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Cars 4 Rental Information on India

General

Area: 3,166,414 sq km (1,222,582 sq miles).

Population: 1,049,000,000 (official estimate 2003).

Population Density: 331 per sq km.

Capital: New Delhi. Population: 19,817,439 (2001).

GEOGRAPHY: India shares borders to the northwest with Pakistan, to the north with China, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the east with Bangladesh and Myanmar. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, to the east the Bay of Bengal and to the south the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast, and the Maldives off the southwest coast. The far northeastern states and territories are all but separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh as it extends northwards from the Bay of Bengal towards Bhutan. The Himalayan mountain range to the north and the Indus River (west) and Ganges River (east) form a physical barrier between India and the rest of Asia. The country can be divided into five regions: Western, Central, Northern (including Kashmir and Rajasthan), Eastern and Southern.

Government: Republic since 1947. Head of State: President APJ Abdul Kalam since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2004.

Language: The official language is Hindi which is spoken by about 30 per cent of the population; English is also often used for official or commercial purposes. In addition, 17 regional languages are recognised by the Constitution. These include Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya and Punjabi which are widely used in the north, and Tamil and Telegu, which are common in the south. Other regional languages are Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi. The Muslim population largely speak Urdu.

Religion: About 82 per cent Hindu, 11 per cent Muslim with Sikh, Christian, Jain and Buddhist minorities.

Time: GMT + 5.5.

Electricity: Usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the round two- and three-pin type.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD service is widely available all over India. Otherwise calls must be placed through the international operator. Country code: 91. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 networks. Network operators include Aircel LTD (website: www.aircel.com), BPL Mobile (website: www.bplmobile.com, CellOne (website: www.bsnl.co.in) and SPICE (website: www.spiceindia.com). Coverage is limited to major towns.

Fax

24-hour facilities are available in most large hotels and some offices of the Overseas Communication Service in large cities.

Internet

ISPs include Narmada (website: www.narmada.net.in) and VSLnet (website: www.vsnl.net.in). E-mail can be accessed from Internet cafes accross the country.

Telegram

International 24-hour service from large hotels and telegraphic offices in major cities.

Post

Airmail service to Western Europe takes up to one week. Stamps are often sold at hotels.

Press

There are numerous local dailies published in several languages. Many newspapers are in English, the most important include The Economic Times, The Hindu, Hindustan, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Navbharat Times, Punjab Kesari, The Statesman and The Times of India.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Rupee (Rs) = 100 paise. Notes are in denominations of Rs1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5. Coins are in denominations of Rs5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25, and 10 paise.
Note: 1 and 2 Rupee notes and 5 paise coins may still be in circulation but are no longer being produced.

Currency exchange: Currency can be changed at banks, airports or authorised money changers. It is illegal to exchange money through unauthorised money changers. US Dollars and Pounds Sterling are the easiest currencies to exchange.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: These are widely accepted and may be changed at banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. Some banks may refuse to change certain brands of travellers cheques which others exchange quite happily.

Currency restrictions: Import of local currency is prohibited. Export of local currency is also prohibited, except for passengers proceeding to Nepal (excluding notes of denominations of Rs100 or higher), Bangladesh, Pakistan or Sri Lanka (up to Rs20 per person). Foreign currency may be exported up to the amount imported and declared. All foreign currency must be declared on arrival if value is over US$5000, and when exchanged the currency declaration form should be endorsed, or a certificate issued. The form and certificates must be produced on departure to enable reconversion into foreign currency. Changing money with unauthorised money changers is not, therefore, advisable.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Rupee against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1.00= 75.63 82.44 79.70 85.22
$1.00= 45.26 45.29 44.62 46.26

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1400, Sat 1000-1200.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever Yes 1
Cholera Yes 2
Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A
Malaria 4 N/A

1: Any person (including infants over six months old) arriving by air or sea from an infected country must obtain a yellow fever certificate. Otherwise, isolated detainment may occur for up to six days. Those countries that are considered infected are all African countries (except Algeria, Botswana, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) and all South American countries (except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay). When a case of yellow fever is reported from any country, that country is regarded by the government of India as being infected.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to India. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness.

3: Poliomyelitis is widespread. Immunisation is generally recommended.

4: Malaria risk exists, mainly in the benign vivax form, throughout the year in the whole country below 2000m excluding parts of the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim. High resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is reported in the malignant falciparum form. The recommended prophylaxis is chloroquine plus proguanil in risk areas and mefloquine in Assam.

Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Well water near the Ganges and in West Bengal may contain traces of arsenic chemical. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Visceral leishmaniasis occurs in rural areas of eastern India. Cutaneous leishmaniasis occurs in Rajasthan. Filariasis is common throughout India and sandfly fever is increasing. An outbreak of plague occurred in 1994 and was contained by adequate government measures. Tick-borne relapsing fever is reported, as is typhus, and outbreaks of haemorrhagic dengue fever have occurred in eastern India. Tick-borne haemorrhagic fever has been reported in the forest areas in Karnataka State. Hepatitis A and E are common. Hepatitis B is endemic. Outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis occur, particularly in eastern coastal areas. Meningococcal meningitis is present in Delhi from November to May. Vaccination is advisable.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Note: All visitors aged between 18 and 70 years of age who are wishing to extend their visa for one year or more are required to take an AIDS test.

Health care: Health care facilities are limited and travellers are strongly advised to take out full medical insurance before departing for India. It is advisable to bring specific medicines from the UK. There are state-operated facilities in all towns and cities and private consultants and specialists in urban areas.

