Money and SIM cards for visitors

We are a travel operator, not a bank, a currency-exchange licensee or a telecoms regulator. What follows is general, practical guidance based on how our travellers typically manage money and connectivity — for anything with a specific regulatory limit (currency import/export limits, foreign exchange rules, SIM registration requirements), confirm directly with your bank, the Reserve Bank of India's public guidance, or your mobile provider. (confirmed on enquiry)

• Cash still matters — many smaller shops, local transport and rural stops don't take cards; carrying some Indian rupees in cash is genuinely useful even on a well-planned trip.
• International cards are widely accepted at hotels, larger restaurants and shops in cities, less reliably in smaller towns.
• ATMs are common in cities; check your home bank's foreign transaction fees before relying on them heavily.
• Currency exchange counters at airports are convenient but often less favourable than a bank or city exchange counter — a small amount at the airport for immediate needs, more later, is a common approach.

• A local prepaid SIM is available at the airport or in most cities, with your passport required for mandatory registration.
• International eSIMs generally work well across most of the country; coverage is genuinely limited in remote regions, notably parts of Ladakh, where only certain postpaid SIMs on specific networks work reliably.
• Activation of a new local SIM can take a few hours to a day — plan your first day's connectivity needs accordingly rather than assuming instant activation.

If you hold Indian bank accounts or an NRI/OCI-specific banking relationship, your own bank's rules on card use and cash withdrawal while in India may differ from a purely foreign-passport visitor's — check directly with your bank before travelling rather than assuming standard tourist guidance applies.