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  MHA-Foreigners division    DBT clearance    MEA Political clearance

• A valid passport is required. An India visa is required for entry into any other part of India. IMPORTANT: Please review the visa process before booking your flight to India

• Mission/Posts are authorized to issue Conference visas to delegates visiting India is to attend a conference in India on production of an invitation to a conference/seminar/workshop being organized in India by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT administrations, Public Sector Undertakings, Central Educational Institutions, Public Funded Universities (list of such institutions are Available on the website www.education.nic.in and the websites of the University Grants Commission and Association of Indian Universities), or an organization owned and controlled by the Government of India or any State Government/ UT, United Nations or its specialized agencies.

However, Ministry's approval would be required for all conference visas to foreigners participating in conferences/ seminars/ workshops etc. in the following cases: -

• Participants from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistani origin and Stateless persons. Complete passport details as mentioned below are required from the participants of these countries, which needs to be forwarded to the ministry for internal approval.

• The accompanying person can apply for a tourist visa. The Indian Government is offering an option to get your Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA). Please visit the website (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/) to decide if this is the best option for you.

• TVoA is only valid for 30 days from the date of arrival in India, and you must wait to apply until 34 days prior to your trip.

TVoA allows two visits in a calendar year.

Documents required:

• Scanned first page of passport (PDF file)
• Electronic or scanned passport Photo (JPEG file)
• Passport should have 6-month validity.
• International travelers should have a return ticket or onward journey ticket.
• Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is valid for entry through 9 designated airports i.e. Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai & Trivandrum.
• The approximate fee is $60 not including passport pictures. It must be paid 4 days before the expected date of travel on application.
• TVoA fees are non-refundable.

• The official language of the conference is English.

• Hindi is the local language of New Delhi, but English language is also quite popular among the locals.

Weather in December is generally mild, however, Delhi's proximity to the Himalayas results in cold waves leading to lower apparent temperature due to wind chill accompanied with dense fog. Temperature varies from a minimum of 6 degrees Celsius to a maximum of 21 degrees Celsius.

• This depends on what locations you will be visiting. Please consult your physician and follow their recommendations. You may also check the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/travel

• We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance before travelling to India.

• 1 Euro = 74.62 INR (Approx.) *
• 1 USD = 66.98 INR (Approx.) *

Click http://www.rbi.org.in/home.aspx/ for current currency exchanges rates

• The line voltage for electricity is 220 A.C., 50 Hz in the subcontinent. Most hotels provide 110 volt A.C. points for electric shavers

• The rules of the road are simply very different here in India. Traffic generally is much slower than in some other parts of the world, and it is very common to see animals amongst moving traffic. Use great caution when crossing streets. Horn blowing is deemed precautionary and is a constant 24-hour reality.

• Always drink bottled water. Do not drink water from the tap. However, in most good hotels, it is safe to brush teeth with tap water.
• Be careful what you eat. Steer clear of uncooked or unpeeled fruit and vegetables outside the hotels / quality restaurants. Do sample local restaurants too, but use your good judgment. If it looks iffy, take a pass.
• Eat meats only in restaurants of a good hygienic standard. Curd or yoghurt is served with most Indian meals.
• Do not eat fried food cooked in the streets.

• Tipping (where it's warranted) is common practice in India. It's fine to tip in a popular foreign currency or local currency. Naturally, it's never compulsory and should only be done if you're happy with the service.

• Always remove your shoes before entering a holy place such as a temple, Gurudwara (Sikh temple) or mosque. You may also require covering your head. In general, dress conservatively at a place of worship. Avoid wearing clothes that bare your arms, shoulders and legs.
• Some Hindu temples do not permit leather articles and are not open to Non-Hindus.
• Most museums in India are closed on Mondays.
• In case the sun is strong. Remember to use sunscreen on exposed parts of the body. Wear sunglasses to screen out harmful rays.
• Smoking is not allowed at all public places; some restaurants have designated smoking areas.

• India has only one-time zone which covers the entire country. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT.
Safety and Security
• Follow the same rules of safety that you follow while travelling anywhere else with respect to using hotel safe deposit boxes and keeping travel documents safe.
• When in public places, keep them in your hotel or with you all the time when moving about.
• Always carry the hotel address with you when you leave the hotel.

• Keep extra photocopies of the relevant pages of your passport in a safe place.
• Taxi and auto-rickshaw fares keep changing, and therefore do not always confirm to readings on meters. Insist on seeing the latest rate card, available with the driver, and pay accordingly. Avoid taxis that pick up additional passengers.
• Be wary of impostor porters or guides. Assure they are properly uniformed or identified. Never leave your luggage, briefcase or other items unattended.
• Insist on the taxi / auto meter being flagged down in your presence.
• In cities you can change most major foreign currencies and brands of traveler's cheque but you'll widen your options and save yourself hassles if you stick to US dollars or pounds sterling.

• Export of all wild animals indigenous to the country and articles made from such listed animals like skins, pelts, furs, ivory, rhino horns, and trophies are totally banned.
• Banned items do not include peacock feathers and handicrafts made from them.
• Antiques which include sculpture, painting or other works of arts or crafts illustrative of science, art, craft, religion of bygone ages and of historical interest which have been in existence for not less than 100 years may not be exported from India.
• Manuscripts or other documents of scientific, historical literary or aesthetic value in existence for not less that seventy-five years: art treasures not necessarily antique but of artistic or aesthetic value, also cannot be exported out of India.