TRAVEL INFO

Passports & Visas
Restricted & Protected Areas
Health Regulation

PASSPORTS & VISAS

All foreign nationals require visa to enter India. However, there are some relaxation for Bhutanese and Nepalese nationals. Details and types of visa and the fee may be obtained from the Indian Embassy.

Tourist visas are issued for one month, six months or five years. Please consult your nearest Indian government mission to find out the latest details, fees etc. Tourist visas can be extended by three months at the foreigner's registration office in New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai, or with the Superintendent of Police at any District Headquarters. Four passport size photographs are needed for obtaining a visa.

If stay in the country exceeds 180 days, then tourists are required to get a tax clearance certificate, available at the foreigner's section of the income tax department in every major city. It is also advisable to keep bank receipts to show that the money has been changed legally.

Special permits may be required additionally with the visa to visit certain areas of the country. Areas such as parts of Sikkim and the Northeast frontier states, northeast of Himachal Pradesh near the Tibetan border, are out of bounds for foreign nationals. For special permissions, please write to the Ministry of Home Affairs at least four weeks in advance of your intended visit.

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RESTRICTED & PROTECTED AREAS

Certain parts of the country need special permits before they can be visited. The States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland have been designated as protected areas and foreigners cannot enter these areas without special permits. These permits are issued by the Under Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi at least 4 weeks before the date of the expected visit.

Certain areas of Sikkim have been declared as restricted areas. Individual tourists are permitted to visit Gangtok, Rumtek, Phodang, Zongri and Pemayangtse. The duration of stay has been raised from 7 to 15 days. Permits can be issued by all Indian Missions abroad, all FRRO's, Immigration Officers at Airports at Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and New Delhi. Manipur has also been opened to foreign tourists and permits can be issued by all Missions abroad, all FRRO's, Home Commissioner, Imphal. The duration of stay has been raised from 3 to 5 days.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Individual foreign tourists can visit Port Blair Municipal Area, Havelock Island, Long Island, Neil Island, Mayabunder, Diglipur, Rangat, where a night halt is allowed and Jolly Buoy, South Cinque, Red Skin, Mount Harriet, Madhuban where only day visits are allowed. Prior permit is necessary.

Lakshadweep Islands: Only Bangaram and Subeli Islands are open to foreign tourists. Permits are required, obtainable from the Lakshadweep Administration, Wellington Island, Harbour Road, Cochin.

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HEALTH REGULATION, DISEASES & ACCIDENTS

The most important cause of illness of travelers in India is food and waterborne diseases. Viruses, bacteria, or parasites can cause diarrhea. Infections may cause simple diarrhea and vomiting, fever, or in extreme cases, liver damage (hepatitis).

Malaria is a preventable infection that can create trouble if left untreated. One can prevent infection by taking prescribed anti-malarial drugs and protecting against mosquito bites. Malaria risk in this region exists in some urban and rural areas, depending on the elevation.

If someone is visiting the mountainous region of the Himalayas, he/she should ascend gradually to allow time for the body to adjust to the high altitude, which can cause insomnia, headaches, nausea, and altitude sickness. In addition, one should use sun-block rated at least 15 SPF, because the risk of sunburn is greater at high altitudes.

Some Necessary Precautions:

• One should learn as much about the health care delivery before venturing out.
• Make sure that the insurance company covers illnesses and accidents abroad.
• Immunizations against viral or bacterial disease are very important and should be done properly.
• Carry all the important prescriptions and OTC medicines. Do not forget to have the brand names as well as the generic names of the medicines one needs to have.
• As India is a tropical country, it is advised to avoid undue stress and excessive exposure to heat and cold.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink tap water. Use only canned/mineral water or aerated drinks.
• To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot.
• Do not eat food purchased from street vendors.
• Do not eat dairy products unless it is known that they have been pasteurized.
• Sharing needles with anyone can be dangerous; avoid it like a plague.
• Do not handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats) to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague).
• Do not swim in freshwater. Salt water is usually safer.

Vaccination Formalities:

Although yellow fever does not occur in India, proof of appropriate vaccination may be required depending on one's itinerary. Any person (except infants up to the age of six months) arriving by air or sea without a certificate is detained in isolation for a period up to six days if he or she:

• arrives within six days of departure from an infected area, or
• has been in such an area in transit, except the passengers and members of crew who remained within the airport premises in the infected area while transiting and if the Health Officer is ready to give such exemption to the passenger, or
• has come on a ship which has started from or touched at any port in a yellow fever infected area within 30 days of its arrival in India provided such ship has not been disinfected in accordance with the procedure laid down by WHO, or
• has come by an aircraft that has been in an infected area and has not been disinfected in accordance with Indian or WHO regulations.

India as infected regards the following countries and areas:
Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Surinam, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Zaire, Zambia

When a case of yellow fever is reported from any country, that country is regarded by the Government of India as infected with yellow fever and subsequently added to the above list.

No other vaccination certificate is mandatory, though one may like to consult his doctor for inoculation against typhoid, hepatitis A, and meningitis.

Other Vaccines:

See the doctor at least 4-6 weeks before the trip to allow time for shots to take effect.
These vaccinations can be thought about depending on the previous history of the traveler

• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG)
• Japanese encephalitis, only if planning to visit rural areas for four weeks or more
• Rabies, if someone is exposed to wild or domestic animals during recreation

Information Tidbits:

Information given above is liable to change from time to time and one should contact the Indian missions of the respective country or the government tourist offices for more information.

For inoculation against communicable diseases, one can contact the Vaccinations and Inoculation Center for Yellow Fever, Domestic Arrivals, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi (PH. 011-5665348) or International Inoculation Center, Mandir Marg (behind St. Thomas School), New Delhi (PH. 011-3361675).

Malaria risk exists throughout the year in the whole country excluding parts of the States of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim. No certificate required, but a course of anti-malaria pills is recommended.

Drinking water: Bottled water is available and usually provided in flasks in hotel rooms. For people with delicate digestive systems. It is advisable to use bottled mineral water, which is widely available.

Facilities: It is advisable to bring specific medicines. There are state-operated facilities in all towns and cities and private consultants and specialists in urban areas.

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