You have a deep guide for each task in this pack, SIM, money, FRRO, driving, healthcare. This one is the spine. It tells you the order and the dependencies, because in India the tasks lock together: your SIM unlocks UPI, your PAN unlocks your bank account, and a hard registration deadline (14 days from arrival on most work and dependant visas) governs your FRRO filing. Follow this timeline and nothing slips. Wherever a step needs detail, it points you to the right guide, and wherever IKAN does it for you, it says so.
Do this before you fly, new for 2026
The e-Arrival Card is now mandatory for every foreign passport (including OCI). Submit it free, online, within 72 hours before landing at indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Su-Swagatam app (~5 minutes, no uploads). Save the QR code offline, screenshot it and email it to yourself; you must show it at immigration. Indian-passport holders are exempt.
The deadlines that actually matter
−72 hours
e-Arrival Card submitted & QR saved (mandatory, all foreign nationals)
Day 0
Photograph your passport entry stamp, its date starts your FRRO clock (14 days on most work visas)
Day 14
FRRO registration complete. The 14-day deadline applies to most work and dependant visas (other long-stay visas register before 180 days). Late filing draws tiered fines from ~₹10,000 and can escalate to criminal penalties. The #1 task of your move.
From Day 0
Tax residency day-count begins, the 182-day line decides your tax status
Before you board · the 72-hour window
Get launch-ready
1
Submit your e-Arrival CardWithin 72h of landing, free, online. Save the QR offline. (Full visa mechanics: the FRRO guide.)
2
Check your passport6 months' validity + 2 blank pages. Carry printed copies of your visa, employer letter and hotel/address proof, you'll reuse them all week.
3
Pre-download your apps offlineUber/Ola, Google Maps (offline area), WhatsApp, your hotel's app and Su-Swagatam, before you lose connectivity.
4
Pack the load-bearing itemsA Type D/M power adapter, 6 to 8 passport photos, and any prescription medicines with a doctor's note.
Landing day · the airport sequence
Your first two hours, in order
1
Immigration & the entry stampPresent passport + visa + e-Arrival QR; biometrics are taken; you get your entry stamp. Photograph it, its date starts your FRRO clock (14 days on most work visas).
2
Buy a SIM at the airport kioskAirtel/Jio counter, ~₹999 (cheaper from city stores), with passport + visa + an address; active in ~1 to 2 hours. An Indian number is the master key for UPI, OTPs and every app sign-up. (Detail: Staying Connected guide.)
3
Bridge your moneyWithdraw some cash at an airport ATM and set up a UPI One World prepaid wallet at the arrival kiosk, so you can pay before your salary account exists. Bringing cash? You must declare anything over US$5,000 (or US$10,000 incl. cheques) to Customs. (Detail: Money & Banking guide.)
4
Transfer to your hotelPrepaid taxi booth (fixed, regulated, best late at night) or Uber/Ola from the app pickup zone (watch 2 to 3× late surge). Avoid unofficial 'taxi' touts. (Detail: Airport Transfer guide.)
The three first-hour mistakes to avoid: leaving the SIM kiosk before it's verified working; forgetting to photograph your entry stamp; and accepting an unofficial taxi tout instead of the prepaid booth or app.
Days 1 to 3 · get functional, not settled
Stand up the essentials
1
Confirm SIM & test UPIMake a small UPI payment at a shop before you rely on it.
2
Apply for your PANIt gates your bank account. Foreign-passport/OCI holders use Form 95 (which replaced Form 49AA on 1 April 2026); e-PAN issues in ~2 to 3 working days. (Detail & documents: Money & Banking guide, and your IKAN consultant can file this with you.)
3
Start your FRRO registrationBegin on the e-FRRO portal now, don't wait for the perfect address. Your IKAN immigration team prepares and files it; the clock doesn't pause. (Detail: FRRO guide.)
4
Stock up & stay reachableInstall Blinkit/Zepto/Swiggy Instamart, Google Pay/PhonePe (once UPI is live), and your city's transport app. Tell your home bank you've moved to avoid card freezes.
Days 4 to 14 · the hard-deadline week
Clear the legal & money milestones
1
Finish FRRO before Day 14Counted from your entry-stamp date on registration-endorsed visas (most work and dependant visas are; other long-stay visas register before 180 days). The single most time-critical task of your move. We track the deadline and file it with you.
2
Open your bank / salary accountOnce PAN + FRRO permit are in hand. Long-term employment-visa holders open a resident savings account; bring passport, visa, FRRO permit, PAN, employer letter, address proof; allow about a week (up to two). Your consultant accompanies you. (Detail: Money & Banking guide.)
3
Move to full UPILink your new account to Google Pay/PhonePe and retire the prepaid wallet.
4
Start your licence early, if you'll driveConversion is slow, begin now. (Detail: Driving & Your Licence guide.)
Days 15 to 30 · build the daily-life base
Make your home work
1
Move into permanent housingRedo address proof where it changed and update FRRO if your home address differs from what you registered. Your consultant handles the lease and settling-in.
2
Sort healthcareRegister with a local hospital/clinic and confirm your insurance specifics. (Detail: Healthcare guide.)
3
Set up home servicesDomestic help (a cook/maid is normal and budget-friendly), internet, gas, water delivery, laundry. (Detail: Setting Up Your Home guide.)
4
Find your people earlyA company buddy, your neighbourhood WhatsApp group and an expat community, the single biggest predictor of a smooth landing.
Days 31 to 90 · from surviving to settled
Turn function into familiarity
1
By Day 30 · function, don't force itAnchor to fixed routines (commute, weekly shop, a regular café) to manufacture familiarity.
2
Days 30 to 60 · close the loopsSchools/childcare settled if relevant (the search itself starts months earlier, see the Schools & Admissions guide), licence progressing, a GP and dentist identified, a reliable repairs contact.
3
Days 60 to 90 · ride the dipThe culture-shock 'frustration' phase is normal and temporary. Lean on community, and revisit anything you deferred (long-term housing, a car, investments).
Your support
What IKAN does for you
Your consultant files your FRRO, assists your PAN, and accompanies you to the SIM store and the bank
We handle your home search, lease and settling-in, utilities, help and the move-in
We remind you of every deadline (e-Arrival, the 14-day FRRO clock) so nothing is missed
For tax and other specialists, we connect you to the right advisor, you're never left guessing
Is everything done? · one-screen check
e-Arrival Card submitted & QR saved (before you flew)
Entry stamp photographed on landing day
SIM active & UPI working
FRRO registered within 14 days
PAN received & bank account open
Healthcare & permanent home sorted
Every step above has a deep guide behind it in this pack, and your IKAN consultant beside you. Welcome to India; let's make the first week calm.
Your IKAN Relocations team