General Information

Arrival and Departure

Direct International Flights to New Delhi
New Delhi is well connected to all major international airports. All leading airlines operate direct and connecting flights from New Delhi. The newly constructed Indira Gandhi International Airport is a culmination of modern architecture and contemporary Indian style.

Reaching New Delhi Via Other Major Points of Entry
The airports at the major metro cities of Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata are well-connected with international destinations and offer convenient onward connections to New Delhi.

For those who are planning to take pre or post conference tours to other parts of India, it may make more sense to use Delhi or Mumbai as gateway cities. Please contact the official TRANSED 2012 PCO - Kuoni Destination Management at transed2012@in.kuoni.com  to help you plan your travel.

Both the terminals (domestic & international) of the New Delhi airport are disabled friendly and are well connected to the city via Delhi Metro, Delhi Transport Corporation Buses and Taxis.

You can also book your airport transfer in advance with Conference Managers to avoid any inconvenience on your arrival.

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 well in time. Your travel agent may also be able to help you. For a list of Indian Embassies across the world please click here

The Government of India has announced a scheme of granting Tourist Visa on Arrival to the citizens of:

• Finland
• Luxemburg
• New Zealand
• Cambodia
• Japan
• Laos
• Vietnam
• Philippines

For detailed information click here

Foreign passengers of countries not mentioned above must ensure that they are in possession of a valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India. Nationals of Nepal and Bhutan do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives do not require a visa for entry into 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, Government of India 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 fee is non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The High Commission reserves the right to granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making the application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right to entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.

The instructions and information given here are general in nature. For specific information please contact the respective Indian Mission.

Visa Application Form
Visa application form is available at the Indian Mission in the country where the applicant resides. All NRIs/PIOs, including children (who don’t possess OCI or PIO card) need to apply for Visa in separate visa forms.

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.

Travel Visa application requirements

• Valid passport
• Completed application form. (Nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh must complete special application forms)
• Two passport-size photographs. (Nationals of Pakistan will require five)
• Visa fee
• Stamped self-addressed delivery envelope for postal applications.

Types of applicable Visa

• Tourist Visa
  Validity: 6 months. The applicant is required to submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourists travelling 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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

Processing time
Personal applications are processed the same day. Postal applications will take approximately two weeks.

Travel Accessibility

New Delhi is perhaps the most used entry point for India and many International airlines connect it to all parts of the World.

Airports in India
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.

Electricity

230-240V, 50 HZ. Sockets accept round pins.

India follows the 3 pin concept (earthed). However, the 2 pin variants also will work (except that such devices are not earth protected). The new plug points may have a combination of different types of plugs. The ones in some hotels have 2 three-pin plugs (1 small and 1 large). In some new hotels and offices, the plugs/sockets allow Indian type pins as well as the US type pins (you will still need a voltage converter unless your adapter supports 240V). Therefore, it is advisable to carry universal adaptors, should you wish to use appliances of 110 volts.

SOCKET

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UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTORS

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Travel Insurance

Participants are reminded that it is advisable to obtain travel insurance. Such insurance should cover payment for your medical care in the case of hospitalization as well as the cost of repatriation to your home country if that should become necessary.

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.

Language

A host of languages are spoken in India. English is widely spoken or understood except in rural areas while Hindi remains the main language that is widely spoken and understood in northern India.

Banking and Currency

The currency in India is the INR (Indian National 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 conference 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.

Climate
During September - October the temperature in New Delhi is 25 - 34 ºC, with possibility of occasional rain.

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.

Telephone

The Country Code for INDIA is +91.
The City Code for NEW DELHI is +11.
Landline numbers in major cities like, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Chennai have eight digits whereas the numbers in smaller cities could have only 4-7 digits. All mobile numbers are 10 digits & begin with 7, 8 & 9.

Area Codes in India are referred to as STD codes. STD codes for some major cities are:

Dialing India:

• Landline: International access code (00 or +) followed by 91, then STD CODE followed by Landline no. Eg. +91 11 XXXXXXXX
• Mobile: International access code (00 or +) followed by 91 and the 10-digit Mobile no. Eg. +91 XXXXXXXXXX.

Dialing within India:

• From Indian landline to Indian landline
  - Local call: Landline no. (Ex. 45600000)
  - Long distance call - 0 then STD Code followed by Landline no. (Ex. 022 45600000)
• From Indian landline to Indian Mobile
  - Local call -10 digits Mobile no. (Ex. 9900990099)
  - Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digits Mobile no. (Ex. 0 9900990099)
• From Indian Mobile to Indian landline
  - Local or Long distance calls - 0 followed by STD Code, followed by Landline no.
  (Ex. 022 45600000)
• From Indian Mobile to Indian Mobile
  - Local Call - 10 digits Mobile no. (Ex. 9900990099)
  - Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digits Mobile no. (Ex. 0 9900990099)

Dialing out of India to an International number
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.

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
Tipping is optional but a common practice in India. The usual practice is leaving a 5-10% tip for the services provided.

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 in India.

Key Contacts for Assistance