General Information |
| Passport and Visa requirements |
| You are advised to contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission / Consulate in your country in order to obtain a visa of entry. Please apply for your visa in good time. Your travel agent may also be able to help you. For a list of Indian Emabassies across the world please click here. |
| The Governemnt of India has announced a scheme of granting Tourist Visa on Arrival for the citizens of : |
- Finland
- Luxemburg
- Newzealand
- Cambodia
- Japan
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Philippines
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| For detailed information click here. |
| Foreign passengers of countries not mentioned above should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a separate Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders). |
| The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through various Indian missions abroad. |
| Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The High Commission reserves the right on granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities. |
| The instruction and information given here is general in nature, however for specific information, you may contact the respective Indian Mission. |
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| Visa Application Form |
| Visa application form is available at the Indian Mission in the country where the applicant resides. Visa form for nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh are generally different. All NRIs/PIOs, including children (who don´t possess OCI or PIO card) need to apply for Visa in separate visa forms. |
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| Procedure for obtaining Visa |
| Visas can be applied for in person or by post at the High Commission of India based in the country from where the candidate intends to depart for India. Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes that are aforementioned. |
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| 1. Travel Visa application requirements |
| (a) Valid passport |
| (b) Completed application form. (Nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh must complete special application forms) |
| (c) Two passport-size photographs. (Nationals of Pakistan will require five) |
| (d) Visa fee |
| (e) Stamped self-addressed delivery envelope for postal applications. |
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| 2. Types of applicable Visa |
| (a) Tourist Visa |
| Validity: 6 months. The applicant is required to submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourists traveling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognized travel agency may be considered for grant of collective tourist visa. |
| (b) Business Visa |
| Validity: One or more years with multiple-entry. A letter from the sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application. |
| (c) Conference Visa |
| Conference Visas are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meetings in India. The letter of invitation is to be submitted along with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences. |
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| 3. Visa Fees (subject to change, kindly check with Indian mission in your country) |
| Visa with validity six months |
US$ 30 |
| Visas with validity one year |
US$ 50 |
| Visas with validity one to five years |
US$100 |
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| 4. Processing time |
| Personal applications are processed the same day. Postal applications will take approximately two weeks. |
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| Accessibility |
| New Delhi is perhaps the most used entry point for India and many International airlines connect it to all parts of the World. |
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| Air India is the national carrier. |
| The international airports in the metro cities extend services ensuring that the traveller on business can continue working even during his wait for boarding an international connection, or when transferring between international flights. These facilities include restaurants, business centres, rest rooms and telephone booths. Business centres are furnished with state-of-the-art equipment including word-processors and telefax. Airports also offer tourist duty-free & handicrafts shopping, snack bars, nursery and baby care rooms, and an art gallery too for art lovers. Duty-free prices in the airport shops are very competitive, giving one good bargain on international merchandise. |
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| Electricity |
| 230-240V, 50 HZ. Sockets accept round pins. Should you wish to use appliances of 110 volts, some hotels may provide adaptors on request. It is advisable to carry universal adaptors. |
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| Insurance and Liability |
| The Organizers do not take responsibility for any individual, medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are advised to secure their own insurance policies as necessary. |
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| Language |
| A host of languages are spoken in India. English is widely spoken or understood except in rural areas. |
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| Currency |
| The currency in India is the Rupee, which comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000. Please use authorized money changers and banks to change currency. They will issue a certificate of exchange which is required at the time of re-conversion of any unused currency. Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999, it is an offence to exchange foreign currency other than through authorized money changers or banks. The currency may be exchanged at the airport on arrival. The currency exchange facility will also be made available at the congress venue. |
| Most bank ATMs honor Visa, Visa Electron, Master & Maestro cards & you may use these ATMs also to withdraw money. One such ATM is available at the venue. |
| Most hotels, shops & other establishments accept credit cards. Master & VISA cards are accepted at almost all such establishments whereas some of them accept Diners & American Express cards as well. |
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| Health |
| Please consult with your physician regarding health precautions prior to visiting India. |
| If you are coming from or have visited Africa, South America or an area infected with Yellow Fever within five days prior to your arrival in India, proof of inoculation against Yellow Fever is required. |
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| Telephone |
| The Country Code for India is `91´. The City Code for New Delhi is `11´. Landline numbers in major cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore & Chennai have eight digits whereas the numbers in smaller cities could have only 4-7 digits. All mobile numbers are 10 digit & begin with `9´. |
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| Dialing from Outside India - |
| 1. Landline |
| International access code (`00´ or `+") followed by 91, then STD CODE followed by LANDLINE NO., eg. +91 11 XXXXXXXX (`11´ is the STD CODE for New Delhi). |
| 2. Mobile |
| International access code (`00´ or `+") followed by 91 and the 10-digit MOBILE NO., eg. +91 XXXXXXXXXX. |
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| Dialing within India – |
| 1. From Indian landline to Indian landline |
| Local call - LANDLINE NO. |
| Long distance call - 0 then STD CODE followed by LANDLINE NO |
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| 2. From Indian landline to Indian Mobile |
| Local call -10 digit MOBILE NO. |
| Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digit MOBILE NO. |
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| 3. From Indian Mobile to Indian landline |
| Local or Long distance calls |
| 0 followed by STD Code, followed by LANDLINE NO. |
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| 4. From Indian Mobile to Indian Mobile |
| Local Call - 10 digit MOBILE NO. |
| Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digit MOBILE NO. |
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| Dialing out from India to International numbers |
| The international access code when dialing out of India is "00" (or `+" when dialing from a mobile phone). |
| In India both GSM & CDMA (WLL) mobile systems are present. Please contact your mobile service providers to check their roaming partners & tariffs in India. Indian SIM cards may not be made available easily on request. |
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| Food |
| Indian cuisine differs from region to region. The variety of food you get in India is unimaginable. For people in the north wheat is the staple, while it is rice in south India. Generally Indian food is spicy and hot. The waiters can be told to make it less spicy. Many restaurants serve Continental, Chinese, Thai, Spanish, French. Mexican, Italian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, and other cuisines. American fast food is very popular and outlets are present in most cities and towns. |
| Tipping is optional but a common practice in India. The usual practice is leaving a 5-10% tip for the services provided. |
| Tap water is not purified for drinking. Unless you have access to a water filter, or are sure water has been boiled, it is safer to stick to bottled water. Avoid ice in your drinks outside your hotel. |
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| Smoking Policy |
| All conference rooms and public areas in the venue are strict no-smoking zones. Smoking in public areas (eg. hotels, airports, restaurants) & transportation (eg. airlines, railways, cars & coaches) is a punishable offence. |
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| Key Contacts for Assistance |
| KDM – Kuoni Destination Management has been appointed as the official Destination Management Company. |
| For pre or post congress tours, hotel bookings, or any other travel related assistance, please write to wmc2011@in.kuoni.com |
| Tel: +91 124 4563187 |
| Fax: + 91 124 4563100 |
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