For Personal/Tourism Travel (BTQ), Exchange upto USD 5000 or its equivalent per person in one calendar year for one or more private visits to any country (except Nepal and Bhutan).

For Business/Official Travel, Exchange upto USD 25000 or its equivalent per person trip irrespective of period of stay for business travel

You are entitled to purchase USD 50 as Airport Allowance for all trips over and above your per diem allowance

There are no restrictions to bring foreign exchange by persons visiting India. The Reserve Bank has granted general permission to incoming travellers to bring foreign currency into India from any place outside India without limit, provided they declare to the Customs authorities, on arrival at the airport/ seaport, the particulars of all such foreign currency brought in on the Currency Declaration Form (CDF). The declaration is necessary if the aggregate value of the foreign exchange brought in, in the form of currency notes, bank notes or travellers cheques at any one time exceeds U.S. $10,000 or its equivalent and/ or the aggregate value of currency notes alone exceeds U.S.$ 2,500 or its equivalent.

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In the event of cancellation of the journey, foreign exchange drawn by a traveller should be surrendered within 30 days from the date on which he comes to know that the foreign exchange drawn cannot be used for the travel.

Unspent exchange brought back to India by a traveller should be surrendered within 90 days from the date of return.

The Reserve Bank has granted general permission to persons resident in India to hold foreign currency/ ies up to U.S.$ 2000 or its equivalent for personal purposes. They are also permitted to take out the foreign currency/ ies so held during their visits abroad over and above the foreign exchange purchased for purposes of travel.

A person can purchase foreign exchange for travel abroad against payment in cash if the rupee equivalent payable by him does not exceed Rs. 50,000. If the rupee value of foreign exchange exceeds Rs. 50,000, the entire payment should be made by way of a crossed cheque drawn on applicant's bank account or the bank account of the firm/company sponsoring the visit. Payment in such cases can also be made in the form of a banker's cheque/ pay order/demand draft, provided such instrument is accompanied by a certificate from the issuing bank that the funds for the instrument have been received by debit to the customer's bank account.

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The basic requirements for obtaining foreign exchange for travel abroad are that the traveller should possess a valid passport authorising travel to the countries proposed to be visited and a ticket issued for a journey to those countries.

Only foreign nationals permanently resident in India can avail of BTQ facility. They have to apply in writing to an office of the Reserve Bank under whose jurisdiction they are residing for release of exchange under the Scheme. The application should contain particulars, such as, name, address, nationality, country/ies of visit and the number, date and place of issue of passport. Foreign nationals also have to declare the exchange already availed of under the Basic Travel Quota, if any, during the calendar year and other remittance facilities they have availed of.

Only foreign nationals permanently resident in India can avail of BTQ facility. They have to apply in writing to an office of the Reserve Bank under whose jurisdiction they are residing for release of exchange under the Scheme. The application should contain particulars, such as, name, address, nationality, country/ies of visit and the number, date and place of issue of passport. Foreign nationals also have to declare the exchange already availed of under the Basic Travel Quota, if any, during the calendar year and other remittance facilities they have availed of.

Travel under BTQ can be combined with visits for business, conference, seminar, training, study tour, Haj pilgrimage and employment. Persons emigrating from India and drawing foreign exchange for that purpose cannot, however, draw additional exchange under BTQ.

Travellers going to neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh by bus or rail can draw foreign exchange from authorised dealers/ full-fledged money-changers, on production of the ticket.