On leaving India: Visitors leaving for countries which impose health restrictions on arrivals from India are required to be in possession of a valid certificate of inoculation and vaccination.

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Climate

Hot tropical weather with variations from region to region. Coolest weather lasts from December to February, with cool, fresh mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days. Really hot weather, when it is dry, dusty and unpleasant, is between March and May. Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer between June and September.

Western Himalayas: Srinagar is best from March to October; July to August can be unpleasant; cold and damp in winter. Simla is higher and therefore colder in winter. Places like Gulmarg, Manali and Pahalgam are usually under several feet of snow (December to March) and temperatures in Ladakh can be extremely cold. The road to Leh is open from June to October.
Required clothing: Light- to mediumweights are advised from March to October, with warmer wear for winter. Weather can change rapidly in the mountains and therefore it is important to be suitably equipped. Waterproofing is advisable.

Northern Plains: Extreme climate, warm inland from April to mid-June, falling to almost freezing at night in winter between November and February. Summers are hot with monsoons between June and September.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens in summer with warmer clothes in winter and on cooler evenings. Waterproofing is essential during monsoons.

Central India: Madhya Pradesh State escapes the very worst of the hot season, but monsoons are heavy between July and September. Temperatures fall at night in winter.
Required clothing: Lightweights are worn most of the year with warmer clothes during evenings, particularly in winter. Waterproofed clothing is advised during monsoon rains.

Western India: November to February is most comfortable, although evenings can be fairly cold. Summers can be extremely hot with monsoon rainfall between mid-June and mid-September.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn most of the year with warmer clothes for cooler winters, and waterproofing is essential during the monsoon.

Southwest: Tamil Nadu experiences a northeast monsoon between October and December and temperatures and humidity are high all year. Hills can be cold in winter. Hyderabad is hot, but less humid in summer and much cooler in winter.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens. Waterproofing is necessary during the monsoon. Warmer clothes are worn in the winter, particularly in the hills.

Southeast: Tamil Nadu experiences a northeast monsoon between October and December and temperatures and humidity are high all year. Hills can be cold in winter. Hyderabad is hot, but less humid in summer and much cooler in winter.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens. Waterproofing is necessary during the monsoon. Warmer clothes are worn in the winter, particularly in the hills.

Northeast: March to June and September to November are the driest and most pleasant periods. The rest of the year has extremely heavy monsoon rainfall and it is recommended that the area is avoided.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens. Waterproofing is advisable throughout the year and essential in monsoons, usually from mid-June to mid-October. Warmer clothes are useful for cooler evenings.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes Yes No
Australian Yes Yes No
Canadian Yes Yes No
USA Yes Yes No
OtherEU Yes Yes No
Japanese Yes Yes No

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except:
(a) nationals of Bhutan and Nepal;
(b) holders of a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card.

Types of visa and cost: The following prices are for UK nationals only; prices for other nationals vary. Tourist: £30 (six months). Business: £30 (Three/six months, single- and multiple-entry); £50 (one year); £90 (more than one year). Transit: £8 (up to 72 hours, single- or double-entry). Student: £55 (up to five years). Journalist, Employment and Conference visas are also available (contact the Embassy or High Commission for details). Visas for restricted/protected areas entails an additional feee of £20.
Some nationals are exempt from visa fees.

Note: (a) The High Commission in London reserves the right to decide on the duration of the visa notwithstanding the minimum fee. (b) Non-UK nationals applying in the UK need to pay an additional £10 (£15 for US passport holders) unless holding proof of at least one-year residence in the UK. (c) A £1 fee may be required for postal applications, depending on consulate. (d) When visas are issued for a duration exceeding six months, registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) must be made within 14 days of arrival.

Validity: From date of issue.

Application to: Embassy or High Commission (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Passport valid for up to six months with at least two blank pages. (b) Completed application form. Nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh must complete special application forms; nationals of Sri Lanka, UK nationals with dual nationality or of other origin, and other special cases, may be required to complete additional application forms. Personal interviews in some cases may also be necessary. (c) Two passport-size photos. Nationals of Pakistan will require five and nationals of Bangladesh, two. (d) Fee (cash or postal orders only; company cheques accepted for Business visas). (e) Stamped addressed special delivery envelope. Business: (a)-(e) and, (f) A letter from their employer stating the reason of the visit and an invitation from the company in India and a letter of introduction from UK company addressed to the Embassy. Transit: (a)-(e) and, (f) Proof of onward travel. Student: (a)-(e) and, (f) Proof of admission to appropriate university/educational institution with duration of course.

Working days required: Personal applications can normally be processed the same day. Postal applications may take up to five working days or longer. Those requiring an additional fee may need a minimum of seven working days for their visa application to be processed.
For British nationals with dual nationality and other special cases, authorisation from India is required and the time taken to process the visa will vary according to individual cases: an estimation is two weeks to six months.
Care should be taken not to apply too late (to avoid unforeseen delays) or too early, since visas are issued on receipt of passport and are valid from date of issue and not date of travel.

Temporary residence: Prior permission should be sought before entry into India.

Restricted and protected areas: Restricted and protected areas: Certain parts of the country have been designated protected or restricted areas that require special permits and in some cases prior government authorisation which is easily obtained. Intent to visit a specific restricted region should be indicated when applying for a visa and a permit will be granted to visit that region only. Passengers are advised to check with India Tourism for up-to-date information before departure.
The following states are subject to some restrictions: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal.

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