Time ahead of Moscow in winter by 2.5 hours, in summer by 1.5 hours.
Flight duration
Moscow – Delhi – 6 hours
Moscow – GOA – 7.5 hours.
Currency
Indian rupee. The rupee exchange rate is quite stable, 1 USD = 42-45 rupees. The Indian rupee is prohibited from being brought into and taken out of the country.
According to psyknowhow, the Indian rupee is equal to 100 paise. The import of foreign currency is not limited, national is prohibited. The export of imported currency is not limited, the national one is prohibited. Banks are open on weekdays from 10.00 to 14.00, and on Saturday – from 10.00 to 12.00. You can exchange money at exchange offices and hotels. Major credit cards are accepted in hotels and shops: Visa, American Express, Master Card and others. The currency exchange receipt must be kept. It will be required when buying plane tickets and when exchanging rupees back for hard currency.
Visa
To obtain a visa, you need a foreign passport with a minimum validity of at least 6 months upon return, 2 photographs, 2 copies of the completed questionnaire in English, tickets with the date of arrival and return. The visa is issued within 7-10 days. Consular fee – 50 USD.
Customs regulations
The export of tiger skins, wild animals and bird plumage, skins and skin products of rare reptiles, live plants, gold and silver bars, antiques and antiquities made more than a hundred years ago, any drugs and weapons is prohibited. Personal items, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 1 liter of alcoholic beverages are not subject to customs duties. The amount of more than 10,000 USD in cash must be declared when crossing the border.
Entry-exit rules
A national visa is required to enter India. Duty-free import allowed: 200 pcs. cigarettes (or 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco), 0.95 l. alcoholic beverages, items and household items – within the limits of personal needs. Duty-free importation of a camera, movie camera, musical instruments, radio, tape recorder, TV, video recorder is allowed; typewriter; sports accessories – one item of each item; gifts and souvenirs in the amount of not more than 500 rupees. It is forbidden to export skins of wild animals and plumage of birds (rare species), skins and leather products of reptiles, products from peacock feathers, ancient coins, items that are more than 100 years old, national currency. The import of gold bullion, gold coins, the national Indian currency, pornographic materials is prohibited. The export of gold in bars and coins is allowed with the permission of the Central Bank of India. The import of foreign currency is not limited. A declaration is required if the amount exceeds US$5,000. Export of imported foreign currency is allowed, national currency is prohibited. You can exchange the remaining rupees only at the airport when leaving the country and only if you have a certificate from the exchange office. Save her! Sometimes they may ask for a passport.
When importing pets, a veterinary certificate must be presented. In the absence of a certificate, the animal is sent to quarantine for 2 to 7 days. Tourists do not need a vaccination certificate. Airport collection fee 500 rupees (at departure).
Connection
You need to call from places where STD / ISD / PCO or ISD / IDD / STD signs are installed. There are different rates depending on the time of day. Within the country it is: from 8.00 to 19.00 – the standard rate, from 19.00 to 22.00 and 6.00 to 8.00 – 50% of the standard rate, from 22.00 to 6.00 – 25%. For international calls with European countries there is a 25% discount from 22.00 to 11.00. A minute of conversation with Moscow from Delhi costs about 70 rupees. A call from a hotel room will cost you several times more, and not all hotels have automatic access to international or even long distance lines.
To call Russia, you need to dial 007 (country code), then the area code and the subscriber’s number. To call from Russia to India, you need to dial 8 – 10 (international line access), 91 (country code), area code (0832 – for Goa) and subscriber number.
Electricity
Mains voltage 220 W, sockets – European standard.
Transport
Railway
The fastest way to travel around the country is by plane, exotic – by train, cheaper – by bus. Since a first-class train ticket sometimes costs as much as a plane ticket to the same destination, it makes more sense to travel in air-conditioned second class. These carriages are of two types: 4-person compartments and 6-person compartments. Keep in mind that there is an official quota for foreign tourists on Indian railways. At the railway stations of the largest cities there are separate “windows” or even halls for the sale of these tickets (usually for US dollars, and you will be given change in rupees). If you want to travel by train very cheaply, you can go in the usual second class (without air conditioning).
The bus is the main means of transportation for Hindus around the country. Public transport companies exist in every state, in addition to this, numerous private companies also operate flights. State buses are divided into classes: passenger, junior suite, luxury, hi-tech bass, air conditioning and even a sleeping bus with shelves instead of seats. The difference between classes is in comfort and ticket price. Buses always have a conductor who sells tickets at intermediate stations.
Car rental
Cars are usually rented with drivers. When assigning a price, the exact route or approximate mileage per day is taken into account. The driver’s food and accommodation are already included in this price and should not bother you. Trade is quite appropriate. Renting a car without a driver requires a large deposit and an international driving license. In India, driving is on the left.
Taxi like everywhere, you have to bargain, always do it before departure. When going on a long trip, it is advisable to at least find out the approximate cost of the trip at the hotel reception. They rarely go by the meter, and in order not to overpay several times, you need to know the approximate price in advance. Hitchhiking on the roads of India is not recommended. India’s major cities have the highest number of fatal car crashes in the world.
Holidays and non-working days
January 26 – Good Friday,
May 14, October 23, November 7, December 25, the days of religious and local holidays.
Visiting India from October to March will avoid the very hot months and the monsoon rains. In different states, the time of religious holidays does not coincide, it changes annually. When planning a trip, this information must be clarified. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, businesses may be closed the previous Friday or the following Monday.
Emergency numbers
Police – 100, fire brigade – 101, ambulance – 102.
