Permits, pollution and a passport stamp: India's travel advice has been gone through line by line
What happened
On 7 October 2026 the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) published a reviewed version of its India travel advice. This was not a single new warning. The FCDO says the advice has been reviewed for accuracy, with minor amendments made throughout. The changes touch access permits, scams, trekking, air and rail travel, the India-Pakistan border area, Western India and healthcare in India, across the Entry requirements, Safety and security and Health pages. A full review is worth more attention than it usually gets. Travel advice pages tend to be updated piecemeal, one incident at a time. A line-by-line review is when the accumulated small things get corrected at once - and those small things are usually the practical ones that affect whether a trip goes smoothly. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border. The Wagah-Attari crossing is closed except for the daily border ceremony. India remains one of the most popular long-haul destinations for UK travellers, with large numbers visiting family as well as travelling for tourism and work.
Why this matters
Travel insurance is the blunt reason to care. If you travel against FCDO advice, your insurance can be invalidated. That is stated plainly on the advice page, and it applies to the areas where the FCDO advises against travel. But most of what changed in this review is not about danger. It is about paperwork and practicalities, which is where trips actually come unstuck. India has registration and permit requirements that many visitors do not expect. Accommodation providers - hotels, hostels and homestay owners - must register foreign guests with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office using an online C-form. If you are staying more than 180 days without an Overseas Citizen of India card, you must register with that office within 14 days of arrival. There is also the passport stamp. The FCDO specifically advises making sure the border officer stamps your passport on arrival, because you have to show it when you leave so officers know you have not overstayed. An unstamped passport is a very avoidable problem. And there is the matter of altitude and air. Both have health consequences that are easy to underestimate from a British autumn.
What the evidence actually says
Taking the main areas the FCDO flagged in turn: Permits and registration. The e-arrival card is not a visa - you still need a valid visa or OCI card. Overstaying is illegal, and British nationals who have overstayed have found it hard to get accommodation. Some areas require special permits, including for trekking. Scams. The FCDO says cybercrime, internet scamming, card skimming and confidence scams are common and can cause great financial loss. Notably, criminals often use the details of British High Commissions and Embassies to appear genuine. Cybercrime can be reported on the National Cybercrime Helpline by dialling 1930. Trekking. Travel in groups, use reputable local guides, stay on established routes and check whether permits are needed. Leave your plans with your accommodation, which should register your whereabouts on the C-form, because phone signal in the mountains is extremely unlikely. Hazards exist all year, especially above 3,000 metres: altitude sickness, sudden weather changes, avalanches, landslides and rock falls. Insurance should cover altitudes above 2,400m and mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Ground-based commercial rescue teams generally do not operate above 3,000m, though commercial helicopters do - and in some border areas only the Indian Air Force can carry out air rescues, under no obligation to do so. Satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal to possess or operate without prior permission from the Indian authorities. Air and rail travel. Allow time for check-in, screening and transfers between international and domestic terminals. Mumbai and Goa each have two airports a considerable distance apart, so check which one you are booked into. If you arrive on a charter flight, you can only fly in and out with the same charter operator, not on a scheduled airline. Train travel is generally safe but accidents have caused deaths and serious injury; carry valid ID, do not accept food or drink from strangers, guard your passport and valuables, and avoid people at stations offering tickets and tours. Health. Severe air pollution is described as a major health hazard, especially in winter from October to February, worst in north Indian cities and metros. Children, older people and those with existing conditions may be especially affected, and anyone pregnant or with a respiratory or heart condition may wish to consult a medical practitioner before travelling. Dengue, malaria, Zika and chikungunya are listed risks, and altitude sickness is a risk in parts of the country. Pharmacies are widely available, and most medicines needing a prescription in the UK will need one in India. Specialised treatment may not be available outside major cities, and hospitals usually expect a guardian or attendant to stay with the patient.
Qurexa perspective
The medicines part of this is the bit we see go wrong most often, and it is entirely preventable. People book a four-week trip to see family, then realise a fortnight before flying that they only have ten days of tablets left. Repeat prescriptions take time, and a pharmacy cannot simply hand over three months of medication because a flight is booked - there are rules about how far ahead supplies can be dispensed. So the honest advice is to start early. Speak to your GP surgery six to eight weeks before a long trip, not six days. And take your medicines in their original packaging with the dispensing label on, which is what the FCDO recommends for showing exactly what you need. If you have your prescriptions delivered by us and you have a trip coming up, tell us the dates. We would far rather plan around a holiday than scramble the week before one. It is a short conversation that saves a lot of worry at an airport.
Practical advice
If India is on your list, work through this before you go. Read the current advice yourself at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india. It changes, and this is a reviewed version. Check your visa or OCI card is valid, and remember the e-arrival card is not a visa. Get your passport stamped on arrival. Check before you walk away from the desk. Make sure your accommodation registers you on the C-form. If you are staying over 180 days without an OCI card, register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within 14 days. Check which airport you are flying into for Mumbai or Goa, and leave real time for terminal transfers. If you are trekking, check your insurance covers altitudes above 2,400m, mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Confirm permits. Tell someone your route. Do not take a satellite phone or GPS device without prior permission from the Indian authorities. If you or your family have asthma, COPD or heart conditions, factor in winter air pollution from October to February and take your reliever inhalers and any usual medicines with you. See a travel health service at least eight weeks before you go for vaccines and malaria advice, and check TravelHealthPro. Take enough of your regular medicines in original packaging, and carry a copy of your prescription. And get proper travel insurance that covers your actual itinerary, including any activities and altitudes.
What to know
The FCDO published a reviewed India travel advice on 7 October 2026, with amendments throughout covering access permits, scams, trekking, air and rail travel, the India-Pakistan border area, Western India and healthcare. Travelling against FCDO advice can invalidate your insurance, and the FCDO still advises against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border, with the Wagah-Attari crossing closed except for the daily ceremony. Key practicalities: the e-arrival card is not a visa; get your passport stamped on arrival; accommodation must register you on a C-form; stays over 180 days without an OCI card require registration within 14 days. Trekkers need insurance covering altitudes above 2,400m plus mountain rescue and helicopter costs, and satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal without permission. Mumbai and Goa each have two distant airports, and charter arrivals must depart with the same charter operator. Severe winter air pollution from October to February is flagged as a major health hazard. Sources: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, "India travel advice", updated 7 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india ; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, "India travel advice: Health", updated 7 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/health ; National Travel Health Network and Centre, "TravelHealthPro: India", accessed 8 October 2026, https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/105/india This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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