Living in India

Are you moving to India to study, work or join your family, or do you already live there? This section brings together practical information for Burkinabè nationals. For a short stay, see the travel advice for India instead.

In this section

• Arriving and staying: visa, FRRO registration, residence permit.
• When to come, climate: seasons, heat, monsoon, air pollution.
• Safety: precautions, scams, women's safety, roads, emergency numbers.
• Health: yellow fever, water, mosquitoes, care and insurance.
• Daily life: phone, bank, payments, housing, transport.
• Studies and work: the right visa, fraudulent offers.
• Staying in touch with the Embassy: consular registration, consular card, emergencies, alerts.

Choosing the right visa

Holders of a Burkinabè passport must obtain a visa before leaving. It must match the real purpose of the stay: studies, employment, business, research, medical treatment, tourism, accompanying family… A tourist visa allows neither study nor work, and in principle cannot be converted into a student or employment visa once in India.

Apply on the official Government of India portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in (e-Visa for some categories), or at an Indian diplomatic mission. Categories, fees and processing times change: check them on the official site and beware of unofficial intermediaries.

Registering with the FRRO

Foreigners coming for a long stay (studies, employment, research in particular) generally have to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of arrival. This is done online through the Bureau of Immigration's e-FRRO service: indianfrro.gov.in. The endorsement on your visa is what counts: read it carefully.

Registration leads to the issue of a Residence Permit. Keep a copy with your passport: banks, phone operators and landlords ask for it.

During your stay

• Extension of the visa or residence permit, change of address, institution or passport: apply on e-FRRO, before expiry.
• Never overstay: it leads to a fine and can delay your departure or prevent you from returning to India.
• Keep an eye on your passport's validity and ask the Embassy to renew it several months in advance: Passport services.
• Before leaving India for good, check on e-FRRO what you need to do.

Students: the full step-by-step guide (admission, visa, FRRO, consular registration) is on the Studying in India page.

Sources: Bureau of Immigration (Indian Ministry of Home Affairs), indianvisaonline.gov.in portal. Rules change: always check the official site.

India is a subcontinent: the climate varies widely between the north (Delhi, the Ganges plain), the tropical south (Bangalore, Chennai, Kerala), the coasts and the Himalayas. General guidance, based on the India Meteorological Department (IMD):

• Winter, December to February: mild days, cool and sometimes cold nights in the north (bring warm clothes for Delhi), frequent fog that disrupts flights and trains. The south stays mild.
• Hot season, April to June: very high temperatures in the north and centre, with heat waves. Drink regularly, avoid the sun during the hottest hours and follow IMD warnings.
• Monsoon, June to September: the monsoon reaches Kerala around early June then moves north, where it is strongest from July to September. Heavy rain, local flooding, disrupted transport.
• October and November: end of the monsoon and pleasanter weather in the north. In the south-east (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), most of the rain falls from October to December.

Air pollution

In Delhi and the northern plain, air quality deteriorates sharply from October to January. Check the air quality index (AQI) published by the Central Pollution Control Board, limit outdoor exertion on peak days and consider an N95-type mask, especially for children, older people and people with asthma.

When to come?

From October to March, the weather is most pleasant in most regions. Students often have no choice: the academic year usually starts in July or August, in the middle of the monsoon. Pack light clothes, a raincoat, mosquito repellent, and warm clothes if you live in the north.

Forecasts and warnings: India Meteorological Department, mausam.imd.gov.in.

The vast majority of stays in India go smoothly. A few precautions limit the risks.

General precautions

• Always carry a copy of your passport, visa and residence permit; keep the originals somewhere safe.
• Respect local laws: drug offences are punished very severely, and the sale of alcohol is banned or restricted in some states.
• Stay away from demonstrations and follow the instructions of the local authorities.
• In crowds (stations, markets, religious festivals), keep an eye on your belongings.

Scams

• Fake job, scholarship or admission offers, requests for money to “unblock” a visa or a file: always check with the official body or the Embassy.
• Calls or video calls from fake police, customs or immigration officers threatening arrest and demanding immediate payment: no authority arrests anyone over the phone. Hang up and report it.
• Never share your bank codes, passwords or one-time passwords (OTP). Report any online fraud on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.
• Do not hand your passport to anyone (employer, agency, landlord) beyond a simple check.

Women's safety

• Prefer taxis booked through an app, share your journey in real time with someone close and check the number plate before getting in.
• The Delhi metro and those of other cities have women-only coaches.
• Avoid travelling alone late at night in isolated places.
• Women helpline: 181. The official “112 India” app can also be used to raise the alarm.

On the road

• Traffic is dense and unpredictable; vehicles drive on the left. Cross carefully, preferably at pedestrian crossings or footbridges.
• Helmets are compulsory on two-wheelers, including for the passenger; wear a seat belt in cars.
• Avoid driving at night outside cities.

