What to Pack for India: A Packing List for Every Season

Start your packing list for India with the papers, because nothing else matters if they are wrong.

• Passport: the Ministry of Tourism asks for at least six months of validity and two blank pages for the immigration stamps.
• e-Visa: the official portal asks you to carry a copy of your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and to check that its status shows as granted before you travel. Print it, and keep a copy on your phone. Our e-Visa guide covers the application.
• e-Arrival Card: submitted online in the 72 hours before you land; keep the confirmation on your phone. See our e-Arrival Card guide.
• Yellow fever certificate: needed only if you arrive from a yellow fever endemic country, and the e-Visa portal warns that travellers without one may be quarantined for six days on arrival.
• Insurance and copies: your policy details, plus copies of your passport, visa and tickets kept apart from the originals and stored online, as the UK Foreign Office advises.
• Driving licence: only if you plan to drive; the Ministry of Tourism says visitors need a valid international driving permit.

Pack for the places of worship first and the weather second. Loose, breathable clothes that cover the shoulders and knees, a light scarf for covering your head or shoulders, and shoes you can slip off in seconds will see you through temples, gurdwaras and mosques; our dress code guide lists the rules of the big shrines. Add comfortable walking shoes with grip for forts and old cities, and sandals for the beach.

Then pack for the season and the region:

• Northern winter: nights are cold in December and January even in Rajasthan, where IMD's 1991–2020 averages give Jaipur a mean December minimum of 9.9°C. Bring a warm jumper or fleece and a jacket for early starts.
• Early summer: Jaipur's mean daily maximum reaches 41.1°C in May, so think sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and the loosest cotton you own.
• Monsoon: the southwest monsoon runs from June to September. A light rain jacket, quick-drying clothes and sandals beat denim and canvas shoes; our monsoon guide covers where it rains most.
• Mountains: warm layers in any month at altitude, a waterproof shell and proper boots.

• Prescriptions: the UK Foreign Office points out that the legal status of some medicines differs between countries, and that most medicines needing a prescription at home need one in India too. Carry yours in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
• A travel health kit: ask your doctor or a travel clinic what to pack for your route and your own health, ideally at the appointment where you check your vaccines.
• Mosquitoes: the Foreign Office lists dengue and malaria among India's health risks, so pack an insect repellent and long, light sleeves for the evenings, and ask the clinic about anything more.
• Everyday extras: sunscreen, hand sanitiser and a small pack of tissues.

The Ministry of Tourism notes that over-the-counter medicines are readily available in India, so you need not pack for every eventuality.

Some things that are legal at home will get you into trouble in India. The UK Foreign Office warns that:

• Vapes and related products are banned; you cannot buy them in India or bring them into the country.
• Satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal without a licence from India's Department of Telecommunications, even in transit, and this can include handheld and cycling GPS units. Travellers have been arrested for bringing them in.
• Possession of any illegal drug can mean a prison sentence, even for a small amount for personal use.
• Alcohol is banned in Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland and Lakshadweep, so do not carry bottles into them.

Customs rules on goods are strict, the Foreign Office adds, and anything that may be prohibited or subject to duty must be declared. Drones need checking too: the Taj Mahal, for one, bans them in and around the monument.

Many sights restrict what you can carry, so pack a small day bag and expect to use lockers.

• Taj Mahal: the official site allows a water bottle but bans food, tobacco, headphones, knives, wire, mobile chargers, electric goods other than cameras, and tripods, and asks visitors to avoid big bags. Foreign visitors get shoe covers and a half-litre bottle of water with the ticket. See our Agra guide.
• Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi: no electronic or non-electronic gadgets, not even a pen, inside the temple; free lockers are provided.
• Jagannath temple, Puri: no umbrellas, mobile phones, electronic gadgets or leather items.
• Meenakshi temple, Madurai: no umbrellas, walking sticks or animal-skin items; cloakrooms and free shoe counters are at its five entrance gateways.
• Tirumala: the temple administration advises pilgrims not to carry much jewellery or cash.

For your phone, a power bank is worth packing, but airlines set their own rules on carrying and using them, so check yours before you fly. Bring a universal travel adapter, and buy a local SIM card after you land; our page on money and SIM cards for visitors explains how. More first-trip planning is in our first-timer's guide.