Tips for Visitors
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Arrival/Departure
Citizens of all countries (including Commonwealth)
require a valid passport and an appropriate (entry,
transit or tourist) visa. The visa must be obtained
abroad from an Indian Mission. Tourist visas are generally
valid for 120 days stay in India.
If you are planning to visit a neighbouring country
such as Nepal and then re-entering India, a double/multiple
entry visa should be obtained for extending the visa
apply for a letter of permission from the Ministry
of Home Affairs (Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market.
Phone: 2469 3334,
2461 2543, 2461 7649). Thereafter the letter is to be
presented to the Foreigner's Regional Registration
Office (FRRO) located at Hans Bhavan, Tilak Bridge,
New Delhi. Phone: 2331 9489, 2331 8179. |
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Customs
Clearance
Visitors who do not have any dutiable goods or 'high-valued'
articles or foreign exchange in excess of US$ 2500 or
unaccompanied baggage, all of which need to be declared,
can simply walk through the Green Channel. Others
must go to the Red Channel for clearance.
If you are on a tourist visa with less baggage, it is
very unlikely that customs will hassle you, in any case,
customs officials are keener to keep a check on citizens
than foreigners. |
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Currency
Regulations
You can bring in any amount of foreign currency, travellers
cheques, etc., and take out as much as you brought in.
However, if you are carrying more than US$ 2,500 (or
equivalent) you should declare it on arrival, to be
attested by the Customs Officer. No Indian currency
may be brought into or taken out of the country. |
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Export
Regulations
The visitor can take back all articles brought in by
him. In addition, he can take out the following purchased
in India: (a) Souvenirs (including Indian silk, wool,
handicrafts, etc.) without any limit; (b) gold jewellery
and silverware up to Rs.100,000 in value.
Export of most wildlife products is prohibited or strictly
regulated. Therefore avoid buying anything made of ivory,
reptile skin, tortoise shells and any part of wild animals.
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Foreign
tourists and NRIs
Call the International Tourist Bureau (First
Floor, New Delhi Railway Station, Paharganj side. Phone:
2334 6804, Fax: 2334 3050) for advice and bookings.
You can also enjoy unlimited travel on Indian Railways
from 7 to 90 days with an Indrail Pass. |
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Banks
Banks are open from 10 am to 2 pm from Monday to Friday
and 10 am to noon on Saturdays. Central Bank in Ashok
Hotel and State Bank of India at the Airport are open
round the clock. Banks in residential areas generally
observe the weekly holiday of the area. |
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Credit
Cards
Large establishments generally accept American Express,
Visa and Diners Club credit cards.
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Etiquette
By nature, Delhiites are affectionate. They will go
all out to make you feel at home. While visiting temples
/ places of worship one should always leave one's footwear
outside. |
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Suitcases
with code numbers
Try to carry suitcases made of light material with wheels,
or suitcases with number lock system. Keep your suitcases
locked, and always carry an extra lock and suitcase
chains, so that if you have to leave your luggage for
some unavoidable reason, you can lock them in waiting
rooms, hotel rooms etc. |
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Carry
only essentials
Taking cognisance of time, place and season of visit,
carry only the most important things with you. Avoid
unnecessary items like too much of eatables, bulky clothing,
heavy items, etc. |
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Important
documents
Avoid carrying valuable things. Wear a money necklace
or stitch a pocket inside your outfit to keep important
documents like passport, credit cards, travellers' cheques,
etc. It's always better to take photocopies of important
documents and leave them with someone trustworthy. Make
sure you keep a card mentioning important contact numbers,
your age, blood group, etc, so that people may help
you in the event of an emergency. |
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Taxis
/ Autorickshaws
Always book your taxi inside the airport. If you take
a pre-paid taxi, pay a stipulated fare while at the
airport counter. After which you need not pay anything
to the taxi driver.
Hordes of touts and taxi men will crowd around you and
offer to take you to wherever you need to go. You are
very likely to get overcharged upon reaching your destination.
You are not expected to tip taxis. If you are
unsure about the cost conversions - which are usually
one and a half times to twice what the meter reads,
you can always ask for a meter card from the driver.
Taxis charge a minimum fare of about Rs 8 and auto-rickshaws
about Rs 5 for the first kilometre. There are no extras,
except for luggage for which Rs. 5 is charged per piece
and a late night charge for travel between 11 pm and
5 am. |
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Hotel
bookings
For hotel bookings and other information, check out
our Travel & Accommodation section. There is no
dearth of hotels in Delhi.