Emergency numbers in India

• National emergency number (police, fire, ambulance): 112
• Police: 100 · Fire: 101 · Ambulance: 108 (or 102 depending on the state)
• Women helpline: 181
• Cybercrime and financial fraud: 1930

112 works everywhere; the other numbers may vary from state to state. In the event of arrest, accident or assault, also inform the Embassy: Emergency assistance.

Yellow fever: certificate required

Burkina Faso is one of the countries at risk of yellow fever. India requires a valid international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever from any traveller arriving from, or having transited through, a country at risk within the six days before arrival. Without a certificate, the traveller may be quarantined for up to six days on arrival in India.

• Get vaccinated at least ten days before leaving: the certificate only becomes valid from the tenth day after vaccination.
• Keep the yellow booklet with your passport, including every time you return to India after a stay in Burkina Faso.

At present, India does not require any other vaccine from travellers coming from Burkina Faso, but rules can change: check before you leave and see a doctor or an international vaccination centre to bring your vaccinations up to date.

Water and food

• Drink sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water; be wary of ice.
• Wash your hands often and prefer food that is well cooked and served hot.

Mosquitoes

Dengue, malaria (in some regions) and chikungunya circulate mainly during and after the monsoon, from July to November. Use repellent, wear covering clothes, sleep under a mosquito net or in a protected room, and do not leave standing water at home. If you have a fever, see a doctor quickly and avoid self-medication, particularly aspirin and ibuprofen.

Care and insurance

• Large cities have good private hospitals, but they are expensive: payment or a deposit is often requested before treatment.
• Take out health insurance covering hospitalisation and repatriation, and carry your policy number with you. Universities often require insurance.
• Travel with the prescription for your usual medicines, in English if possible.
• Ambulance: 108 or 112.

Sources: Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, World Health Organization. Rules change: always check before you leave.

Phone

SIM cards are bought from an operator on presentation of your passport, visa, a photo and an address in India; the line is activated after verification. Keep an Indian number in your own name: you need it to receive the codes (OTP) from your bank, payment apps and many online services.

Bank account

Foreigners residing in India can open an account. Banks apply strict identification (KYC) rules and generally ask for your passport, visa, FRRO residence permit, proof of address in India and photos; some also ask for a PAN tax number or an equivalent form. Requirements vary from bank to bank: ask your branch.

Paying day to day

QR-code payment (UPI) is everywhere. It generally requires an Indian bank account linked to an Indian phone number. Until then, keep some cash and an international bank card, tell your bank in Burkina Faso about your stay and use official channels for money transfers.

Housing

• Insist on a written rental agreement and read it before signing; keep a copy and the receipts for the deposit and rent.
• The landlord or hotel must declare the stay of a foreigner to the authorities (“Form C” on indianfrro.gov.in), and many cities require police verification of tenants: make sure both are done.
• When you move, update your address on e-FRRO.
• Be wary of listings that ask for payment before any visit. The community announcements also list housing offers.

Getting around

• Several large cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad…) have a simple and safe metro.
• For taxis and auto-rickshaws, preferably use a booking app or insist on the meter; at airports, use the official prepaid taxis.
• Book trains on the official Indian Railways site (IRCTC) or at the station.

Customs

In places of worship, dress modestly and take off your shoes when asked; ask people's permission before photographing them.

Studying in India

Scholarships, admission, student visa, FRRO registration within 14 days, student associations, legalization of diplomas: everything is on the Studying in India page. Reminder: the student visa does not allow paid employment.

Working in India

• Salaried employment requires an Employment visa, obtained before leaving, generally on the basis of a contract with an employer established in India. A business or tourist visa does not allow you to work.
• Be wary of recruiters who ask for money, keep your passport or promise an “easy” visa. Job offers abroad, particularly in South-East Asia, are used to recruit victims of forced labour in online scam centres: before accepting, check the employer and talk to the Embassy.

Business and trade

For business formalities and contacts, see the Trade and investment page. Job, internship and scholarship offers relayed by the Embassy are published in the Announcements.

• Consular registration: free and voluntary, it takes a few minutes online and lets the Embassy reach you in a crisis. Tick “Receive the Embassy's security alerts” to be warned in an emergency. Register online.
• Consular card: identity document issued by the Embassy to Burkinabè residing in its jurisdiction. Learn more.
• Passport and other documents: renewal, loss, laissez-passer, certificates. Passport services · Other documents · Book an appointment.
• In an emergency (arrest, accident, hospitalisation, death, lost passport): emergency line +91 98 111 44440 or the Emergency assistance page.
• Stay informed: newsletter, agenda of consular outreach days and events, community announcements.
• Outside New Delhi: see the network of honorary consulates and the Contact page.

Information given for guidance, checked on 27 October 2026. Indian rules change: always confirm with the official authorities.