Currency and Visa, Indian Currency, Indian Visa, India Currency and Visa

Currency

The currency of India is the Rupee, which has 100 paise to it. The Indian rupee (INR) comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. The money can be exchanged in bank, at the hotels and even at the venue. It is advisable that the local transactions be done only in INR. Exchanging of foreign currency other than at banks or authorized money changers is an offence under Foreign Exchange Regulations Act 1973.
Do not accept torn or disfigured notes. In case you do get torn notes you can change them at the Reserve Bank of India or large branches of other big banks.

Visa

Passport and Visa Requirements :
Citizens of all countries, (except Nepal and Bhutan), require a valid national passport or valid travel documents and a valid visa granted by Indian Missions / Consulates abroad for entering India. Nepalese or Bhutanese citizens need no passport or visa but should possess suitable documents for their identification when proceeding from their respective countries.

Conference Visa :
It is recommended that the Delegates coming to attend international conferences in India should opt for Conference Visa to cover the conference as well as for tourism in India. Delegates are advised to apply to Indian Embassies well in advance, with an invitation letter from the secretariat.
Tourist Visa : Usually for spouses and accompanying persons, a visa valid for a period of 90 to 180 days, is granted for the purpose of tourism. The visa is valid from the date of issue.

Visa Categories

Category	Details
Tourist Visa	Valid for three/six months stay.
Entry Visa	Valid for three months to five years stay with multiple entries. Five year long-term stay visas are available to persons of Indian origin only.
Business Visa	Valid for one to ten years with multiple entries. A letter from Sponsoring organization indicating nature of applicants business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application. Business visa valid for five years with multiple entries is available to foreign businessmen who have set up or intend to set up joint ventures in India.
Student Visa	Valid for six months to one year with multiple entries for bonafied students to pursue regular studies at recognized institutions in India. A letter confirming admission from such an institution along with evidence of financial arrangements for stay in India should accompany application. In case of admission in medical or Para-medical courses in India, a letter of approval or No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Health is also required. Likewise, for admission in graduate or post-graduate courses in Engineering or Technical institutions in India, a letter of approval or a No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Human Resources Development Dept. of Education) should be submitted. For research purposes detail synopsis of the research project, countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India should be submitted. NOTE: Processing of applications for research may take about three months.
Transit Visa	Valid for single/double entry for maximum stay of 15 days for bonafied transit purposes only.
Missionaries	Valid for single entry and duration as permitted by government of India. A letter, in triplicate, from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant�s maintenance while in India. NOTE: Processing of applications for missionaries may take up to three months.
Journalist Visa	Journalist visas are given to professional journalists and photographers for three-month�s stay in India.
Employment Visa	Employment visas are initially issued for one year stay. This can be extended by the Foreigners, Regional Registration Office in India, if the job contract continues. Spouses and children will get coterminous visas.
Conference Visa	A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted along with the visa application. For visit to Restricted or Protected Areas, a separate form (in triplicate) is to be filled in along with three photos. Processing of this application will take two months. Besides the above-mentioned categories, visas are also available for learning Yoga, Music and Dance in India from the institutions approved by the government of India.
No Refunds: Visa fee once received cannot be refunded, even if the application is withdrawn, visa is refused or the type of visa applied for has not been granted. Incomplete/false information: Application forms should be filled in fully, legibly and accurately and submitted with passport. Misrepresentation of facts may result in denial of visa. Application received with incomplete details will remain unprocessed. Applications are accepted from 9:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. The visa counters are closed at 1:00 p.m., except in emergency cases, such as death and serious illness in the family. Visa is issued on the same day between 4:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., except where prior reference is required to be made to the authorities in India. Applications from non-US passport holders, who are not permanent/long-term resident in this country, take five working days to process. Visa applications are also accepted by mail. Please go through detailed instructions before submitting visa applications.