Travel & safety — India

India, the world's largest democracy, has a very diverse population, geography, and climate.

India is the world's second most populous country, as well as the seventh largest in area.

Tourist facilities offer varying degrees of comfort.

Amenities are widely available in large cities and tourist areas.

India continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities that may affect U.S. citizens directly or indirectly.

Anti-Western terrorist groups, some on the U.S. government's list of foreign terrorist organizations, are active in India, including Islamist extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Indian Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e Tayyiba.

The U.S. government occasionally receives information regarding possible terrorist attacks that could take place in India, monitors such information to determine credibility, and advises U.S. citizens accordingly.

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Past attacks have targeted public places, including some frequented by Westerners, such as luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas.

Attacks have taken place during the busy evening hours in markets and other crowded places but could occur at any time.

Recent incidents include a series of explosions at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya on July 7, 2013, that caused damage to the temple complex; an explosion on April 17, 2013, in Bangalore in which sixteen people were reported to have been injured; twin bombings near a bus stop and commercial area in Hyderabad on February 21, 2013, that killed 17 and injured 119 bystanders; the February 13, 2012 bombing of an Israeli diplomatic vehicle near the diplomatic enclave in New Delhi that injured four persons; the September 7, 2011 bomb blast at New Delhi’s High Court that killed 12 people; and the July 13, 2011 bombings in crowded areas in Mumbai, where three separate explosions killed 21 people and injured more than 100.

The Maoists (also known as “Naxalites”) are the most active insurgent group in India.

The Naxalites typically attack Indian government officials but have also derailed trains, targeted other government buildings such as police stations, and kidnapped foreigners.

They operate mostly in the more remote areas of the country.

U.S. citizens should always practice good security.

Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile.

Monitor local news reports, vary your routes and times in carrying out daily activities, and consider the level of security present when you visit public places - including religious sites - and choosing hotels, restaurants, and entertainment and recreation venues.

Beyond the threat from terrorism and insurgencies, demonstrations and general strikes, or “bandh,” often cause major inconvenience.

These strikes can result in the stoppage of all transportation and tourist related services, at times for 24 hours or more.

U.S. citizens caught in such a strike may find they are unable to make flight and rail connections, as local transportation can be severely limited.

Local media generally give an idea of the length and extent of the strike.

Large religious gatherings that attract hundreds of thousands of people can result in dangerous and often life-threatening stampedes.

Local demonstrations can begin spontaneously and escalate with little warning, disrupting transportation systems and city services and posing risks to travelers.

In response to such events, Indian authorities occasionally impose curfews and/or restrict travel.

You are urged to obey such curfews and travel restrictions and to avoid demonstrations and rallies as they have the potential for violence, especially immediately preceding and following elections and religious festivals (particularly when Hindu and Muslim festivals coincide).

Tensions between castes and religious groups can also result in disruptions and violence.

In some cases, demonstrators specifically block roads near popular tourist sites and disrupt train operations in order to gain the attention of Indian authorities; occasionally vehicles transporting tourists are attacked in these incidents.

India generally goes on “High Alert” status prior to ma

Petty crime, especially theft of personal property (including U.S. passports), is common, particularly on trains or buses, at airports, and in major tourist areas.

Pickpockets can be very adept and women have reported having their bags snatched, purse straps cut, or the bottom of their purses slit without their knowledge.

If you are traveling by train, lock your sleeping compartments and take your valuables with you when leaving your berth.

If you travel by air, be careful with your bags in the arrival and departure areas outside airports.

Violent crime, especially directed against foreigners, has traditionally been uncommon, although in recent years there has been a modest increase.

Be cautious about displaying cash or expensive items to reduce the chance of being a target for robbery or other crimes, and be aware of your surroundings when you use ATMs.

ATM card scams have been used to clone credit card details to withdraw money.

Gangs and criminal elements operate in major cities and have sometimes targeted unsuspecting business travelers and their family members for kidnapping or extortion.

