Trip Planning
Information for visitors arriving at Indian airports from abroad.
- How to clear customs
- Pre-paid taxi service
- Smart safety tips and travel advice for touring India.
The majority of international tourists traveling to India typically arrive by air, with New Delhi being the primary entry point. English is widely spoken by government officials at Indian airports, so if you’re proficient in English, you should have no communication issues during your airport experience.
Upon arrival, all foreign passport holders are required to complete an ‘Arrival Card’ for immigration and customs clearance. This card must be presented to the immigration officer. Before leaving the immigration counter, ensure that the immigration officer has stamped your passport with an arrival stamp, as this will be essential for your departure from India.
In India, it’s common for arriving passengers’ luggage to be X-rayed. If this happens to you, there’s no need for alarm. The airport provides luggage carts free of charge, although during busy times, there might be a temporary shortage. Some individuals may attempt to offer carts in exchange for tips, but it’s important to know that the airport authority of India offers these carts at no cost. In fact, some workers are employed by the authorities to assist passengers in unloading their luggage from conveyor belts and loading them onto carts.
Currency exchange counters are available at airports. If you wish to exchange currency at the airport, be sure not to pass through customs, as some bank’s currency exchange counters are located inside the terminal. Once you pass through customs, you won’t be able to return to these counters. When converting foreign currency into Indian Rupees, it’s advisable to keep the exchange receipt, as this will facilitate reconversion of any unspent Indian Rupees back into your original currency when you leave India. Always request a receipt when exchanging foreign currency.
If you need to make train reservations for travel within India, there is a counter dedicated to assisting foreigners with railway bookings. For more details, you can refer to our train reservations page.
For first-time arrivals in India by air, here is important information regarding Customs and Immigration procedures.
Red & Green Exits from Indian Airports
Upon exiting international airports in India after completing the immigration process, travelers encounter two distinct routes, known as the RED and GREEN sides.
The Red route is designated for passengers who have items subject to customs duty declaration, while the Green route is intended for passengers without items necessitating customs duty payment. If you find yourself in a situation where you are asked to pay customs duty on an item that you brought for personal use, you can inform the customs officer that you intend to take the item back with you when you depart. Typically, the customs officer will make an entry in your passport to ensure that the item is returned with you, and this way, you won’t have to pay duty on goods meant for personal use.
Before leaving the airport, it’s advisable to inspect your checked luggage for any visible damage that may have occurred during transit. If you find any damage, it’s essential to report it before leaving the airport. The airline is responsible for addressing damage that occurred during the journey, so prompt reporting is crucial.
Taxi Service at Airports in India - Prepaid Taxi Indian Airports
On arrival do not go out of the airport and hire a taxi. Go to the prepaid taxi booth at the airport. After arriving at the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi. As soon as you go out from the airport (gate number 2) you will see the PRE PAID TAXI sign with an arrow pointing to the pre-paid taxi office.
As you walk out of the terminal, the left side takes you out of the airport while on the right side is the prepaid taxi booth. Here travelers can pay the taxi fare to their destination according to a preset government approved fare chart. Travelers are issued a taxi voucher to their destination and on reaching their destination they hand over the voucher to the taxi driver.
When taking a prepaid taxi from the airport there is also a paper trail of where the taxi driver is taking the passenger and this information is recorded by the police as the taxi leaves the airport. This is a safety measure for passengers traveling by prepaid taxis.
Having paid the fare at the airport also ensures that there is no haggling over the price with the taxi driver and not having to convert currency when you reach your destination.
The better class hotels provide airport pickup as an option when making reservations. The charge for hotel pick up is usually 500 to 600 Rupees depending on the car used. This charge includes a 4 hour wait at the airport for the passenger. In case more time is required due to late arrivals etc there is an additional per hour charge of approximately Rupees 100 per hour. Having a hotel car pick you up is the best and safest option as from experience I have found that most international flights arrive in India late at night.
After clearing immigration you will enter the arrival area where your bags are brought out. Expect a delay here usually as India is for some reason the only place I have seen where incoming bags that have been through security before loading on planes are sometimes x-rayed before being sent to the terminal for passengers to pickup. After picking up your bags as you go out from the terminal. If you have chosen to go out from the green channel there is a chance you may be flagged for a random customs check. If you do have items to declare, use the Red channel exit.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Immediately outside are the taxi stands for pre-paid taxi service. In case you need to exchange currency you need to do it before you exit the airport.
- Money exchange booths are inside the airport and not outside.