✈️ Desi Travel Desk — Fremont
Flying home or sorting documents? Everything Desi travelers need for India — in one place.
🛂 India Document Desk
e-Visa — foreign-passport holders need an Indian visa or OCI to enter. Apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in ↗.
e-Arrival Card (new in 2025) — file the arrival declaration online up to 72 hours before you land. It’s separate from the visa.
OCI card & passport renewal for NRIs run through VFS Global: VFS Global USA ↗ · start at passportindia.gov.in ↗.
🏛 Your Indian mission: Consulate General of India, San Francisco — serves CA, NV, HI & nearby. Official site ↗
🟢 Green Card & Visa Travel
On H-1B / F-1 / H-4 or waiting on a green card? Check your visa-stamp validity and carry approval notices (I-797, I-20/EAD) before you travel internationally.
Adjusting status (I-485)? You generally need Advance Parole approved before leaving the US — confirm with your attorney.
Track your priority date each month on the official Visa Bulletin.
✈️ Fly Home Smarter
Fares to India peak for summer & Diwali — book early. Carry a passport valid 6+ months and a return/onward ticket.
⚠ No through-baggage: on most US→India tickets you must collect your checked bags at your first Indian airport and re-check them for any domestic connection.
🧳 Customs & Baggage Cheat-Sheet
🪙 Gold jewellery, duty-free: up to 40 g (women) / 20 g (men) if you’ve lived abroad 6+ months. Gold bars & coins are not exempt.
🎁 General goods, duty-free: up to ₹75,000; above that, a flat ~10% duty.
💻 Electronics: one laptop is free; extra gadgets count toward the ₹75,000.
Rules change — confirm on Indian Customs (CBIC) ↗ before you fly. Updated Jun 2026.
💵 Send Money Home
📶 Stay Connected & Covered
📱 eSIM for India — activates the moment you land (data-only; keep your US number). From ~$4.50/week. Get an eSIM ↗
🩺 Visitor medical insurance — for parents visiting the US, where care costs 10–20× India. From ~$1/day. Compare plans ↗
🛕 Pilgrimage & Trips
guides →🪔 Going home for Rath Yatra? It’s in 20 days — flights & darshan slots fill fast, book early.
🛕 Tirupati Balaji (TTD)
Online darshan booking · year-round
🛕 Vaishno Devi
Free online yatra registration
⛰ Char Dham Yatra
Best Apr–Oct · registration required
🪯 Golden Temple, Amritsar
Open year-round · langar & sarai
🕉 Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi
Ganga aarti · spiritual circuit
✅ Before You Travel — Quick Checklist
✈️ Passport valid 6+ months · return/onward ticket booked
🛂 e-Visa or OCI in hand · e-Arrival Card filed (within 72h of landing)
📱 eSIM installed before you board · WhatsApp ready
🪙 Gold within 40g (women) / 20g (men) · goods under ₹75,000 (or ready to declare)
📄 Digital + paper copies of passport, OCI/visa & tickets
🩺 Travel / visitor medical insurance sorted
💵 Some ₹ cash or a forex card for arrival
🛕 Darshan / yatra slots booked early for festival season
🧳 Fremont Travel Agents & Tour Operators
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Travel, visa & document info above is a general guide — always confirm on the official sites linked before you travel.