Population
≈33 million across the National Capital Region — among the largest urban agglomerations on earth
AI city illustration · Artistic impressionWhat people learn after moving
Four things newcomers say matter most about life in Delhi
Languages
Hindi and English are both official; Punjabi and Urdu are widely spoken
Currency
Indian rupee (INR)
Time zone
IST (GMT+5:30) — India has a single time zone and no daylight saving
AI city illustration · Artistic impressionCost of living in Delhi
Typical newcomer prices
INROne-bed apartment, South Delhi coloniesINR 35,000–70,000 / month
One-bed apartment, Gurgaon or NoidaINR 25,000–50,000 / month
Delhi Metro monthly travelINR 1,500–2,500 / month
Meal at a mid-range restaurantINR 800–1,400 per person
Groceries, one personINR 7,000–13,000 / month
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Your move, in order
Getting set up in India
1
Legal & IDHigh confidence
Employment visas, e-FRRO and living across three states
India's employment visa is employer-sponsored with a minimum annual salary threshold, and registration with the FRRO within 14 days is mandatory for visas valid over 180 days. In the NCR there is an extra wrinkle: your registering authority follows your address, so living in Gurgaon or Noida rather than Delhi puts you under a different FRRO with its own processing and its own queues.
2
DrivingMedium confidence
Driving licences, three states of registration, and the odd-even rule
You may drive on a valid foreign licence with an International Driving Permit for a limited period after arrival, generally up to a year, after which you need an Indian licence from the Regional Transport Office covering your address. Delhi adds two layers others do not: strict age limits on diesel and petrol vehicles, and the odd-even road rationing scheme that can be activated during severe air quality episodes.
3
BankingMedium confidence
Opening an Indian bank account as a foreign national
Which account you can open depends on your residential status under FEMA, not your visa. A foreign national resident in India for employment can generally open an ordinary resident savings account; others use NRO or NRE accounts. Everything requires a PAN card and thorough KYC. Get UPI running as soon as the account is live — it is how India actually pays for things.
4
HealthHigh confidence
Air quality, private hospitals and what winter does to your lungs
Delhi has excellent private hospitals at a fraction of Western prices, and employer group cover is the normal route. But the dominant health fact here is the air. From late October to January the Air Quality Index routinely exceeds 300 and often 400, with measurable effects on respiratory health, and this warrants specific, concrete preparation rather than general awareness.
5
TelecomMedium confidence
Getting an Indian SIM as a foreign national
India requires full identity verification for every SIM, and for foreign nationals that means passport, visa, photographs, local address proof and sometimes a reference, followed by a verification step. SIMs issued to foreigners carry validity tied to the visa. It is one of the few processes where India is more bureaucratic than most countries in this app — and losing the number locks you out of UPI and banking.
6
TaxMedium confidence
Indian income tax, the 182-day test and the April financial year
You are tax-resident in India if you spend 182 days or more in a financial year, or 60 days or more in the year plus 365 across the preceding four. The new regime has been the default since AY 2024-25 — lower rates, very few deductions — with the old regime available by election. Note the section number changed: it was section 115BAC of the Income-tax Act 1961, and since the Income-tax Act 2025 replaced that Act on 1 April 2026 the new regime sits in section 202. India's financial year runs April to March, which catches almost every newcomer.
Each guide has verified costs, timelines, required documents, and the non-obvious gotchas — sourced from official government pages. Last verified August 2026.
Language
Essential Hindi phrases
NCRDaily life
en-see-ar
The National Capital Region — Delhi plus Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. People live in one and work in another constantly, across three state boundaries.
ChaloDaily life
CHAH-lo
Let's go, or come on. The most useful single word in daily Hindi, used in every register.
JugaadCulture
joo-GAAD
An improvised, resourceful workaround. A national trait, a compliment, and something you will rely on weekly.
ColonyDaily life
KOL-uh-nee
A planned residential neighbourhood — Defence Colony, Greater Kailash, Hauz Khas. Delhi addresses are given by colony and block rather than by street name.
BarsatiDaily life
bar-SAA-tee
A rooftop flat, originally a monsoon shelter on the terrace. Cheap, characterful, freezing in January and unbearable in June — a Delhi institution among young renters.
AQIEmergency
ay-kyoo-eye
The Air Quality Index, checked here the way other cities check the weather. Above 300 is 'very poor', above 400 'severe', and Delhi sees both every winter.
GRAPEmergency
grap
The Graded Response Action Plan — the staged restrictions on construction, diesel vehicles and schools that kick in as air quality worsens. You will hear the stage number on the news.
ChaatFood
chaht
The family of savoury snacks — golgappe, aloo tikki, papdi chaat. Delhi's chaat is regarded as the best in India and defending that claim is a local sport.
SarkariCulture
sar-KAA-ree
Governmental. In a capital city, an enormously useful adjective — 'sarkari job', 'sarkari process' — carrying its own weight of implication.
LooEmergency
loo
The hot, dry wind that blows across north India in May and June, pushing temperatures past 45°C. Not a joke, and genuinely dangerous in the afternoons.
MetroTransport
MET-roh
The Delhi Metro — vast, clean, air-conditioned and genuinely one of the best systems in the world. It changed the city completely.
112 / 100Emergency
—
112 is the national emergency number. 100 for police and 101 for fire still work and are more widely known.
Reading a list isn’t learning it. Globe Quest turns these into a trainer — hear each phrase spoken, drill them with spaced repetition, and get scored as you say them out loud.
