorist organization Al Faran kidnapped six Western tourists who were trekking in Kashmir valley. One of the hostages was brutally murdered, another escaped, and the other four have never been found.
Srinagar has also been the site of a great deal of violence, including car bombings, market bombings, hand-grenade attacks that miss their targets and kill or injure innocent bystanders, and deaths resulting from improvised (remote-controlled) explosive devices (IEDs).
In the early to mid-1990s, several tourists were fatally shot or wounded in Srinagar. The 2002 state elections were marred by multiple terrorist attacks that killed some 800 people, a large percentage of whom were innocent civilians. Some terrorist violence also marred the national parliamentary polls in April/May 2004.
India-Pakistan Border:
It is recommended that you avoid travel to border areas between India and Pakistan, including within the states of Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan, and the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.
A ceasefire along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir began on November 26, 2003 and a dialogue between the two countries aimed at easing tensions continues. Both India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the LOC.
The only official India-Pakistan border crossing point is in the state of Punjab between Atari, India, and Wagah, Pakistan. A Pakistani visa is required to enter Pakistan. The border crossing is currently open. However, travelers are advised to confirm the current status of the border crossing prior to commencing travel.
Both India and Pakistan claim an area of the Karakoram mountain range that includes the Siachen glacier. The ceasefire in Kashmir that took effect in November 2003 has also been in effect on the glacier.
Those traveling to or climbing peaks in the disputed areas face significant risks. The disputed area includes the following peaks: Rimo Peak; Apsarasas I, II, and III; Tegam Kangri I, II and III; Suingri Kangri; Ghiant I and II; Indira Col; and, Sia Kangri.
Northeast States:
Sporadic incidents of violence by ethnic insurgent groups, including the bombing of buses and trains, are reported from parts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Meghalaya, most recently in October of 2004 when over 35 people were killed in separate bombing incidents in a train station and market in Dimapur, capital of the state of Nagaland.
Visitors are cautioned not to travel outside major cities at night. Security laws are in force, and the central government has deployed security personnel to several Northeast states.
East Central and Southern India:
Left-wing Maoist extremist groups called "Naxalites" are active in the region and visitors should exercise appropriate caution. The Naxalites have a long history of conflict with state and national authorities, including attacks on police and government officials. The Naxalites have attacked symbolic targets that have included western companies.
CRIME:
Petty crime, especially theft of personal property, is common, particularly on trains or buses throughout the country. Pickpockets can be very adept, and women have reported having their bags snatched, purse-straps cut or the bottom of their purses slit without their knowledge.
Theft of passports is quite common, particularly in major tourist areas and on overnight trains. Violent crime, especially directed against foreigners, has traditionally been at relatively low levels, although in recent years there has been an apparent increase in violent attacks directed against foreign tourists, including robbery, murder, and sexual assault.
These attacks have mainly been directed at women traveling alone, but men have also been victimized. Visitors, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India. So-called “Eve Teasing” or verbal and sometimes physical harassment of single Indian women is not unusual.
There have been more reports in the past year of foreign women being harassed in this manner. Travelers also should always exercise modesty and caution in their financial dealings in India to reduce the chance of being a target for robbery or other serious crime.
Gangs and criminal elements operate in several major cities in India and have sometimes targeted unsuspecting businessmen for ransom. Visitors are strongly cautioned not to travel alone and to be aware of their environment and belongings, especially when taking night trains or buses.
Major airports, train stations and tourist sites are often used by touts (confidence men) and scam artists looking to prey on visitors, often by creating a distraction. Taxi drivers and others, including train porters, may solicit travelers with offers of cheap transportation and/or hotels.
Travelers accepting such offers have often found themselves the victims of scams, including offers to assist with “necessary” transfers to the domestic airport, disproportionately expensive hotel rooms, unwanted "tours" to houseboats in Kashmir, unwelcome "purchases," and even threats when the tourists try to decline to pay.
Visitors to Mumbai should be extremely vigilant when traveling along the roads leading from the domestic and international airports. Locals and foreigners alike have reported being robbed while traveling along these roads.
In most cases, the victim took a taxi whose driver was complicit in the robbery. In other cases, men traveling on motorcycles stopped the traveler’s vehicle or taxi while en route from the airport, demanding money and/or the traveler’s luggage before driving off.
There are several ways a traveler arriving at a major airport in India can avoid these incidents:
(1) While it may be common in other countries, travelers in India should never board a taxi holding existing passengers, nor should the traveler allow the taxi driver to pick up additional passengers while en route.
If a taxi driver tells you that the other passenger is a personal friend or family member, exit the taxi and seek another taxi before departing the airport grounds.
(2) Many hotels offer free and secure transportation to/from the airport. Take advantage of this service when possible.
(3) If traveling for business, ask your company to arrange a private car to transport you between the airport and your hotel.
