Arriving at Delhi Airport: Immigration, SIM, Cash, Taxis and Metro

Short answer: International flights land at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Before you fly, hold a valid e-visa and file the online e-Arrival card (mandatory since 1 April 2026, within 72 hours of landing). After immigration and baggage, get cash from a bank ATM in the hall, a SIM from the Airtel kiosk, and leave by pre-booked car, the Delhi Traffic Police prepaid taxi counter, an app cab from the marked zone or the Airport Express metro, which reaches New Delhi station in about 20 minutes for ₹60. Ignore everyone who offers help unasked.

What do you need before you land in Delhi?

Three things, two of them done at home. First, a visa: most nationalities use the e-visa applied for at indianvisaonline.gov.in, the only official site; keep the approval on your phone, because the airline checks it at check-in. Our India e-visa guide covers the types and timings. Second, the e-Arrival card: since 1 April 2026 the paper disembarkation form has been discontinued and every foreign national and OCI cardholder must submit the digital card within 72 hours before arrival, through the Bureau of Immigration website, the Indian visa portal or the Su-Swagatam app (Business Today, 3 April 2026). A group of up to five can file one form; it is not a visa and it is free. Third, your passport with at least six months’ validity. Keep a copy of your first hotel booking; immigration occasionally asks for it, and the SIM kiosk needs an Indian address.

What happens at Delhi airport immigration?

Terminal 3 handles almost all international arrivals. From the gate you walk, sometimes a long way, to the immigration hall, which has separate lanes for Indian passports, foreign nationals and e-visa holders; follow the e-visa signs, because the regular foreign lane cannot process an e-visa. The officer scans your passport and e-visa, takes fingerprints and a photo, and stamps you in. At quiet times this takes ten minutes; when several wide-body flights from Europe and the Gulf land together between about 22:00 and 03:00, expect 30–90 minutes. There is no fast track for purchase, and health-screening desks are only used during outbreaks.

Baggage carousels are beyond immigration, then customs. Foreign currency over US$5,000 in cash (or US$10,000 in total instruments) must be declared; otherwise walk through the green channel. Satellite phones and drones need permits and are regularly confiscated, so leave them at home.

Where do you get cash and a SIM at Delhi airport?

Bank ATMs (State Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI and others) are in the arrivals hall after customs and give the best rate, since your bank’s exchange rate applies; refuse the on-screen offer to be charged in your home currency. Withdraw ₹5,000–10,000 for the first day; most hotels, restaurants and shops in the cities take cards, and UPI payment apps mostly need an Indian bank account. The currency exchange counters in the hall are convenient for a small amount but their rates are poor; change the bulk in the city if you want cash. A broader note on money is in our tipping and small change guide.

For a phone, the Airtel kiosk in the international arrivals hall is the only mobile operator counter there; Jio and Vi require a store in the city. Bring your passport (the original), your visa and a hotel address; the counter takes the photo. A 28-day tourist plan with 1.5 GB a day, unlimited local calls and 100 SMS a day is about ₹350, and the SIM works in roughly 15 minutes (Travel India Smart SIM guide, 2026; prices change a few times a year). An international eSIM bought before you fly is data-only and cannot receive the Indian OTPs that banks, IRCTC and some hotels send, so most travellers who are staying more than a few days get the local SIM. Our guide to SIM cards for tourists in India compares the options.

How do you get from Delhi airport to the city?

The prepaid fare band comes from a recent airport transfer guide (The Traveler, 21 August 2026) and will drift with fuel prices; the point is the order of magnitude. If a man in the hall offers a taxi for ₹2,500, or tells you the counter is closed or Delhi is under curfew, he is one of the touts Delhi Police arrested 540 of in 2024 (Tribune, 12 December 2024). Walk on. Our guide to tourist scams in India describes the airport scripts in detail.

The metro is excellent but has two limits: it does not run through the night, and New Delhi station at the other end has its own touts, so know where your hotel is before you surface. Luggage is fine on the Airport Express, which has racks; it is harder on the ordinary metro lines at rush hour.

Where should you stay on the first night?

If you land after 22:00, in our experience the easiest first night is Aerocity, the hotel district ten minutes from the terminal with a dozen chain hotels from mid-range (Holiday Inn, ibis, Lemon Tree) to five-star (JW Marriott, Andaz, Roseate), its own metro stop and no touts, and the right base if you are heading for the hills next morning. With a full day in Delhi first, stay in the centre around Connaught Place and Janpath, or in the quieter south (Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, Lodhi area) for better restaurants. Paharganj, opposite New Delhi station, is cheap and lively but is where most of the scams above are based; we do not book first-time visitors there. Our Delhi tour page suggests how to spend one or two days in the city, and our India safety guide covers the air-quality issue that makes November a short-stay month for Delhi.

