New Delhi Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in New Delhi.
A parallel network of government dispensaries, corporate multi-specialty hospitals, and neighbourhood clinics. Tourists almost always use private facilities.
For emergencies head to Apollo Sarita Vihar or Fortis Vasant Kunj, both 24-hr casualty departments with foreign-patient desks. Carry passport for registration.
Chain stores (Apollo Pharmacy, Fortis Healthworld) stock international brands. Pharmacists sell many items over the counter that require prescriptions elsewhere. Carry prescriptions for controlled medicines.
No compulsory insurance. But private hospitals request a deposit or credit-card guarantee before admission. Ensure your policy lists India as covered territory.
- ✓ Boil tap water for 10 min or buy sealed 1-litre bottles. Check the seal breaks properly.
- ✓ Pack rehydration salts and a broad-spectrum antibiotic, use after consulting a doctor. Pharmacies will provide a tele-consult if needed.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Phones, wallets, and day-bags lifted in crowded markets or during festival season.
Two-wheelers weave between lanes. Red lights are optional after 22:00; pedestrian crossings rare.
PM2.5 readings often exceed 200 µg/m³ from late October to January due to crop burning and Diwali fireworks.
Travellers' diarrhoea common. Typhoid and hepatitis An outbreaks still occur.
May afternoons exceed 45 °C; concrete amplifies heat.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Driver claims 'airport tax', 'night surcharge', or 'luggage fee' on top of the government rate shown on the booth slip.
Men near Connaught Place pretend to direct you to the 'official' office, then sell inflated same-day tours to Agra or push commission-ear hotels.
Friendly shopper claims you can import duty-free carpets or gemstones for profit. Asks you to carry parcels in exchange for 'shipping fees'.
Driver offers 'special' tour but insists you visit 'emporiums' where high-pressure sales staff demand you buy handicrafts so the driver earns commission.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Download the Delhi Metro app: trains have women-only carriages, luggage scanners, and 24-hr security cameras.
- • Use Ola or Uber. Share trip status with a friend. Sit in back seat and photograph driver ID if you feel uneasy.
- • Auto-rickshaws: insist on meter or pre-agreed fare. If driver refuses, note plate and report via Delhi Traffic Police WhatsApp +91-87450-10100.
- • Keep passport in hotel safe. Carry a laminated colour copy for ID checks.
- • Split cards and cash: some in belt pouch, some in day-pack; use ATMs inside bank lobbies (ICICI, HDFC) rather than stand-alone kiosks.
- • Screenshot important numbers. Mobile data can fail during political rallies that trigger internet slowdowns.
- • Buy a certified N95 (3M 8210 or Venus) from a chemist, cheap cloth masks give minimal protection against Delhi smog.
- • Schedule sightseeing walks between 09:00, 15:00 when PM2.5 is lowest. Avoid early morning jogs in winter fog that traps particulates.
- • Tuck oral rehydration salts and a broad-spectrum antibiotic into your kit, use only after a doctor gives the nod. Pharmacies will arrange a tele-consult if you need one.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Thousands of solo and group women visitors roam New Delhi every month. The city has added brighter lighting, women-only metro carriages, and police helplines. Yet verbal harassment and occasional groping still happen.
- → Ride in the pink 'Ladies Only' metro coach and use women-only queues at security checks.
- → Sit next to other families in public parks. Avoid isolated benches after dusk.
- → If someone tails you, duck into the nearest branded café or mall, security staff are trained to help.
Same-sex relations have been legal since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling; a specific anti-discrimination law hasn't followed yet.
- → Reserve double rooms in reputable New Delhi hotels. They seldom turn away same-sex couples.
- → The Pride March rolls through in November, Jantar Mantar hosts the biggest crowd. Police cooperate. Yet media cameras will be everywhere.
- → Keep public affection minimal around Old Delhi mosque lanes where conservative crowds gather for prayers.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Private hospitals want payment up-front; evacuating home after serious injury costs a slice of fortune. Air pollution can stir up pre-existing asthma.
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