India Travel Information
Safety and Health
Addiional information regarding Safety and Security and Personal Health may be found on the FAQ menu. The following is a list of useful sites regarding safety, security, and/or health:
Students Abroad This site provides excellent travel information and links to the websites that provide information in regard to safety and health.
For more information on Women Traveling in India click here.
U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India
U.S Consulate in Mumbai, India
U.S. State Department India Profile
Overseas Security and Advisory Council
Center for Disease Control
World Health Organization
Visas
According to the Embassy of India, the visa collection and delivery process has been outsourced to Travisa Outsourcing, Inc., located at 1731 21st St. NW, Washington, DC 20009; Telephone (866) 631-7296; Fax (202) 299-0687.
For Visa information and requirements please see the following:
The following requirements were generated on 01/21/2009 6:19pm EST by Travisa Outsourcing:
A Tourist Visa is given to those visiting India for tourism or other non-business related purposes. Valid for 6 months to 10 years. Ten (10) year visa is available only to US citizens under a bilateral arrangement. Irrespective of the duration of validity of visa, on each visit maximum period of stay in India is limited to 6 months (180 days). Multiple entry visas are given. Please note the visa is valid beginning on the day it is issued. So a 6 Month visa issued on January 1 would be valid until June 30. Application: Complete the online India Visa Application. After the application has been completed, you must print and sign the application.
1. Passport: Passport must have a minimum validity of six months from the date of application with at least two blank visa pages. Last 2 amendment pages are not acceptable. Must be the actual passport not a copy.
2. Photographs: 2 latest identical passport size photographs (black/white or color) depicting front pose against light background on photographic paper.
3. Proof of Address: Applicants must submit a photocopy with proof of residence/address while applying for the visa. Photocopy of driver license or utility bill must be submitted. If you don't bring a copy, we will make a photocopy for you for $2.00. For minors, a parent or guardian proof of address may be submitted instead.
4. Green Card Holders: Applicants who are not Citizens of USA, but hold long term US visa or a Green Card should submit a copy of the visa or the Green Card. Do not send the original Permanent Residence Card/Green Card. Travisa Outsourcing cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to original Permanent Residence Card/Green Card (Non US Citizens - Permanent Resident/Green Card Holders Only)
5. Short Term Visa Holders: Applicants who are not citizens/residents of the USA and hold a tourist or other short-term visa for the USA should normally apply for Indian visas in the country of their permanent residence. In case of emergency or special circumstance, an application could be made at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC or Consulates General of India in the USA. In addition to the relevant visa fee there is a reference fee of $20.00 for reference to be made to the country of their original residence. The processing time in such cases is usually 5-7 working days. (Non US Citizens - Short Term Visa Holders Only)
6. Persons of Indian Origin: Applicants born in India applying for the first time on ANY U.S. passport must submit their Indian passport OR submit their expired US passport with a previously issued Indian visa. In addition, a completed Renunciation Form must be submitted (United States Citizens Only).
7. Dual Citizenship: Applicants who have dual citizenship with the US and another country must apply on their US passport if living in the US.
8. Processing Time: Same day visa applications must be submitted in person to the Outsourcing Office between 9:00am and 11:00am (you will need an appointment that is selected at the end of the online application form). Pickup for same day applications is usually between 5:30pm and 6:00 pm. Note that we do not guarantee the visa will be issued same day. Non-US citizens and US citizens who require a reference have a processing time of 4-6 working days. Applications received after 11:00am will have the visa issued the following working day for non-reference cases.
Non-refundable tickets or reservations should not be purchased until all visas and passports are secured and in your possession. Terms and Conditions.
Applications sent by mail take about 3 to 5 working/business days to process from the date of receipt.
Fees: US citizen
Duration of Visa |
Consular Fee |
Service Fee |
Total Fee |
||
6 Months Multiple Entry |
$60.00 |
$13.00 |
$73.00 |
||
1 Year Multiple Entry |
$85.00 |
$13.00 |
$98.00 |
||
5 Years Multiple Entry |
$150.00 |
$13.00 |
$163.00 |
||
10 Years Multiple Entry |
$150.00 |
$13.00 |
$163.00 |
Flight Information
As an Isla participant, you are responsible for booking your own flight from your home to your international destination. Isla will give you the date and time of your expected arrival. Isla will provide transportation from the airport to the orientation site for you and a group of Isla participants.Please note that it is important that all Isla participants be picked up at the airport by Isla staff at the same time. It is therefore critical that you arrange for your flight to arrive at the airport at the designated time given to you by Isla. Please note that your fees cover only the cost of your pick up at the designated arrival time. If you miss the pick-up, you are responsible for covering the cost of transportation from the airport to the orientation site.