(4) If you must travel to/from the airport by taxi, arrange a fixed-price taxi with one of the private taxi services that have offices inside the airport terminal. Travelers are encouraged to ask for the taxi’s registration number and compare it with the number of the actual vehicle being used.
The murder and robbery of an Australian woman traveling alone in a pre-paid taxi contracted at the New Delhi airport in early 2004 demonstrates the need to exercise caution and to be sure that such taxis are properly licensed.
Travelers should also exercise care when hiring transportation and/or guides and use only well-known travel agents to book trips. Some scam artists have lured travelers by displaying their name on a sign when they leave the airport.
Another popular scam is to drop money or to squirt something on the clothing of an unsuspecting traveler and during the distraction to rob them of their valuables.
Individual tourists have also been given drugged drinks or tainted food to make them more vulnerable to theft, particularly at train stations. Even food or drink purchased in front of the traveler from a canteen or vendor could be tainted.
To protect against robbery of personal belongings, it is best not to accept food or drink from strangers.
Some vendors sell rugs or other expensive items that may not be of the quality promised. Travelers should deal only with reputable businesses and should not give their credit cards or money unless they are certain that goods being shipped to them are the goods they purchased.
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it is best avoided. Most Indian states have official tourism bureaus set up to handle travelers’ complaints.
Travelers should be aware of a number of other scams that have been perpetrated against foreign travelers, particularly in Goa and the Jaipur area.
The scams generally target younger travelers and involve suggestions that money can be made by privately transporting gems or gold (both of which can result in arrest) or by taking delivery abroad of expensive carpets, supposedly while avoiding customs duties. The scam artists describe profits that can be made upon delivery of the goods.
Most schemes require that the traveler first put up a "deposit" to either show "sincerity" or as a "down payment" or as the "wholesale cost." In other cases, the scam artists stage phone calls to the traveler from persons posing as “customs agents,” claiming that the package has been intercepted and that the traveler must pay an exorbitant customs fee in order to avoid arrest.
All travelers are strongly cautioned that the schemes invariably result in the traveler being fleeced. The "gems" or "gold" are always fake, and if they were real, the traveler could be subject to arrest.
Such schemes often pull the unsuspecting traveler in over the course of several days and begin with a new "friend" who offers to show the traveler the sights so that the "friend can practice his English."
Offers of cheap lodgings and meals also can place the traveler in the physical custody of the scam artist and can leave the traveler at the mercy of threats or even physical coercion.
While violent crime involving visitors is relatively rare in India, in recent years two foreigners were murdered in the Haridwar/Rishikesh region of Uttaranchal state.
Several other foreigners have also been attacked in Uttaranchal. In addition, a foreigner was found murdered in 2003 on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway.
Crime and violence have also increased in the popular hiking and rafting destination of Kulu/Manali, where the number of foreign backpackers and tourists has been growing and where drugs are readily available, but can occur in any part of India.
Foreigners are the targets of criminal activities primarily because of the disproportionately large sums of money they are thought to carry.
Visitors should be aware that there have been unconfirmed reports of inappropriate sexual behavior by a prominent local religious leader at an ashram or religious retreat located in Andhra Pradesh. Most of the reports indicate that the subjects of these approaches have been young male devotees.
INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME:
If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact your embassy. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred.
Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. Victims of a crime in India, including loss or theft of a passport, should obtain a copy of the police report (called an “FIR” or “First Incident Report”) from local police at the time of reporting the incident.
A copy of this report is helpful for insurance purposes in replacing lost valuables, and is required by the Indian Government in order to obtain an exit visa to leave India in the event of a lost or stolen passport.
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION:
Adequate to excellent medical care is available in the major population centers, but is usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas.
Visitors to India should pay special attention to safe food and water precautions, and steps the traveler can take to avoid contracting malaria. Visitors planning to hike in the mountainous areas of northern India should pay attention to the risk of altitude illness.
Indian health regulations require all travelers arriving from Sub-Saharan Africa or other yellow-fever areas to have evidence of vaccination against yellow fever. Travelers who do not have such proof are subject to immediate deportation or a six-day detention in the yellow-fever quarantine center.
Visitors who transit through any part of sub-Saharan Africa, even for one day, are advised to carry proof of yellow fever immunization.
MEDICAL INSURANCE:
You are advised to consult with your medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether your policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS:
While in a foreign country, visitors may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those at home. The information below concerning India is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travel by road in India is dangerous. A number of tourists have suffered fatal traffic accidents in recent years.
Travel at night is particularly hazardous. Buses, patronized by hundreds of millions of Indians, are convenient in that they serve almost every city of any size. However, they are usually driven fast, recklessly, and without consideration for official rules of the road. Accidents are quite common. Trains are somewhat safer than buses, but train accidents still occur more frequently than in developed countries.
