India Travel Essentials: Visa, Transport & More

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Quick answer: Most leisure travelers to India need an e-Visa/ETA (apply online well before departure, and reconfirm the latest rules before booking); the dry, cooler months of October–March are best for most of the country, cash plus an international card/UPI wallet cover most spending, and 112 is the one number to remember for any emergency.

Visa & entry

Nearly all foreign tourists need a visa to enter India, and the easiest route for short leisure trips is the e-Visa (Electronic Travel Authorization/ETA), applied for online before you fly — there is no visa-on-arrival for most nationalities. It is one of several sub-categories under the e-Visa scheme, and there are 3 types of e-Tourist Visas available, with a validity period of 30 days, one year, and five years. The 30-day visa is double-entry and non-extendable, while the 1-year and 5-year visas allow multiple entries. Importantly, for the 1-year and 5-year tourist visas, the maximum stay in India during one calendar year should not exceed 180 days.

Application windows have recently been extended: you should apply at least 4 days before travel, and the 1-year and 5-year tourist visas can be applied for up to 120 days in advance, while the 30-day tourist visa can be applied for up to 30 days in advance. Note also that the official rules say e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible.

Passport and photo requirements are strict: your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival and, crucially, have at least 2 blank pages for physical stamping at immigration. Before you fly, most travelers must also complete an e-Arrival Card; the official portal says foreign travelers can complete the e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arrival — this is not the visa itself, but an important arrival step that can save time at the airport. E-Visas are only valid for entry through a specific, limited list of designated international airports and seaports, so check that your arrival point is on the approved list.

Because visa fees, validity periods, eligible nationalities, and entry points change periodically, always confirm the current rules directly on the official Indian e-Visa portal (linked below) before booking flights — do not rely on third-party visa agencies as your primary source.

Getting around

India’s transport options range from ultra-modern metros to classic long-distance rail:

Metro systems — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other cities have modern metro networks; buy a rechargeable smart card on arrival for the easiest experience, and use the dedicated Airport Express line from Delhi’s IGI Airport into the city.
Trains (IRCTC) — For intercity and long-distance travel, book on the official IRCTC website. International users can book e-tickets on the IRCTC website as a normal user, with a maximum advance reservation period of 120 days. A dedicated Foreign Tourist Quota also exists on popular tourist routes; unlike regular tickets, which can only be booked 120 days in advance, the FT quota opens a full 365 days before departure for air-conditioned classes, letting you plan your itinerary well ahead. Registration requires verifying a foreign mobile number, which can be fiddly — allow extra time and have a backup card ready in case of payment failures.
Ride-hailing & taxis — Uber and Ola operate widely in most cities and are generally more reliable and transparently priced than street-hailed taxis. At airports and major railway stations, always use the official prepaid taxi counter inside arrivals rather than freelance touts.
Autos & local buses — Auto-rickshaws are ubiquitous for short hops; agree on the fare or insist on the meter before starting. City buses are cheap but can be crowded and slow for first-time visitors.
Domestic flights — For covering India’s vast distances quickly (e.g., Delhi–Kerala, Delhi–Varanasi), budget carriers like IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa offer frequent, inexpensive routes.

Money & costs

The Indian Rupee (₹, INR) is the only legal tender, and foreign tourists are not permitted to bring Indian Rupees into or out of India — any leftover INR should be exchanged before you leave the country. Foreign tourists can bring a maximum of about Rs 25,000 in Indian Rupees into India, and foreign currency above $5,000 in cash must be declared on arrival.

For exchanging money, airport currency exchange counters charge 8% to 9% above the mid-market rate, while city ATMs from major banks are significantly cheaper. A practical strategy is a mix of cash, cards, and digital wallets: cash in the form of rupees remains essential, especially away from big cities, yet cards and QR-based digital payments are now central to daily commerce, so the most resilient strategy is a blend of methods — one or two low-fee cards, a modest reserve of cash, and access to a tourist-friendly digital wallet or UPI-based service.

Note that regular UPI (India’s ubiquitous QR-code payment system) traditionally required an Indian bank account and phone number; in 2023, India’s National Payments Corporation launched UPI One World, a prepaid wallet system that lets foreign tourists use UPI without an Indian bank account or phone number, with current limits allowing you to load up to ₹25,000 per transaction, with a monthly maximum of ₹50,000. Several RBI-licensed apps now offer this service for a small loading fee, after which merchant payments are free — useful since most small vendors, street food stalls, and local markets accept QR payments only. Also tell your bank you’re traveling to avoid card blocks, and always choose to pay in local currency rather than your home currency at card terminals to avoid poor dynamic-conversion rates.

Overall, India remains inexpensive by international standards — street food, local transport, and budget guesthouses cost only a few dollars, while mid-range hotels, private drivers, and quality restaurants push costs up but still remain reasonable versus Western Europe or North America.

Best time to visit

The mild, sunny dry season from October to March is considered the best time to visit India overall, though December and January can get very cold in the Himalayas. This period coincides with major festivals: October through March is peak travel season in India, starting with Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrating the arrival of a new year, to Holi, the colourful festival celebrating Krishna and the arrival of spring.

Regional variation matters, however. Ladakh, located in the far north, is most accessible between June and September, when the rest of the country experiences monsoon season. Meanwhile the best time to visit India’s southern states is from November onward, once the monsoon has ended. For beach destinations, if you’re interested in a laid-back beach vacation in Goa, avoid June to August when the seas are not safe for swimming and resorts close. In the north, be prepared for extremes on either end: things heat up fast, since temperatures rise with average highs of 100°F in March to around 105°F in April in the north.

Bottom line: aim for November–February for the most comfortable, crowd-tolerant sightseeing across most of the country, and research your specific regions (Himalayas, Kerala, Rajasthan) separately if traveling outside that window.

Emergencies & safety

India has a single, unified emergency number that works nationwide: in an emergency, dial 112 first — it is India’s single national emergency number under the Emergency Response Support System, connecting you to police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services. 112 is an internationally recognized, easy-to-remember emergency number to get assistance in various emergencies like Police, Ambulance and Fire, and can be connected through phone call, SMS, e-mail, panic button and the ‘112 India’ mobile app.

Useful specific numbers (also reachable via 112) include: Police 100, Fire 101, Ambulance 102, Tourist helpline 1363, Road Accident 1073, Disaster management 108, Air Accident 1071, Women in Distress 1091, Medical helpline 104, and Indian Railway Security Helpline 1322. The 112 India app can also send an SOS with your GPS location and includes a SHOUT feature that alerts nearby volunteers, particularly useful for emergencies involving women and children.

Safety basics for visitors:

Save 112 and the tourist helpline (1363) in your phone before you land.
Use prepaid taxi counters or Uber/Ola from designated pickup zones at airports and stations, and be wary of unofficial “helpers” or self-styled tourism office touts near major stations and tourist hubs, who commonly claim your booking is “cancelled” so they can rebook you at inflated prices.
Keep photocopies (digital and paper) of your passport, visa/ETA, and travel insurance.
Standard health precautions apply: drink bottled/filtered water, be cautious with street food if you have a sensitive stomach, and carry basic medication.
Register with your home country’s embassy/consulate if you’re staying long-term or traveling to remote areas.

Official sources

Always cross-check visa, entry, and safety requirements on these official sites immediately before booking and departure, as rules can change with little notice.

AI-assisted and web-researched, reviewed against official sources on July 23, 2026. Rules and prices change — verify on the official links above. See our Editorial policy.

Know before you go: India