Passport,visa, money matters and other information

Application forms need to be done online at http://www.vfs-in-au.net/

To apply for a Indian visa, you'll need a passport with a minimum of 6 months’ validity, 2 passport photos, and the completed visa application form. 

Visa application tips

Useful tips when filling out your application form:

• If there is a compulsory field on the application form that does not apply to you then please put ‘NA’ (not applicable). For example you will only have referees in India if you have friends, or
   relatives in India, or perhaps an employer in India who is sponsoring you.

• Indian Visa and Passport Services Centre have an interactive map on their website where you can click on the state of your present residence and will inform you of the closest office to send
   your India tourist visa application. Please visit: http://www.vfs-in-au.net/

• If you are filling in your application by hand then use black ink only and block capitals.

• Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date to Australia.

• You will need a clear page in your passport for the visa to be affixed as it is a full-page sticker rather than a passport stamp.

• The application process can be very quick or take a few weeks. You can check with the Indian Visa Application Service for instruction as to the likely turn-around for your application.

• Indian Visa Information Contact Centre: 1800 010 706     9:00 hrs - 15:30 hrs (EST Mon-Fri on all working days)

We try to be accurate with the advice that we offer, but the Indian High Commission can make any changes to the process at any time and without notification. So it is always best to check the latest instructions direct with your nearest India High Commission/Visa Application Centre. 
 
Money


 
There is no limit to the amount of money or travellers’ cheques that you can bring into India. Cash of cheques up to a value of US $5000 do not need to be declared. Tourists are advised to exchange notes and cheques only at banks or official exchange offices. You should also keep the receipts because you'll need them to change any leftover money back when you are leaving the country. However, Indian currency may not be imported or exported, so you cannot bring Rupees (INR) into India when you arrive. It is advisable to have some US dollars or UK pounds stirling (the most widely accepted currencies) in cash incase you are unable to change travellers cheques.

ATMs
In larger cities, you'll find  that will take most international bank cards. Don’t accept any torn bank notes if you are given them as change, as most Indians will not accept them as payment, so you'll be consistently refused. This applies to Rupees (INR or Rs), AUD or US dollars, and you can exchange any damaged Rs notes in banks.

In India we reckoned the exchange rate as follows (approximately): $1 = 36Rs, or 100Rs = $2.80 The exchange rate is naturally subject to change.

Bank opening times
Opening times vary from region to region. Banks: 10am to 2pm (Mon-Fri) and 10am -12 noon on Saturday. Otherwise most hotels can exchange money for you. Post offices: 10am-5pm (Mon-Fri), and Saturday morning. Offices: 9.30am -5.30pm (Mon-Fri) and 9.30am- 1pm on Saturday.

Coins and notes
There are 1, 2 and 5 Rs coins and there are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Rs bank notes.

Departure tax
Passengers travelling to a destination outside India will pay a departure tax of Rs.500. Those travelling to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or the Maldives will pay Rs.150.

Safety

India is generally a safe country to travel in, despite having a population of more than 1 billion people and having areas of vast poverty, you shouldn't experience any problems. But like any country you visit it's worth keeping up to date with the information provided by Smartraveller: The Australian Government's travel advisory and consular assistance service.

Vaccinations 
There is no need to produce a vaccination book except for those people who have travelled through areas where yellow fever is endemic (such as some parts of Africa and South America). The vaccination book must conform to the applicable international standards. See also the page with information about Health. 

Communications 
Telephone, fax, telegram, telex. The larger hotels and post offices in the larger cities offer an international 24-hour service. You can direct-dial almost all phone calls outside the country. There are also excellent connections between the large cities, but occasionally the number has to be requested through an exchange. The postal service is also generally good. Tourists can bring and collect personal post at the counters of the Tourist Mail Service in the General Post Offices, as well as at the India Tourist Offices in the tourist centres. You can buy stamps in the hotels.