In order to drive in India, one must have either a valid Indian drivers’ license or a valid international drivers’ license. Because of difficult road and traffic conditions, many people who visit India choose to hire a local driver.
On Indian roads, the safest driving policy is to assume that other drivers will not respond to a traffic situation in the same way you would at home.
For instance, buses and trucks often run red lights and merge directly into traffic at yield points and traffic circles. Cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles and pedestrians behave only slightly more cautiously.
Indian drivers tend to look only ahead and often consider themselves responsible only for traffic in front of them, not behind or to the side. Frequent use of one's horn or flashing of headlights to announce one’s presence is both customary and wise.
It is usually preferable to have a licensed experienced driver who has a "feel" for road and driving conditions.
Outside major cities, main roads and other roads are poorly maintained and congested. Even main roads often have only two lanes, with poor visibility and inadequate warning markers.
On the few divided highways one can expect to meet local transportation traveling in the wrong direction, often without any lights on. Heavy traffic is the norm and includes (but is not limited to) overloaded trucks and buses, scooters, pedestrians, bullock and camel carts, horse or elephant riders en route to weddings, and free-roaming livestock.
Traffic in India moves on the left. It is important to be alert while crossing streets and intersections, especially after dark as traffic is coming in the “wrong” direction (i.e., from the left). Travelers should remember to use seatbelts in both rear and front seats where available, and to ask their drivers to maintain a safe speed.
If a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, the vehicle and its occupants are at risk of being attacked by passersby. Such attacks pose significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or at least of incineration of the vehicle. It can thus be unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature, and drivers may instead wish to seek out the nearest police station.
Emergency Numbers:
The following emergency numbers work in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta:
Police 100
Fire Brigade 101
Ambulance 102 (Note that this number often does not work in Calcutta).
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of India as being in compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards for oversight of India’s air carrier operations.
Civil aircraft have been detained a number of times for deviating from approved flight plans.
Foreigners piloting civil aircraft in India must file any changes to previous flight plans with the appropriate Indian authorities and may not over-fly restricted airspace.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
In 2003, India passed a bill that allows persons of Indian origin in sixteen countries (subsequently extended to almost all countries to apply for a form of dual citizenship known as “Overseas Citizens of India” (OCI).
The government recently announced that the process for a person to become an OCI will be launched on August 15, 2005 or shortly thereafter. However, many specific details regarding what rights and obligations apply to a person who applies for OCI status have yet to be clarified.
Presently, the Government of India offers a special visa for “Persons of Indian Origin” (PIO). It is contemplated that OCI status will be similar to PIO status. At present, the PIO card allows a person to enter and exit the country without a visa for almost any purpose for any period of time, without the requirement of registering with immigration authorities.
However, PIOs cannot vote in Indian elections, and are also subject to other restrictions, such as the ability to own certain types of real property in India.
Similar restrictions may apply to OCIs. The Indian government has indicated that a person who applies for OCI status will not be required to take an oath of allegiance to India.
Accordingly, at this time, it is not clear whether an OCI would legally be considered a “national” of India. Information on how to apply for PIO or OCI status can be found on the Indian Embassy’s website at http://www.indianembassy.org/consular/index.htm.
A number of men who have come to India to marry Indian nationals have been arrested and charged with crimes related to dowry extraction.
Many of the charges stem from the foreigner’s inability to provide an immigrant visa for his prospective spouse to travel immediately out of the country.
The courts sometimes order the foreigner to pay large sums of money to his spouse in exchange for the dismissal of charges. The courts normally confiscate the foreigner’s passport, and he must remain in India until the case has been settled.
There are also cases of foreign women of Indian descent whose families force them against their will into marriages to Indian nationals.
Foreign visitors planning to engage in religious proselytizing are required by the 1956 Foreigners Act to have a "missionary" visa. A 1995 Central Government order defines "inappropriate" religious activity to include speaking at religious meetings to which the general public is invited.
Foreigners with tourist visas who engage in missionary activity are subject to deportation and possible criminal prosecution. The states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh have additional legislation regulating conversion from one religious faith to another.
Visitors intending to engage in missionary activity may wish to seek legal advice regarding this legislation.
Indian customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from India of items such as firearms, antiquities, electronic equipment, currency, ivory, gold objects, and other prohibited materials.
Even transit passengers require permission from the Government of India to bring in such items. Those not complying risk arrest and/or fine and confiscation of these items.
If charged with any alleged legal violations by Indian law enforcement, it is recommended that an attorney review any document prior to signing. The Government of India requires the registration of antique items with the local police along with a photograph of the item.
CRIMINAL PENALTIES:
While in a foreign country, a visitor is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those at home and may not afford the protections available to the individual at home.
For example, certain comments or gestures towards women or about religion that are legal in your country may be considered a criminal violation in India, subjecting the accused to possible fines or imprisonment.
Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in your country for similar offenses. Persons violating Indian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned.
Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in India are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. |
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