Sexual Assault: Travelers should be aware that there have been reported cases of sexual assault, including rape, of U.S. citizens traveling throughout India.

U.S. citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India.

Western women, especially those of African descent, continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups of men.

Known locally as “Eve-teasing,” these incidents of sexual harassment can be quite frightening.

Sexual harassment can occur anytime or anywhere, but most frequently has happened in crowded areas such as in marketplaces, train stations, buses, and public streets.

The harassment can range from sexually suggestive or lewd comments to catcalls to outright groping.

If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect local dress and customs.

While reported incidences of sexual assault have been isolated, Indian authorities report rape as one of the fastest-growing crimes in India.

Among large cities, Delhi experienced the highest number of crimes against women.

Although most victims have been local residents, recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are at risk and should exercise vigilance.

Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding the use of public transport after dark without the company of known and trustworthy companions, restricting evening entertainment to well-known venues, and avoiding isolated areas when alone at any time of day.

If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect conservative local dress and customs.

Keep your hotel room number confidential and make sure hotel room doors have chains, deadlocks, and spy holes.

In addition, only hire reliable cars and drivers and avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially at night.

Use taxis from hotels and pre-paid taxis at airports rather than hailing them on the street.

If you encounter threatening situations, call “100” for police assistance (“112” from mobile phones).

Scams: Major airports, train stations, popular restaurants, and tourist sites are often used by scam artists looking to prey on visitors, often by creating a distraction.

Beware of taxi drivers and others, including train porters, who solicit travelers with "come-on" offers of cheap transportation and/or hotels.

Travelers accepting such offers have frequently found themselves the victims of scams, including offers to assist with "necessary" transfers to the domestic airport, disproportionately expensive hotel rooms, unwanted "tours," unwelcome "purchases," extended cab rides, substandard hotel rooms at overly expensive rates and even threats when the tourists decline to pay.

There have been reports of tourists being lured, held hostage, and extorted for money in the face of threats of violence against the traveler and his/her family

While you are traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even though you are a U.S. citizen.

Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.

In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you.

In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings.

In some places, driving under the influence of alcohol could land you immediately in jail.

These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

If you do something illegal in your host country, your U.S. passport won’t help.

It is very important to know what is legal and what is not where you are going.

It is also important to note that there are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States.

For example, you can be prosecuted in the United States if you buy pirated goods, engage in sexual conduct with children, or use or disseminate child pornography in a foreign country even if those activities are not illegal in that country.

Each of India’s states has independent regulations concerning alcohol purchase and consumption.

Legal drinking ages range from 18 to 25 and can vary by beverage type.

Some states permit alcohol use for medicinal purposes only, others require you to hold a permit to buy, transport, or consume alcohol.

Penalties for violation can be harsh, so travelers are advised to check with Indian authorities in the states they plan to visit.

While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested, that might not always be the case.

To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

Languages Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; note - English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; there are 22 other officially recognized languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

The quality of medical care in India varies considerably.

Medical care in the major population centers approaches and occasionally meets Western standards, but adequate medical care is usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas.

If you are arriving in India from Sub-Saharan Africa or other yellow-fever areas, Indian health regulations require that you present evidence of vaccination against yellow fever.

If you do not have such proof, you could be subjected to immediate deportation or a six-day detention in the yellow-fever quarantine center.

If you transit through any part of sub-Saharan Africa, even for one day, you are advised to carry proof of yellow fever immunization.

Good information on vaccinations and other health precautions are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by calling the hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747).

Some vaccines such as Typhoid, Influenza, and Hepatitis A are recommended for all travelers, and other vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, and Rabies are recommended for high-risk travelers.

A high risk of rabies transmission exists in most of India with dogs and bats posing the most common threat.

Vaccination is recommended for all prolonged stays with a priority for young children and travelers in rural areas.

It is also recommended for shorter stays that involve occupational exposure; locations more than 24 hours' travel from a reliable source of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine for post-exposure treatment; adventure travelers, hikers, cave explorers, and backpackers.

