An Expat’s First Two Weeks in Delhi NCR: A Practical Arrival Guide
The first two weeks in a new country are a blur, and Delhi NCR throws a lot at you at once. Here is what to sort out, roughly in order, from the airport pickup and the 14 day registration deadline to getting around a city that moves to its own rhythm.
A posting to Delhi NCR is exciting, but the first fortnight is mostly admin and adjustment. Nothing is set up yet, you are jet lagged, and the city around you works in ways that take time to learn. The good news is that the early tasks are predictable, so you can plan for them. This guide walks through the ones that matter, and how to get around while you tick them off.
Section 01From the airport to your front door
Most expats land at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, usually at Terminal 3, where all international flights arrive. After a long flight and the immigration queue, the last thing you want is to negotiate a fare at the kerb or wait on an app cab that may not turn up.
Arrange the first transfer in advance. A pre booked car with a chauffeur meeting you at arrivals, with your name on a board and a hand with the luggage, takes one uncertainty out of a tiring day and gets you to your temporary accommodation without stress. It is a small thing that sets the tone for the whole move.
Section 02The 14 day clock: FRRO registration
This is the deadline that catches people out. If you are staying in India for more than 180 days, you must register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, the FRRO, within 14 days of arrival. It is a legal requirement, not an optional step.
Registration is done online through the e-FRRO system, and you will typically need your passport and visa, passport photos, proof of your local address and a letter from your employer. Children under 16 are usually exempt. Because it depends on having an address sorted, it is worth starting early rather than leaving it to day 13.
Section 03Getting connected: SIM, payments and essentials
A local mobile number unlocks almost everything else, from cab apps to deliveries to digital payments, so it is an early priority. To buy a SIM you will need your passport, your visa and a passport photo, and sometimes proof of address, so carry copies. Once you have a number, India’s UPI payment apps make day to day spending simple, and you will use them constantly.
Section 04Getting around: expect a little culture shock
For most newcomers, the traffic is the biggest surprise of all. It moves to its own rhythm. Lane markings are treated as suggestions, the horn is used as a running commentary rather than a warning, and right of way is negotiated rather than simply given. It is rarely as dangerous as it first looks, but driving yourself in it from day one is a lot to take on, which is why many expats wait a while before getting behind the wheel.
Here is how the main ways of getting around actually feel in the first weeks.
- The Delhi Metro is clean, cheap and surprisingly extensive, often the fastest way across the city. The catch is the crowds. At peak hours the trains are packed, and with luggage or in formal clothes it is not always comfortable.
- Auto rickshaws, the little three wheelers, are everywhere. They are genuinely fun and handy for short hops or a run to the nearest metro station, but they are open to the weather and the traffic, fares are negotiated or metered, and they will only take you so far.
- Public buses are cheap and go almost everywhere, but routes and signage assume you already know the city, which makes them hard to use with any confidence early on.
- Uber and Ola are good for short, casual trips. For anything that has to run on time, the cancellations and higher fares at peak hours make them less dependable.
- A private car with a chauffeur is the option many expats settle on early. You get a car and a professional driver without owning a vehicle or employing anyone, and you only pay for the time you actually travel, whether that is a single airport run or a regular daily booking. It is the most comfortable way to find your feet while everything else is still being arranged.
Section 05Finding somewhere to live
Most companies put you in a serviced apartment or hotel for the first few weeks, which buys you time to look properly. Rent before you think about buying anything, and visit neighbourhoods at different times of day before you sign. Expats tend to cluster in gated communities and well served pockets across Gurgaon, Noida and South Delhi, close to international schools and the main business hubs. Having a car and chauffeur during the search makes viewing several areas in a day far easier.
Section 06Your first two weeks, in order
A rough running order that keeps the early days manageable.
- Arrange your airport pickup before you fly.
- Buy a local SIM and set up a phone number.
- Confirm your temporary accommodation and a way to get around.
- Sort proof of address, then register with the FRRO within 14 days.
- Open the essentials: payments, deliveries, a bank account if your employer has not arranged one.
- Start viewing neighbourhoods and longer term housing.
- Settle a daily transport plan, whether that is the metro, app cabs, a chauffeur or, later, your own car.
Delhi Cabz & Services has run chauffeur driven travel across Delhi NCR and India since 2010, more than fifteen years on the road. We operate a fleet of over 200 vehicles with English speaking, background verified chauffeurs and a booking desk open around the clock. Every fare is fixed when you book, with nothing added at the end of the trip.
Trusted by Pine Labs, Cargill, State Bank of India, Times of India, Bennett University and Heritage Village Resort & Spa, and chosen by expatriates living in the NCR and by international travel agencies booking for clients arriving in India.
Arriving in Delhi NCR soon?
Send us your flight and your first address. We will meet you at the airport, and we can set up a chauffeur for your first weeks while everything else gets sorted, monthly or as needed.