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🇮🇳 India

India is no. 19 in our list of the 50 most visited destinations, with 20.6 million international arrivals in 2024. Below: visa rules for every passport, cash limits at customs and the tourist traps official travel advice warns about.

Rank 19 of 50 by international arrivals (20.6 million, 2024) · Source: UN Tourism

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Visa rules for your passport ↓

Explore India: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

A short guide to Delhi and Agra, from the official Taj Mahal and Delhi Tourism websites. Several official Indian tourism and metro pages only load with JavaScript and couldn't be checked, so this guide is kept small.

Things to do

Places to visit

Shopping

  • Dilli Haat (INA)Budget

    Delhi

    An upgraded take on a village market, open every day, selling crafts from every part of India alongside food from each state. A second Dilli Haat is in Pitampura.

    Source: Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) – Dilli Haat

  • Khan MarketUpmarket

    Delhi

    Popular with expats and diplomats: bookshops, upmarket boutiques, tailors, brand showrooms and lifestyle stores, plus cafés and restaurants.

    Source: Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) – Khan Market

  • Connaught Place

    Delhi

    A large horseshoe-shaped market, laid out under British rule, in two circles; the inner circle has brand showrooms and tailors.

    Source: Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) – Connaught Place

Food

General tips

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 24 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for India, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Motorbike snatching

    How it works: Criminals on motorbikes ride past and snatch bags and phones.

    How to avoid it: Hold bags on the side away from the road.

  2. Touts and fake guides

    How it works: Scammers, pickpockets and ticket touts target foreigners in tourist areas.

    How to avoid it: Buy tickets only at official counters or websites.

  3. Cyber, card and "embassy" scams

    How it works: Online scams, card skimming and confidence tricks are common; criminals even copy British High Commission details.

    How to avoid it: Verify contacts independently and keep your card in sight.

  4. Spiked food or drink

    How it works: Visitors have been drugged by food or drinks from strangers and then robbed or assaulted.

    How to avoid it: Do not accept food or drinks from strangers.

  5. Methanol in alcohol

    How it works: Cases of serious illness from methanol-laced drinks are rising in travel destinations.

    How to avoid it: Drink only sealed, branded alcohol.

  6. Street taxis and fake hotel drivers

    How it works: Hailing taxis alone at night is risky; impostors pose as hotel pick-up drivers at airports.

    How to avoid it: Use Uber/Ola, prepaid taxis or hotel transfers, and check the driver identifies himself.

  7. Photography near secure sites

    How it works: Photography or bird-watching near military sites, airports or railway stations can be misunderstood.

    How to avoid it: Avoid cameras and binoculars near such sites.

  8. "Your ticket isn't valid" at New Delhi Railway Station (visitor reports)

    How it works: A man approaches foreign travellers at New Delhi Railway Station, says their train ticket is invalid or 'not real', and tries to steer them to an 'office' outside the station to buy a new one. One traveller who filmed it believed the aim was to make her miss the real train and sell her a fake ticket. Travellers on Reddit describe similar approaches in New Delhi.

    How to avoid it: Ignore anyone who stops you to check your ticket. Go straight to your platform and check train details only at official IRCTC counters or on the official app.

    From visitor reviews, not official New Delhi Railway Station. Sources: ndtv.com · reddit.com. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Areas flagged in official advice

  • Within 10 km of the India–Pakistan border (all travel; Wagah–Attari crossing closed)
  • Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir except air travel to/within Jammu city (all travel)
  • Manipur, including Imphal (all but essential travel)

Official advice: FCDO advises against travel to parts of the country (see risky_areas).

Emergency numbers in India

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: FCDO travel advice – Safety and security · FCDO travel advice – Warnings and insurance · FCDO travel advice – Getting help (emergency numbers) · FCDO page updated 9 Jul 2026 · Last checked 4 Oct 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave India.

FEMA (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations 2015 / RBI

Bringing cash in
Fill in a Currency Declaration Form (CDF) on arrival if foreign currency notes exceed USD 5,000, or notes plus traveller's cheques exceed USD 10,000.
Taking cash out
Not yet confirmed — check the official customs page
Local currency (INR) in
Visitors resident outside India (not citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh, and not coming from/going to those countries) may bring in up to ₹25,000, only when entering through an airport. Residents returning may bring up to ₹25,000. From Nepal/Bhutan only notes of ₹100 or less, except up to ₹25,000 in total.
Local currency (INR) out
Not yet confirmed — check the official customs page
Foreign currency
Foreign exchange can be brought in without limit (declaration above the thresholds).
  • Residents of India travelling abroad may buy at most USD 3,000 in foreign cash per trip (exceptions for Iraq/Libya, Iran/Russia/CIS, Haj/Umrah).

Official source: rbi.org.in · rbi.org.in · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

India visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Visa-free3 passports
eVisa163 passports
Embassy visa31 passports
Entry suspended1 passport

Verified rules for India: 195 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 3; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

⚠ Unofficial sources: 3 rules for India are not from an official India government source (based on other governments' travel advice or secondary research). They are labelled on each page, are not counted as verified above, and should be confirmed with the embassy before travel.

Requirements for all visitors to India

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • HealthYellow fever certificate if arriving from a WHO yellow-fever risk country

    Applies to: travellers ≥9 months from countries India regards as yellow-fever risk areas (India's own list); without a certificate, isolation up to 6 days.

    Official source: cdn.who.int · Also checked: wwwnc.cdc.govNot official · Last checked 25 Oct 2026

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

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Plan your trip to India

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.