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India Travel Information

According to holidaysort, India (Hindi: भारत) is a country in Asia bordering Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. India has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1947. The capital of India is New Delhi. A number of major cities in India are: Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta (Kolkata), Delhi, Chennai (Madras), Bangalore and Ahmadabad. India also has two island groups. These are Andaman and Nicobar (consisting of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) in the Indian Ocean and the Laccadives in the Arabian Sea.

According to globalsciencellc, India is known for many different things. The population consists of many different ethnic groups, the main religions are Hinduism and Islam. In terms of nature, you can encounter everything in India. You have deserts, caves, beaches, mountain areas and jungles. These can often be found in national parks, which are also home to many wild animals. Some animal species that occur in India are lions, panthers, monkeys, tigers, elephants and whale sharks. In India, a number of animal species are sacred because they play a role in Hinduism. Sacred animals for the Hindus include the cow, the rat, the monkey, the snake and the bull. The sacred cow is especially well known. Sacred cows are allowed to roam everywhere and are not killed for meat or used as beasts of burden. In India you will also come across many special buildings such as the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. India has many seaside resorts with long stretches of white beaches. Well-known Indian seaside resorts can be found in the state of Kerala (Kovalam and Varkala) and in the state of Goa.

Where is India?

Travel information of India

Official name: Republic of India
Continent: Asia
Area: 3,287,263 km²
Capital: New Delhi
Country code: IN, IND
Population: 1,326,093,247 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Federal Republic
Highest point: 8,586 m (Kangchenjunga)
Distance (Amsterdam – New Delhi): 6,368 km
Flight time: approximately 9 hours

Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in India is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow, orange and red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for India.

Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in India that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of India, please visit Countryaah.

Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to India. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.

Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about India?

Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in India at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.

Weather and climate
India has several climate zones including the desert climate, tropical climate, high mountain climate, continental climate and savannah climate. In the higher areas, the temperatures in the winter months are between 0 and 15 degrees and in the summer months between 10 and 20 degrees. In the lower areas, the temperatures in the winter months are between 20 and 30 degrees and in the summer months between 30 and 45 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for India can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of India can be found at Climate info.

Best time
January, November and December are the best months to travel to North India.
January, February and December are the best months to travel to East and West India.
This avoids the dry heat, the rainy season and the risk of tropical storms (tidal waves).

Language
Hindi and English are both an official language in India. In addition, there are 21 smaller official languages ​​(including Bengali, Assamese, Nepalese, Sanskrit and Tamil).

Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from India.
A visa is required. This can be applied for online through the official website indianvisaonline.gov.in (credit card). It is also possible to apply for the visa in person at one of the three Indian consulates (Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam). You must use the visa within 30 days of the date of issue. The visa allows you to stay in India for a maximum of 30 days.

Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in India: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in India: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of India in the Netherlands: indianembassy.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.

Vaccination (inoculation)
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for India if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit India. In addition, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).

Malaria
Malaria occurs in India. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.

Money and Currency
In India, payment is made with the Indian rupee (rupee) (INR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in India can be found on our ATMs page.

Price level
Prices in India are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -64% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (79% cheaper), food (53% cheaper), imported beer in catering (39% cheaper), cigarettes (61% cheaper) and public transport (91% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.

Tipping
In India it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, you give a tip of approximately 5-10%.

Time difference
During our summer time it is 3.5 hours later in India.
During our winter time it is 4.5 hours later in India.
India has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of India can be found on our time difference page.

Traffic and route
In India you must drive on the left.
To drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in India, you must have an international driver’s license. The international driver’s license is available at an ANWB shop.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within India.

Electricity In India you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in India can be found on our electricity page.

Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 100
– Fire brigade: 101
– Ambulance: 102
With a mobile phone you can also use the international number 112.

Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.

News and newspapers
The latest news related to India can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from India can be found on Abyznewslinks.

Internet
Websites from India end in.in.
Official websites of india: india.gov.in and incredibleindia.org.

Telephony
The country code (international prefix) to call someone in India is 0091 or +91.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from India? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of India.

Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of India.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from India.

Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in India can be found on Beleven.org.

Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in India, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.

Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about India?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited India. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.

Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in India can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in India can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to India? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and medicines, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to India.

Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with India, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about India, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.

Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in India? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.

Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to India.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking prohibited.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 21.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
– Photography: Aerial photography is prohibited without government permission.

Did you know that…
…India is mostly a peninsula?
…The world famous Taj Mahal is in India?
…The train is the most used means of transport in India?
…India is the largest tea producer in the world?
…The left hand is considered unclean in India?
…Bollywood films originated in India?

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