SURREY, B.C. - The Vancouver to Delhi run is the defining trip for thousands of Surrey families, and the rules around it have quietly changed within the last year. Five checks before you book, drawn from the Government of Canada’s own travel advice for India, updated November 2, 2026.
1. Canada’s advisory level
Canada advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in India. That is not a do-not-travel warning, but it is the level at which travel insurance terms and your own planning should take the destination seriously. Read the current advisory before booking, not after, because it had been updated within days of this article.
2. How long you can stay
The maximum stay for tourists is 180 days. Families planning a long winter in Punjab around a wedding or a harvest should count the days against that ceiling before choosing dates, not at the airport.
3. The e-Arrival Card
India’s e-Arrival Card can be completed up to 72 hours before arrival. It replaces part of the old paper shuffle, but only if you actually do it in that window; build it into the same checklist as online check-in.
4. Visas: one real website
If you need an e-Visa, the official portal is indianvisaonline.gov.in, and it is the only address you should trust with your passport details and payment. Lookalike visa sites charging service fees are a standing scam category for this route. Travellers holding OCI cards travel on their card and do not need a visa, but the card and passport must both be current; our companion guide covers the OCI age-band rules in detail.
5. The new baggage numbers
India’s Baggage Rules, 2026, in force since February 2, 2026, set the general free allowance for residents and tourists of Indian origin, including NRI and OCI travellers, at ₹75,000 of duty-free goods; the older ₹50,000 figure no longer applies. Foreign tourists get ₹25,000. Gold jewellery allowances are now weight-based: 40 grams for female passengers and 20 grams for others. Goods above the allowance draw duty of 35 per cent plus a 10 per cent social welfare surcharge. If the family plan involves wedding gold or gifts, price the duty before the suitcase is packed, not at the customs desk.
What it means for you
Book the flight whenever the fare is right; just run the five checks in the week before you pay: advisory, stay length, e-Arrival window, visa source, baggage value. Entry rules are set by India and summarized by Canada’s travel service; the official pages hold the final word for your passport and your status.
(Source: Government of Canada, Travel Advice and Advisories for India, updated November 2, 2026; Government of India, Baggage Rules, 2026)
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