How do you continue from Delhi airport to Himachal, Rajasthan or Agra?

Delhi is the gateway for the Himalaya and the Golden Triangle, and the choice depends on time of day and how much you want to drive.

• To Shimla: Alliance Air flies Delhi to Shimla’s Jubbarhatti airstrip six times a week (since May 2026), about an hour; otherwise the Delhi–Kalka Shatabdi train from New Delhi station plus a car for the last 90 km, since the Kalka–Shimla toy train is running only Dharampur–Shimla until the Kalka section reopens after 30 November 2026; or a private car, about 8 hours. Details in our Delhi to Shimla guide.
• To Manali: flights to Kullu–Bhuntar when they operate, overnight HRTC Volvo buses from Kashmere Gate ISBT (about 12–14 hours), or a private car over two days with a stop in Chandigarh or Shimla; see Delhi to Manali for international travellers.
• To Dharamshala: flights to Gaggal (Kangra) airport, or the overnight train to Pathankot and a two-hour drive; see Delhi to Dharamshala.
• To Amritsar: the Shatabdi or Vande Bharat trains, 6–8 hours, or a short flight; see Delhi to Amritsar.
• To Jaipur or Agra: the 06:10 Shatabdi from New Delhi to Jaipur, the Gatimaan or Vande Bharat to Agra, or a car on the expressways (3.5–4.5 hours either way); see Delhi to Jaipur and our Taj Mahal tour from Delhi.

None of the trains or buses leave from the airport, so allow an hour to reach New Delhi station or the ISBT by metro or car. For the hills, we generally advise sleeping in Delhi or Aerocity after an overnight flight and starting fresh; a jet-lagged 12-hour drive to Manali is a poor first day. Our Himachal Pradesh guide for international travellers lays out the routes and seasons.

Domestic connections, Terminal 1 and the new Noida airport

Many domestic flights use T3 or the adjacent Terminal 2, but IndiGo and some other low-cost flights leave from Terminal 1 on the far side of the airfield. A free inter-terminal shuttle bus runs from outside arrivals and takes 15–25 minutes; allow at least three hours between an international arrival and a T1 departure, and note that bags are not checked through between terminals unless you booked a single ticket with the same airline. The Magenta Line metro also serves T1. Separately, the new Noida International Airport at Jewar (code DXN), roughly 70–80 km south-east of IGI, is coming into service for some flights; check which Delhi airport your onward domestic ticket uses, because a transfer between the two is a long drive of two hours or more. Flying out, the rule of thumb is to be at T3 three hours before an international departure; security checks are thorough and the terminal is large.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Delhi airport to the city centre?

The four safe options from Terminal 3 are a pre-booked car with a name board, the Delhi Traffic Police prepaid taxi counter in the arrivals hall (about ₹500–900 to Connaught Place or Paharganj), an Uber or Ola from the marked pickup zone, or the Airport Express metro, which reaches New Delhi station in about 20 minutes for ₹60 and runs roughly 04:45 to 23:15.

Do I need to fill in an arrival form for India?

Yes, online. Since 1 April 2026 the paper disembarkation card has been discontinued, and every foreign national and OCI cardholder must submit a digital e-Arrival card within 72 hours before landing, through the Bureau of Immigration website, the Indian visa portal or the Su-Swagatam app. It is free, is not a visa, and one form can cover a family or group of up to five.

Can I buy a SIM card at Delhi airport?

Yes. Airtel has a kiosk in the international arrivals hall at Terminal 3 and is the only operator there. Bring your passport, visa and a hotel address; a 28-day plan with about 1.5 GB a day costs around ₹350 and activates in roughly 15 minutes. Jio and Vi SIMs must be bought at a store in the city and can take up to 24 hours to activate.

Is the Delhi Airport Express metro safe at night?

The train itself is safe, clean and has a women’s section, but it stops running late in the evening (last trains around 23:15) and New Delhi station, where it ends, has touts at all hours. If you arrive after about 22:00, a pre-booked car or the prepaid taxi counter is simpler. During the day the metro is the quickest way into the centre.

How much cash should I take out at Delhi airport?

About ₹5,000–10,000 (US$53–105) is enough for the first day: taxi or metro, tips, a meal and small purchases. Use a bank ATM in the arrivals hall, decline the offer to be charged in your home currency, and keep some ₹100 and ₹200 notes, since rickshaws and small shops rarely change a ₹500. Cards are accepted in most city hotels and restaurants.

How long does immigration take at Delhi airport?

At quiet times about ten minutes. Between roughly 22:00 and 03:00, when many long-haul flights land together, queues of 30 to 90 minutes are common. Use the e-visa lanes if you hold an e-visa, have your passport and approval open, and file the e-Arrival card before you fly, because officers may ask for the confirmation. Baggage and customs add another 20–30 minutes.