There are numerous touts offering hotel services at
the airport. If you must consider employing their services,
make sure they have some kind of a visiting card. Take
the card to a nearby policeman or airport authority
and ask him if it is a reasonable hotel. |
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Emergency
lines
Police : 100,
Fire: 101,
Ambulance: 102,
Cardiac arrest: 105 |
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Tipping
Tipping is optional, although cabbies and rickshaw drivers
seem to expect tips from foreign tourists. Make sure
the driver turns down the meter after you get in. If
he refuses to do so (cabbies and rickshaw drivers may
refuse to do so late at night or early in the morning
or if you want to travel a short distance), hail another
cab or rickshaw. If nothing else, ensure that you fix
a price before you get in. It is generally expected
at hotels and restaurants. Ten per cent of the bill
or around Rs. 5 for other services is in order. |
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Conducted
Tours
To see all the places of historical interest in Delhi,
it is advisable to use a guided tour. Delhi is a round
and widely spread out city, and it may be difficult
to get to all the places with considerable ease. Compared
to Bombay, Delhi has a much more complex structure and
easier to get lost in, so be careful.
You can rent a chauffeur-driven car or join a conducted
tour that is probably the best way to see most in the
least amount of time.
For details contact:
ITDC (Phone: 2649 2235 ) Karachi Taxi (Phone: 3320
3429). |
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Inland
Travel
India offers many facilities for tourists' travel within
the country. However, special permits are required
for visiting certain border areas as specified from
time to time. These can be obtained from the Ministry
of Home Affairs Office at Lok Nayak Bhawan, opposite
to Khan Market
(Phone: 461 2543, 469 3334) from Monday to Friday . |
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Doctor/Chemist
If you need a doctor, your hotel can contact a house
physician. The medical stores in Super Bazar,
Connaught Circus and in AIIMS and at some private hospitals
such as Batra (Tughlakabad Institutional Area) and Spring
Meadows (East of Kailash) are open 24 hours. |
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Food
and Beverage
Delhi has an amazing variety of non-vegetarian and
vegetarian cuisine. Contrary to what you may have heard,
all Indian food is not hot and spicy. Most dishes are
only richly garnished to provide an exciting flavour.
You will find excellent restaurants that serve Indian,
Chinese, Continental and other cuisine in Delhi. Consumption
of liquor is prohibited in public places. |
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Shopping
India is a shopper's paradise. Delhi markets specialise
in carpets, handicrafts, jewellery, readymade garments
and leather goods. It's best to buy goods only from
the more established shops and official Indian Government
outlets. |
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Beggars
If you encounter beggars, who are rare in New Delhi,
give in kind rather than in cash. |
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Bargaining
Asking for a discount is part of the shopping experience
- you might be lucky and the shopkeepers may oblige.
Otherwise the prices are more or less fixed at most
places. Remember, it's a game you should both enjoy
and if you get "swindled", you are contributing to the
local economy!
At Connaught place, Meena bazaar, Palika bazaar and
other shopping centres, bargaining is necessary. Begin
by quoting half of whatever the vendor quotes. |
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Telephone
and Telegraph
You can direct dial to most cities in India, and to
countries abroad. For elsewhere book a call through
the operator. On the direct dial facility within the
country, note that while during the day - 6 am to 7
pm - the full rate is charged. On Sundays and National
Holidays there is a concessional charge of 50%. Half
rate is applicable daily 7 am to 8 am and 7 pm to 8.30
pm. The tariff from 6 am to 7 am and from 8.30 pm to
11 pm is 1/3 the rate, and from 11 pm to 6 am it is
1/4 the rate.
For details contact:
International Telegraph Office (Phone: 2336 2881
/ 2336 2754). |
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Tourist
Information:
Government of India Tourist Office,
88 Janpath (Phone: 2332 0005 and 2332 0342). |
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| Safety
Tips |
- Carry your wallet and
credit cards in an inside jacket pocket or side
trouser pocket, never in the rear pocket.
- Keep pocketbooks on your
lap when dining out, not dangling over the back
of a chair.
- Leave valuables and important
papers, such as jewellery and passports in your
hotel's safe deposit box. Never leave these items
unattended in your room.
- Beware of unexpected persons
coming to your hotel room. Never open the door to
unsolicited room service or maintenance people.
- If you schedule a meeting
with a potential client, research the company and
the individual with whom you are meeting. Meet in
a public place, such as a restaurant.
- Make sure that luggage
is only given to a member of the hotel's bell staff
and a receipt is issued for stored luggage. Never
leave luggage or other expensive items, unattended
at airports or taxi stands.
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