The Indian Rupee is a closed currency which means that travellers cannot bring Rupees into or out of India. As a result of this, the ADF is unable to purchase Indian Rupees for you to take with you when you are travelling to India, although you can take AUD and other currencies with you. Please note you may be required to declare the cash you are carrying when entering India, refer to the Customs Declaration form for further information.
The acceptance of credit and debit cards in India has significantly increased over the past 3 – 5 years so a large number of purchases can now be made without cash. However, if you do require cash, there are a number of different ways you can purchase Rupees when you arrive in India. These include exchanging AUD or other currency at a bank, at an approved foreign exchange provider and withdrawing Rupees at an ATM. It is recommended that whilst travelling you have multiple access methods to your funds including debit cards, credit cards, cash and/or travel cards, please ensure you notify the ADF if you will be using your Corporate card whilst in India.
The ADF strongly recommends visiting smartraveller.gov.au whenever you are planning an overseas trip for a listing of other countries which have a closed currency and additional key travel advisory information.