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Frequently
Asked Questions - India
Visas
All foreign tourists visiting India
must be in possession of a valid passport and visa. An
Indian visa is readily available from Indian Consulate in
the country of your origin. There are also certain parts of
the region that require a special permit to visit. This will
be advised to you at the time of booking the tour. Visa fees
may vary from country to country. It is recommended to
obtain a multiple Entry Tourist Visa since this simplifies
the procedure for visiting neighboring countries like Nepal
and Sri Lanka. To find out more about visa requirements and
to download forms please visit the
Zierer Visa Service
website.
Health
Tourists coming to India via Africa and South America or any
other yellow fever infected area must have yellow fever
vaccination certificate. No other vaccination certificate is
mandatory though you may like to consult your doctor for
inoculation against typhoid, and meningitis. Inoculations
for cholera and hepatitis A and anti-malarial pills are
recommended.
Please consult your local physician for up-to-date health
requirements on visiting India.
Currency Exchange
Exchange
Control formalities to be observed by foreign visitors
coming to India are quite simple. There are 24-hour exchange
facilities available at International airports of Delhi,
Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata and Chennai. There are few
regulations on certain items. Those relating to all key
areas are summarized below:
(i) Foreign
Currency
Foreign exchange comprising foreign currency notes/coins,
traveler’s checks, drafts drawn on banks in India or bank
letters of credit can be brought into India without limit.
However, if the total amount of foreign currency notes/coins
or travel checks brought into India at one time exceeds
US$10,000 or its equivalent, it is required to be declared
by the holder to the Indian Customs authorities on arrival
on a Currency Declaration Form (CDF). A copy of the CDF duly
certified by the customs will be handed over to the
traveler. This declaration facilitates easy conversion of
foreign currency into Indian currency by the tourists and
also conversion of their unspent balances of Indian rupees
into foreign currency at the time of their departure from
India. Blank Currency Declaration Forms are available with
the airport/seaport Customs.
(b) Indian
Currency
Bringing Indian currency of any denomination into India is
prohibited. Foreign tourists' returning to India from Nepal
are, however, permitted to bring with them unspent Indian
currency which needs to be declared. There is no restriction
on bringing into India of checks/drafts issued by overseas
bank and denominated in Indian rupees drawn on banks
situated in India.
(c)
Personal Jewelry
Foreign tourists are permitted to bring with them their
personal jewelry either worn on their person or as part of
their personal effects in accordance with Customs Baggage
Rules. The Rules require an endorsement by the Indian
Customs on the tourists' passports about the jewelry brought
by the latter. In order to facilitate Customs clearance of
the same personal jewelry at the time of the tourist's
departure from India, details thereof are endorsed on the
tourist's passports at the time of entry.
Carrying Foreign/Indian Currency out of India
Foreign
Currency: Foreign tourists are permitted to take out with
them, in any form, unspent foreign exchange previously
brought into India by them against the production of
Currency Declaration Form, wherever issued at the time of
arrival.
Indian Currency: Taking out of any Indian Currency is
prohibited. Foreign visitors going to Nepal from India can,
however, take with them in denominations of Rs. 100/- and
below, Indian currency acquired out of sale of foreign
exchange brought into India by them.
Procedure for exchange of foreign currency
A foreign visitor should present his/her travelers checks or
foreign currency notes to a branch of an authorized dealer
or licensed money-changer along with the Currency
Declaration Form (CDF) if one was filled up at the time of
his arrival in India. Authorized dealer/money-changers will
enter the amount of foreign currency exchanged in the CDF
and also issue an Encashment Certificate showing details of
foreign currency exchanged, rate of conversion and amount of
rupees paid.
Tourists are advised to obtain Encashment Certificates in
their own names and necessary endorsements in the CDFs,
where applicable, in order to facilitate easy conversion
into foreign exchange of the Indian currency left with them
at the time of their departure from India.
Authorized dealers / licensed money-changers have been
advised to cash foreign currency instruments and to issue
Encashment Certificates even in cases where a Currency
Declaration Form filled up by a tourist cannot be produced
for verification due to unavoidable circumstances. Unspent
balances of Indian currency can be re-converted into foreign
currency at the time of departure from India, only against
Encashment Certificates, which are valid for 3 months from
the date of their issue. In the absence of any Encashment
Certificate, a maximum of Rs. 100/- may be converted into
foreign currency at the exit point.
Mercury Travels is an authorized agent for exchange of
Foreign Currency
Exchange Rates
The rates for purchase and sale of UK Pound and US$ currency
notes and foreign currency travelers checks, where
applicable, are quoted by authorized dealers/money-changers
within the floor and ceiling rates worked out daily in
accordance with guidelines prescribed by Reserve Bank of
India. For other currencies, banks quote rates based on
market conditions. Bank drafts and travelers checks fetch
better rates than currency notes. Currencies like UK Pound,
US$ and Deutsche Mark are widely accepted.
(ii)
Payment of Hotel Bills
Foreign nationals have to pay their hotel bills in foreign
exchange. They may also pay in rupees, provided the rupees
are derived out of sale of foreign exchange to authorized
dealers/licensed moneychangers as evidenced by the
production of Encashment Certificates. (See iii).
International credit cards are accepted in most hotels.
(iii)
Travel Within India
For travel within India, foreign tourists have to pay their
fares in foreign exchange. All booking offices of Indian
Airlines, all other private airlines and booking offices of
Indian Railways at many important centers accept payment in
foreign exchange from foreign tourists. Rail fares can be
paid in Indian rupees on the production of the Encashment
Certificates obtained earlier. (See procedure for encashment
of foreign exchange)
(iv)
Booking
Return Passage from India
Foreign tourists not holding return tickets purchased abroad
may book their passage tickets for travel out of India
through any airlines/shipping company or licensed travel
agent. The passage fare has to be paid in foreign exchange
or in Indian currency obtained in an approved manner.
(v)
Unaccompanied Baggage
Foreign visitors are required to pay charges for their
excess baggage or freight on their unaccompanied baggage in
foreign exchange. Payment in Indian rupees is also
acceptable if supported by valid Encashment Certificates.
(vi)
Purchase of Goods/Articles by Foreign Tourists
Shops/emporia selling goods or providing services to foreign
tourists are permitted to accept payment in foreign exchange
against all major Credit Cards/ Bank Drafts, Travelers
checks. Foreign tourists are permitted by Indian Customs to
take with them goods purchased in India without any value
limit. There are restrictions on the export of antiquities
and art objects more than 100 years old export of most
wildlife product is prohibited or strictly regulated
therefore avoid buying any thing made of ivory, reptile
skin, fur, musk, tortoise shells and any part of wild
animals, provided the goods are purchased out of funds
brought from abroad.
All visitors have to complete a tourist’s questionnaire that
is available with shops/travel agencies and submit it along
with their Encashment Certificate. Some shops and emporia
also undertake to send the goods abroad as unaccompanied
baggage at the request of the tourists.
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