Carry a mix: cards work in cities and tourist areas, but cash still runs small towns, markets and autos. Foreign visitors can also pay by QR code with the UPI One World wallet, per NPCI. Sort your phone data before you land - an eSIM installed at home or a tourist SIM at the airport - and pack for strong sun, dust and sudden rain.
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR)
- Cards
- Work in cities; keep cash for small towns and markets
- UPI for foreigners
- UPI One World wallet, after passport and visa KYC (NPCI)
- SIM
- Airport tourist SIM or home-installed eSIM; passport and visa copy needed
- Plugs
- Round-pin sockets (types C, D, M); universal adapter covers them
Packing checklist
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Clothes and footwear
Personal and health needs
Electronics
Money and forex (INR)
Rules checked 31 Oct 2026
The currency is the Indian rupee (INR). Cards are widely accepted in cities, hotels and larger restaurants; cash is still king in small towns, local markets, autos and many temples. UPI QR-code payments are everywhere locals shop, and foreign visitors can use them too through the UPI One World wallet, issued at airports and authorised counters after a passport-and-visa KYC, per NPCI.
Cash and cards
In cities, paying by card at hotels, restaurants and larger shops usually works; keep cash for street food, markets, small museums, autos and tips. Withdraw from ATMs attached to bank branches - they are more likely to work with foreign cards and easier to revisit if one keeps your card. Break large notes early: a 500-rupee note can be hard to change in a village shop.
ATMs and fees
Your home bank and the Indian ATM operator may both charge a fee per withdrawal, so fewer, larger withdrawals usually cost less than many small ones. Check your bank's foreign transaction fee before you fly, and keep your bank's international helpline saved offline in case a card is blocked.
Pay in the local currency
If a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and choose to pay in rupees. Paying in your own currency hands the conversion to the merchant's bank at a rate that is almost always worse than your own card's rate.
Backup plan
Carry two cards from different banks and networks, keep them in different bags, and hold a small reserve of cash separately. If cards fail altogether, the UPI One World wallet (passport and visa KYC at the airport, per NPCI) or a trusted forex counter in the city is the fallback - airport exchange rates are usually the worst, so change only what you need on arrival.
SIM / eSIM
Two easy options: install a travel eSIM before you leave home, or buy a tourist SIM at the airport after landing. Indian prepaid SIMs for foreign visitors need a passport and visa copy for KYC, so keep both handy at the counter. Airport counters of the big operators are used to tourists and are the least-hassle route.
Installing vs activating
An eSIM can be installed on your phone at home over Wi-Fi, but many plans only activate - and start their validity clock - on first use in India, per the providers' own terms. Check whether your plan starts on installation or on first network use, so a multi-week plan does not burn days before you land.
Backup connectivity
Keep your home SIM active for bank OTPs, but turn off its data roaming to avoid shock bills. Download offline maps of your first city, and save key bookings and addresses as screenshots - hotel Wi-Fi plus a local data plan covers nearly everything else.
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