WTC-2008 » General Information

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General Information

WEATHER
The climate in Agra will be pleasant in the last week of September. The temperature is expected to be 25o - 32oC.

TIME
5½ hours ahead of GMT.

EMERGENCY
Ambulance 102; Police 100; Fire 101

ELECTRICITY
Voltage is 220 volts (50Hz) AC.

TELEPHONE
The international direct dialling code for India is 91 and Agra code is 562. Telephone booths are available in all towns/villages. (24 hr. service is available in large hotels).

NATIONAL CARRIERS
Indian Airlines (IC) and Air India (AI)

NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Indira Gandhi (Delhi)

CURRENCY
The currency is the Rupee, abbreviated as Rs. Monetary unit:
1 Indian Rupee = 100 paisa. Approx. conversion 1 US$ = Rs. 38/-,
1¤ = Rs. 55/- as on December, 2007.

CURRENCY REGULATIONS
US$ and € Euro are the easiest to change, however any money NOT
exchanged via a bank is a criminal offence.Changing Money: Foreign currency regulations are strict. Only change money at banks or legal foreign exchange dealers. Keep and look after your transaction receipts as you may be required to provide
proof that you obtained your rupees legally.

CREDIT CARDS
A growing number of hotels, restaurants and shops in the major cities are beginning to accept credit cards, the well known and more accepted ones being American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS
A passport and visa are required for entry into India. All visitors must obtain visas at an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad prior to entering the country. There are no provisions for visas upon arrival, and those arriving in India without visas bearing the correct validity dates and number of entries are subject to deportation.

TIPPING
It is customary to tip waiters, porters, guides and drivers.

PHOTOGRAPHY
In wildlife sanctuaries and reserves, photography is permitted upon payment of a prescribed fee.

Don’t photograph military installations. Photography at some civil airports is also forbidden as they are shared with the Indian Air Force.

GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS
These may be imported free of duty up to a value of Rs. 30,000/-

CUSTOMS ON ARRIVAL
There are two customs clearance channels. The green channel is for travellers carrying no dutiable items while the red channel is for travellers carrying dutiable items.

DUTY FREE
Duty free items which you may bring to India include personal effects like clothing and other articles but not if this is commercial merchandise. All expensive electronic equipments must be declared at the customs which will be rechecked on departure. Visitors may bring in free of duty 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco and 1 litre of alcohol.

Prohibited : The following livestock and livestock products:
- All kinds of birds and bird products (incl. eggs, feathers, meat etc); and
- Pigs and pig meat products.

MISHANDLED / LOST BAGGAGE
If your baggage is mishandled or lost in transit, obtain a certificate to this effect from the airline and have it countersigned by the customs.

HOSPITALS/CHEMISTS
There are state-operated facilities in all towns and cities and private consultants and specialists in urban areas.

WATER
It is advisable to drink only bottled or distilled water, which is widely available - check the bottle cap has not been tampered with. Order the same when you are at a restaurant. As far as possible, avoid drinking any kind of water or juices from roadside carts and vendors.

INVITATION LETTER
An official invitation letter will be issued by the Organising Committee. This will be provided upon request after receiving your registration form. However, the official invitation letter will not guarantee the payment of any expenses such as registration, travel or hotel accommodation for the Congress.