Which airlines are recommended? American and European carriers are recommended for the international portion of your flight. Isla recommends that you select a flight that is the shortest and offers enough time for your layover. You also must remember to arrive will arrive in time for the group pickup. It is best to have a layover in Europe. If you need a domestic connection within India, we recommend Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, and Kingfisher is also ok.
You may wish to book your flight through a travel agent or through one of the many internet travel organizations, such as:
KAYAK – Connects you to flight bookings with Kayak, Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire.
How do I find Isla staff when I arrive at the airport? After you have gone through passport and customs control, please make your way to the exit where you will find an Isla staff person holding a large Isla sign.
If I cannot meet the group for the scheduled pickup how do I get to the orientation site? If possible, you must let the Isla staff know in advance if you are unable to meet the group at the designated arrival time. It is not too difficult to take a taxi from the airport, but it is important that you contact us so that we can give you directions to the orientation site. Also, please remember that you will be responsible for the cost of transportation and any other additional costs.
How do I get from the international to the domestic terminal in Mumbai or New Delhi? The domestic terminal is not in the same location as the international terminal. When you arrive at the international terminal in Mumbai or New Delhi, collect your luggage, pass through passport control and customs, and make your way to the shuttle that will take you from the international to the domestic terminal. The shuttle ride is about 20 minutes. Please check to see if your connecting airline has their own shuttle, otherwise you must take the airport shuttle. You may want to check on this before you leave the U.S. so that you are prepared when you arrive in India.
Resources
News
India Times is an English language daily newspaper providing news, movies, Bollywood, videos, cricket, celebrity pictures, business, finance, travel, online shopping, astrology, etc.
BBC News Country Profile India
Travel
U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India
U.S Consulate in Mumbai, India
U.S. State Department
Travel Guides
Travel Websites
Travel in Mumbai
Travel in Delhi
Rajasthan Travel Guide
Websites of Interest
Fordham University Website: This site provides numerous links to information regarding the sociopolitical and religious history of India.
Directory of Indian Government Websites
Books of Interest
India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond (2006), by Shashi Tharoor, is a nonfiction book that covers India from its independence in 1947 until the turn of the millennium. Along the way he covers diverse topics like the caste, Indian democracy, the legacy of Indira Ghandi, the partition of India, and India’s transition from a socialist to a free market economy. The White Tiger (2008) , by Aravind Adiga, a novel which won the Booker Prize for 2008, studies the contrast between India’s rise as a modern global economy and the main character, who comes from rural poverty. A Fine Balance (2002), by Rohinton Mistry is set in Mumbai between 1975 and 1977 during the turmoil know as the Emergency, a period of expanded government power and crackdowns on civil liberties. It is one of the most controversial periods of history of independent India. This book is about four characters from different backgrounds - two tailors, their female boss, and a paying guest in her home – who come together and develop a bond. A Fine Balance is a very powerful and touching read. The God of Small Things (1997), by Arundhati Roy, is a politically charged novel set in Kerala, that tells the story of two seven-year old twins and the shocking events that change their lives forever. The book is a description of how the small things in life build up, translate into people's behavior and affect their lives. The God of Small Things won the Booker Prize 1997. A Suitable Boy (2005), by Vikram Seth, is set in post-independence, post-partition India, follows the story of four families over a period of 18 months as a mother looks for a suitable boy to marry her daughter. The Great Indian Novel (1993), by Shashi Tharoor, is a brilliant fictional account of Indian history that makes fun of real events and people by using imagined characters and events that closely resemble Indian history. Midnight’s Children (1991), by Salman Rushdie is an allegory for events in India before and after the independence and partition of India which took place at midnight on 15 August 1947. It follows the story of children who were born at this time when India finally won its independence in 1947. An Area of Darkness (2002), by VS. Naipaul, is a travelogue describing the author’s journey through India in the early sixties. Born in Trinidad of Indian parentage, it is Naipaul’s attempt to reclaim his Indian heritage by Traveling to the country of his ancestry. It is the first book in a trilogy which is followed by India: A Wounded Civilization (2003) and India: A Million Mutinies Now (1992).
Films of Interest
Slumdog Millionaire (2008), winner of 4 Golden Globes and co-directed by Golden Globe award winning Irish-English Director Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tanden, is the story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire?, wins, and is then suspected of cheating. The movie was filmed in Mumbai. The only Indian elements in the movie are A.R. Rahman who composed the music for the film and Anil Kapoor who plays the game show host in the film.
Hindi Language