Culture
What to know before you go
The winter air is a health decision, not an inconvenience
CriticalFrom late October to January, Delhi's Air Quality Index routinely exceeds 300 and often passes 400 — categories officially described as 'very poor' and 'severe'. Studies attribute meaningful reductions in life expectancy to sustained exposure. If you have asthma, young children, or a respiratory condition, weigh this seriously before accepting a posting. If you come, budget for good air purifiers in every room you sleep and work in, and treat N95 masks outdoors in December as normal rather than paranoid.
Register with e-FRRO within 14 days if your visa is over 180 days
CriticalEmployment visa holders with a visa valid for more than 180 days must register with the jurisdictional FRRO within 14 days of arrival. It is fully online through e-FRRO — no agent needed. You need passport, address proof, appointment letter, employment contract and proof of income. Delhi's FRRO covers a very large population, so apply early rather than at the deadline.
Get a PAN card immediately
CriticalThe Permanent Account Number gates banking, salary and most financial transactions, and without it tax is deducted from your pay at a higher rate. Foreign nationals can apply. Start it in your first week because everything else waits on it.
Living in Delhi and working in Gurgaon crosses a state line
CriticalThe National Capital Region spans Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Vehicle registration, professional tax, liquor licensing, and even the applicable tenancy law change at the boundary. The commute between Delhi and Gurgaon at peak can exceed an hour and a half for twenty kilometres. Decide which side you want to be on before you sign anything.
The Metro is excellent and should shape where you live
ImportantDelhi Metro is one of the best systems in the world — extensive, clean, air-conditioned and cheap — and it reaches Gurgaon and Noida. Living within walking distance of a station is the single biggest quality-of-life decision available to you, both for the commute and because it lets you avoid the worst of the traffic and the roadside air.
Summer is as extreme as winter, in the other direction
ImportantMay and June regularly exceed 45°C, with the dry 'loo' wind making afternoons genuinely dangerous. Air conditioning is not optional, power cuts during peak demand are common, and an inverter or generator backup in your building matters. The pleasant window is roughly February to March and October.
Work
Top industries & employers
Government, policy & diplomacy
Union ministries, NITI Aayog, embassies, think tanks
Delhi is the seat of national government, and the diplomatic and policy ecosystem around it is the largest in South Asia — the most internationally accessible sector for a foreign national.
Consulting & professional services
McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, EY, KPMG
The consulting firms cluster in Gurgaon, serving both Indian corporates and the government advisory market that only exists in a capital.
Technology & startups
Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Paytm, Zomato, Policybazaar
The Gurgaon and Noida corridors host large engineering centres and a consumer-internet scene distinct from Bengaluru's — more commerce and fintech, less deep engineering.
Development & multilaterals
World Bank, UN agencies, ADB, Gates Foundation, BRAC
The largest concentration of development institutions in South Asia, and a sector that hires internationally as a matter of course.
Media & publishing
The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, NDTV, Bloomberg
The national press corps is based here because the government is, and the political journalism ecosystem is correspondingly dense.
Manufacturing & auto
Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Honda, Havells
The Gurgaon–Manesar industrial belt is one of India's largest automotive clusters, with an enormous supplier base around it.
Explore
Where to go in Delhi
Humayun's Tomb
Landmark · Nizamuddin
A 1570 Mughal garden tomb of red sandstone and white marble that was the architectural rehearsal for the Taj Mahal.
Local tip: Go at opening or in the last hour. The adjacent Sunder Nursery — 90 acres of restored Mughal gardens — is newer, less visited and arguably better, and the two share an entrance area.
Old Delhi & Chandni Chowk
Food · Shahjahanabad
The 17th-century walled city — Jama Masjid, the spice market, and lanes of food that predate almost everything around them.
Local tip: Go on foot or by cycle rickshaw; cars cannot manage it. Karim's near Jama Masjid and the parathas of Paranthe Wali Gali are the classics, but the best move is to follow whoever has the longest queue.
Lodhi Gardens
Nature · Lodhi Estate
90 acres of park containing 15th-century tombs, where Delhi's diplomatic and political class walks every morning.
Local tip: The best free thing in central Delhi. Come at 7am when the light is good and the air is at its least bad, and walk to the adjacent Lodhi Art District for the murals.
Hauz Khas Village & the reservoir
Neighborhood · South Delhi
A 13th-century water tank and madrasa complex with a deer park, ringed by a village turned bar and restaurant district.
Local tip: The ruins and lake at sunset are the reason to come; the bars are secondary and increasingly generic. Enter through the deer park from Green Park side to avoid the crowds.
Qutb Minar & Mehrauli Archaeological Park
Landmark · Mehrauli
A 73-metre 12th-century tower beside an iron pillar that has resisted rust for 1,600 years, with a sprawling ruin park next door.
Local tip: The Qutb complex is ticketed and busy. The Mehrauli Archaeological Park beside it is free, largely unvisited, and contains a thousand years of tombs, stepwells and palaces you can walk among alone.
Agrasen ki Baoli
Hidden gemCulture · Connaught Place
A 60-metre stepwell of 108 stone steps descending into the ground, hidden between office towers in central Delhi.
Local tip: Free, open daily, and a few minutes' walk from Connaught Place — yet most people who work above it have never gone down. Go at midday when the light reaches the bottom.
Safety
Emergency numbers in Delhi
112
National emergency number
100
Police
101
Fire
102 or 108
Ambulance
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