Monkeys also can transmit rabies and herpes B, among other diseases, to human victims.

Avoid feeding monkeys.

If bitten, you should immediately soak and scrub the bite for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical attention.

Influenza is transmitted from November to April in areas north of the Tropic of Cancer, and from June through November (the rainy season) in areas south of the Tropic of Cancer, with a smaller peak from February through April; off-season transmission can also occur.

All travelers are at increased risk.

The influenza vaccine is recommended for all travelers during the flu season.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (H5N1 virus) occur intermittently in eastern India, including West Bengal, Manipur, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam.

For further information on avian influenza (bird flu), please refer to the Department of State's Avian Influenza Fact Sheet.

Malaria prophylaxis depends on the time of year and area the traveler is visiting.

Please consult the CDC website for more information.

Dengue fever presents a significant risk in urban and rural areas.

The highest number of cases is reported from July to December, with cases peaking from September to October.

Daytime insect precautions are recommended.

For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

These websites provide useful information, such as suggested vaccinations for visitors to India, safe food and water precautions, appropriate measures to avoid contraction of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and Japanese B encephalitis), suggestions to avoid altitude sickness, etc.

Further, these sites provide information on disease outbreaks that may arise from time to time.

Outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya occur in various parts of India each year.

You should check these sites shortly before traveling to India.

Further health information for travelers is available from the WHO.

Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in India.

For further information, please consult the CDC’s Travel Notice on TB.

For emergency services, dial 112 from a cell phone; from a landline, dial 100 for police, 102 for an ambulance (108 in

Traveling by road in India is dangerous.

India leads the world in traffic-related deaths and a number of U.S. citizens have suffered fatal traffic accidents in recent years.

You should exercise extreme caution when crossing streets, even in marked pedestrian areas, and try to use only cars that have seatbelts.

Seat belts are not common in taxis.

Helmets should always be worn on motorcycles and bicycles.

Travel at night is particularly hazardous.

Buses, patronized by hundreds of millions of Indians, are convenient in that they serve almost every city of any size.

However, they are usually driven fast, recklessly, and without consideration for the rules of the road.

Accidents are quite common.

Trains are safer than buses, but train accidents still occur more frequently than in other countries.

In order to drive in India, you must have either a valid Indian driver’s license or a valid international driver’s license.

Because of difficult road and traffic conditions, you may wish to consider hiring a local driver.

On Indian roads, the safest driving policy is to always assume that other drivers will not respond to a traffic situation in the same way you would in the United States.

Buses and trucks often run red lights and merge directly into traffic at yield points and traffic circles.

Cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles, and pedestrians behave only slightly more cautiously.

Use your horn or flash your headlights frequently to announce your presence.

It is both customary and wise.

Inside and outside major cities, roads are often poorly maintained and congested.

Even main roads frequently have only two lanes, with poor visibility and inadequate warning markers.

On the few divided highways, one can expect to meet local transportation traveling in the wrong direction, often without lights.

Heavy traffic is the norm and includes (but is not limited to) overloaded trucks and buses, scooters, pedestrians, bullock and camel carts, horse or elephant riders en route to weddings, bicycles, and free-roaming livestock.

Traffic in India moves on the left.

It is important to be alert while crossing streets and intersections, especially after dark as traffic is coming in the "wrong" direction.

Travelers should remember to use seatbelts in both rear and front seats where available and to ask their drivers to maintain a safe speed.

If a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, the vehicle and its occupants are at risk of being attacked by passersby.

Such attacks pose a significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or risk of incineration of the vehicle.

It could be unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature, and drivers may instead wish to seek out the nearest police station.

Protestors often use road blockage as a means of publicizing their grievances, causing severe inconvenience to travelers.

Visitors should monitor local news reports for any reports of road disturbances.

Emergency Numbers: The following emergency numbers work in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata: Police 100 Fire Brigade 101 Ambulance 102