India is a place of stunning natural beauty, incredible local food and vibrant culture.
Whether you're going to Delhi or Goa, planning an adventure, or enjoying two weeks by the pool, travel insurance can cover you against many travelling mishaps.
Here's everything you need to know about travelling to India, and how to insure yourself while you're there.
The standard of healthcare in India can be poor, and private healthcare is costly. Travel insurance can make sure you don't lose out on thousands of pounds to pay for medical treatment.
If your flights or other connecting travel gets cancelled, you can get compensation.
Pickpocketing can be a problem in tourist areas like Delhi, so having a policy that covers your baggage and other belongings if they're stolen is a good idea.
If you need to get home in an emergency, your travel insurance can cover the cost of flights home.
This will cover you if your travel gets delayed or disrupted. This could be because of adverse weather or strikes.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) give travel advice for visiting different countries. If the FCDO has advised against travelling to a certain country and you go anyway, you won't be covered.
Mishaps that happen because of drugs or alcohol won't be covered.
Things like natural disasters that have already happened won't be covered by your policy. This means any claims made as a result of them won't be covered.
Standard policies won't typically cover high risk activies. You'll need adventure travel insurance to cover you here.
Your travel insurance won't cover you if you change your mind about going away.
Travel insurance costs for India:
Solo traveller
£10.541
Couple
£14.672
Family
£38.443
Travel insurance for India could cost you as little as £10.54.
Just bear in mind that several factors go into determining what you pay, like your age, any health conditions you have and any additional extras you tack on to your policy.
So what you pay for your cover might differ.
1Lowest price for a single traveller, aged 30, with no health conditions staying in India for 7 nights. Prices correct as of October 2024.
2Lowest price for a couple, both aged30 with no health conditions, staying in India for 7 nights. Prices correct as of October 2024.
3Lowest price for a family of two adults, both aged 30, and two children, both aged 5, with no health conditions travelling to India for 7 nights. Prices correct as of October 2024.
Depending on what your trip will involve, you might want to think about adding optional extras to your policy. Extras are a good thing to consider if you're going away for a particular reason, like on business or to take part in certain adventure activities.
Yes, if you’re a UK resident you’ll need a visa to visit India, unless you have an overseas citizens of India card.
You can apply for a visa at the Bureau of Immigration.
If you're of Pakistani descent, you might have to wait longer for your visa to be processed. It's a good idea to apply well enough in advance so it's sorted in time for your trip.
To travel to India you’ll also need six months on your passport.
You'll also need two blank pages in your passport so there's room for visas or stamps.
You can't add any pages to your passport, so if you haven't got enough pages you'll need to renew the passport.
India has an extensive rail network, with a rich history. You can get to most of the country by train, but coach class can be uncomfortably full, without air con and might not have toilets. If possible, you might want to opt for first-class.
Like trains, buses in India are extensive but can be extremely busy. It's unlikely that buses will offer the option of first-class like trains.
GOV.UK warns that some British tourists have been scammed by unofficial taxi drivers who offer cheap transport. Travellers who have accepted these offers have reported being threatened with violence when they've refused to pay.
Always use official taxi ranks to avoid being scammed. Pre-paid taxi services are available from inside all airport terminal buildings and many hotels offer transfers. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Ola are also widely available in India.
You can drive on a UK license while you're in India, but you’ll need to get an international driving permit.
You may also need car hire excess insurance if you're going to be renting a car.
It's good to be aware that driving standards are lower in India, and road accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the country. Make sure to always exercise extreme caution and do not expect other drivers to obey traffic laws.
Another important thing to note is that cows are sacred in India and can often bring traffic to a standstill. If you hit a cow with your car, you might get a very negative reaction from people local to the area. If this happens, you should call the police and wait for help.
Air travel is of good standard and is generally the best way to get around India because of how vast it is.
Currently, there are some travel warnings in place for India. You should always check the FCDO advice before you go away, as it can quickly change.
The FCDO are currently warning against travel to areas of unrest.
This includes:
To gain entry into India, you won't legally need to have had any travel vaccinations. However, Fit for Travel encourages UK residents to get these vaccinations:
You may also want to consider:
It's worth getting these if you're going to an area where these are prevalent or entering situations where infection is likely.
It's always worth speaking to your GP for advice on vaccinations for travelling before you leave.
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