Rules for overlanding in India

An International Driving Permit on the 1949 Geneva convention model is what the ministry lists. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

Third-party liability cover is compulsory and no foreign insurance is accepted, so you need a policy written for India. A short-term policy can be taken out on arrival.

To import a vehicle temporarily you need the guarantee of an FIA carnet de passages en douane, valid six months and extendable by another six on application to customs. The owner must be present for the formalities and the temporary import is recorded in their passport; a local automobile association can help with the paperwork for vehicles arriving by ship.

India drives on the left and overtakes on the right. A temporarily imported vehicle built for left-hand drive must carry a sign at the rear reading "LEFT HAND DRIVE" in red letters on a white background.

Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists in some states, and seatbelts and child seats are compulsory in some regions. Studded tyres are allowed on snow-covered roads.

The limit is 0%. Police rarely use a breathalyser but can order a driver suspected of drinking to pull over, and drink-driving carries fines up to 10,000 rupees and up to six months in detention, rising to two years and 15,000 rupees for repeat offences.

Roads are dangerous throughout the country. If you have a driver, ask them explicitly to drive with maximum prudence.

Avoid travelling at night by car or bus on extra-urban roads: the accident risk is high, partly because of stray animals and obstacles on the road. For medium and long distances the ministry prefers the train or the plane.

On arrival use the prepaid taxi agency, though even travellers with prepaid taxis have been scammed: the driver claims the booked hotel is full or the city unsafe because of riots, then diverts them to fake government information offices that sell expensive alternative trips. Carry a phone with international roaming or a local data SIM and call the hotel yourself to check. Do not accept lifts from strangers and do not hitchhike.

Bringing in or using satellite phones and satellite or GPS devices without prior Indian authorisation is prohibited and criminally punishable: foreigners who arrived with satellite equipment have been detained and put on trial, and the device is always confiscated. Radio transmitters, telescopes and similar kit also need authorisation. Importing or flying unmanned aircraft — drones, balloons, paragliders, hang-gliders, microlights — is strictly prohibited without prior permission.

Entering India overland is only allowed with an ordinary visa issued by an Indian diplomatic mission: the eVisa permits entry and re-entry by air only, through a fixed list of airports. Entering without a valid visa is a serious offence carrying two to eight years in prison, and overstaying or failing to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office can mean being held by police, temporarily barred from leaving and blacklisted from returning. All foreign nationals must also complete the online e-Arrival Card, up to 72 hours before arriving, to show at immigration.

Advertising, producing, importing, exporting, transporting, selling, distributing and storing e-cigarettes and similar products is prohibited. Even a first offence carries up to a year in detention and a fine of up to about 1,300 euros, so do not bring them at all.

Drug law is particularly rigid: up to ten years for possessing even modest quantities, with no distinction between soft and hard drugs, only between personal and commercial amounts, and the death penalty is possible for repeat offenders. Alcohol rules change from state to state: it is completely banned in Gujarat, Kerala, Bihar, Nagaland and Manipur, and elsewhere allowed only under conditions or forbidden on "dry days". Avoid cheap alcohol from unauthorised distilleries, which has caused deaths.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) states in its Handbook on Motor Insurance, a guide giving general information, that third-party liability insurance is mandatory for all vehicles plying on public roads in India, covering liability for injuries and damages to others. The handbook does not address foreign-registered vehicles or the Green Card. (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) — Handbook on Motor Insurance)

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) states, in Notification 54/2015-20 of 9 February 2022, that import of drones in completely built-up (CBU), semi-knocked-down (SKD) or completely knocked-down (CKD) form is prohibited, with exceptions for Government entities, recognised educational institutions, recognised R&D entities and drone manufacturers (for R&D purposes), and for defence and security purposes, subject to import authorisation by DGFT. Import of drone components is 'Free'. The drone condition does not mention travellers' baggage. (Directorate General of Foreign Trade (India) — Notification No. 54/2015-20 dated 09.02.2022 (ITC(HS) 2022), Annexure I, Chapter 88 Policy Condition 03)

India's customs authority (CBIC) reproduces in its Guide for International Travellers the Indian Customs Declaration Form (CBD-I) of the baggage rules in force since 2 February 2026: it asks whether you are bringing a satellite phone into India, and if the answer is yes you must report to the Customs Officer at the Red Channel. (CBIC (Indian Customs) — Guide for International Travellers)