India travel requirements: Prepare your documentation

India is an amazing holiday destination: it has a vast history, and there are also so many different things to do in India! Its natural landscapes and buildings are breathtaking, and it also has 40 World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO such as the iconic Taj Mahal.  

So, if you are planning a trip, on top of reading our guide to India tourism, you will need to know all the requirements to travel to India to make sure everything goes smoothly.

India travel requirements

Passport

All travellers must have a passport with at least six months of validity starting from the day they enter the country to complete the India travel requirements.

Visa

Citizens of countries that are not in official agreements with the government of India have to apply for a visa to follow the requirements to travel to India. The citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives are also exempt from needing a visa. 

Here are the countries that have made official agreements with India and, therefore, don’t need a visa before travelling: 

Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

If your nationality is not on this list, you are going to need to apply for a visa in person at the embassy or consulate nearest to you, or online. You can apply for your online India visa with the help of a specialized website such as visagov.com. 

For more information on getting your eVisa for India, check out our guide: How to get a visa for India.

Vaccines

The only mandatory vaccine part of the travel requirements to India is the one for yellow fever (if we are coming from a country endemic of the disease). However, there are many vaccines that are recommended because of the poor health conditions of India due to deep inequality and the warm weather. 

If you can, get the vaccines for Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Typhoid, Rabies, Influenza, Malaria or Dengue, but they are not part of the India travel requirements. To make sure there aren’t any additional diseases to be mindful of or security recommendations you are unaware of, check out the web for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Travel insurance

Having travel insurance isn't one of the mandatory India travel requirements. However, it’s strongly recommended: India has poor sanitary conditions and no public healthcare system so, in case of any health issues, the treatment could be very expensive. 

On top of protecting your health, you should make sure that your insurance covers baggage loss or theft, as well as traffic accidents. The main cities of India are enormous and very crowded, so these types of situations are likely to happen.  

Currency

The official currency of India is the rupee. The exchange rate for the euro is: 1 euro = 90,02 rupees. 

All travelers should acquire the local currency on arrival in India, you can even do it in the airport! But if you don’t want to do it at that time, don’t worry: you will find many exchange offices throughout the main cities of India.

Tipping is ingrained in Indian culture, although it’s not mandatory. You should carry rupees in cash at all times in case you need to leave tips.