Foreigners in India: What You Need to Know Before You Go
When foreigners, international visitors traveling to India for tourism, work, or spiritual exploration arrive in India, they often find a country that’s both overwhelming and deeply welcoming. India doesn’t just welcome foreigners—it expects them to engage, explore, and adapt. Whether you’re here for the temples of Varanasi, the beaches of Goa, or the trekking trails of Uttarakhand, your experience will depend less on famous landmarks and more on how well you understand the basics: safety, cost, culture, and logistics.
One of the first things foreigners, international visitors traveling to India for tourism, work, or spiritual exploration need to know is that India’s visa process, a digital system requiring online application, payment, and approval before arrival for most nationalities is straightforward but easy to mess up. For example, U.S. citizens pay $160 for a 10-year multiple-entry visa, and skipping the printout of the e-Visa can get you turned away at immigration. The safest cities, urban areas in India with low crime rates and strong infrastructure for tourists, like Indore and Coimbatore aren’t always the most famous ones. You’ll find fewer scams, better street lighting, and more reliable public transport there than in Delhi or Jaipur. And while many assume India is cheap, the truth is more nuanced: $20 can buy you three meals, a train ride across town, and a temple entry ticket—but only if you know where to look.
What foreigners actually experience in India
Most foreigners come for the culture, the food, the spirituality, or the adventure—and they leave surprised by how much of it feels real. Rishikesh isn’t just a yoga hub; it’s where foreigners sit cross-legged on the Ganges banks at dawn, watching monks chant while backpackers sip chai. The Blue Flag beaches of Goa aren’t just clean—they’re the only ones in India where you can swim without worrying about sewage or strong currents. And yes, skydiving over Amritsar is real. You don’t need to be an athlete. You just need to book with a licensed operator and show up with a passport.
Foreigners who plan well avoid the big mistakes: overpaying for tuk-tuks, eating raw salad in unfamiliar places, or assuming all temples allow photography. The biggest temple festival in India, Sri Ratha Yatra in Puri, draws over a million people. If you’re there, wear comfortable shoes, carry water, and don’t expect silence. It’s loud, chaotic, and holy—and that’s the point. Same with the Taj Mahal. You’ll see crowds, but if you go at sunrise, you’ll also see the marble glow pink and feel the quiet awe that makes millions return.
India doesn’t cater to foreigners. It invites them. You won’t find English everywhere, but you’ll find people who will help you anyway. A rickshaw driver who doesn’t speak English will still walk you to the right bus stop. A shopkeeper in Varanasi will hand you a tea and point to the temple across the river. The real magic isn’t in the monuments. It’s in the moments when you realize you’re not a tourist anymore—you’re just another person passing through, learning, and being welcomed.
Below, you’ll find real guides written by people who’ve been there: how to fly into the right airport for your beach trip, which train station gets you closest to the Himalayas, how much to budget, and which places to avoid. No fluff. No hype. Just what works.
