Travelling in India with Children

Prepare each child’s documents, arrange suitable transport and leave room for food, rest and changing plans.

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Before you start

Check every child’s passport, entry permission and carrier requirements individually, including infants. Requirements can differ by nationality, route and accompanying adult.
Plan fewer moves and shorter days. Choose accommodation and transport around your children’s needs rather than assuming a family label includes the equipment you need.
Discuss the itinerary with your child’s clinician in advance, especially for infants, existing conditions, remote travel or high altitude.

For an Indian e-Visa, each child needs a separate application and their own passport. Check eligibility and current passport-validity requirements on the government portal.
Match ticket names to passports. Keep entry approvals and the airline’s accepted proof of age available, with offline copies stored securely.
If a child travels with one parent, another adult or alone, ask the operating airline and the relevant consulates about consent, custody, birth-certificate and identification requirements. Notarisation is not a universal rule.
Check departure and transit requirements as well as Indian entry rules. A document accepted for one journey may be insufficient for another.

Check infant age limits, age-proof documents, seating, stroller handling and baggage with the operating airline before buying. Do not assume an infant travels free.
Ask how family seats are allocated, whether your child restraint is approved for that aircraft and whether a bassinet can be requested. Availability and aircraft changes can affect arrangements.
For a child travelling alone, confirm the carrier’s age rules, permitted connections, fees and named-adult handover process. Book the required service directly and retain confirmation.

Ask a clinician to review routine and travel vaccines, medicines and when to seek care. Adult medicines and doses are not automatically suitable for children.
Use safe water for drinking and feeding equipment; choose thoroughly cooked food served hot. Avoid unpasteurised milk. Carry an allergy explanation card and check ingredients and shared preparation equipment.
If using formula, plan a reliable supply, safe preparation and storage. Follow the product instructions and your clinician’s advice; powdered formula is not sterile. Do not dilute it to make supplies last.
Know where you can obtain medical care. Seek prompt help for dehydration, inability to drink, unusual drowsiness or serious illness; a young infant with fever needs urgent assessment.

Arrange an age- and size-appropriate child restraint and a vehicle with compatible seatbelts. Confirm what is supplied; a child seat may need to be brought with you.
Inspect balconies, windows, wiring and pool access on arrival. Confirm a suitable infant sleeping arrangement before booking rather than relying on a generic ‘cot available’ description.
Supervise children closely near pools, beaches, rivers and boats; an adult should stay within arm’s reach of infants and toddlers near water. A hotel pool is not necessarily lifeguarded.
Avoid contact with unfamiliar animals. If a child is bitten or scratched, wash the wound and obtain urgent medical assessment, even after prior rabies vaccination.

Start with one main outing, keep a rest option nearby and allow extra time for toilets and meals. Check heat, rainfall and air-quality warnings before outdoor plans.
Save the hotel address, emergency contacts and a meeting point offline. Give older children an age-appropriate separation plan without asking them to share private details publicly.
Carry familiar snacks, spare clothing and necessary supplies in hand luggage. Plan how to replace essentials without depending on a particular brand being available.
Treat a mountain trip as a separate planning decision: children can develop altitude illness too. Discuss ascent and symptoms with a clinician; avoid a tightly timed itinerary that makes descent difficult.