London for visitors from India: entry rules, money, SIMs, where your community is, and getting from the airport (2026)

Written for Indian visitors by a London private-hire company that collects you from arrivals every day. Prices and rules checked October 2026; entry rules change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you fly.

Entry: ETA or visa?

Standard Visitor visa: £135 for up to 6 months (fee since 8 April 2026); 2-year (£506), 5-year (£903) and 10-year (£1,128) multi-entry versions exist. Apply online at GOV.UK, give biometrics at a visa centre, allow 3 weeks (priority services cost extra). Indian passport holders need a visitor visa (no ETA option). Most travellers get a 6-month multi-entry visa; the 2-year visa is better value if you visit twice.

Money, cards and cash

Britain is almost cashless: contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work in every shop, pub, bus and Tube gate (no ticket needed – just tap the same card in and out). Our cars take cards too, so you need no pounds in hand on arrival. If you want cash, use a bank cash machine (free), not the airport bureau de change. £1 ≈ $1.32 / €1.18 (October 2026).

SIM cards, plugs and the basics

Your driver will show you the SIM kiosks in arrivals, but supermarket SIMs (Tesco, giffgaff, Lebara, Lyca – £10–£15 for 20–50 GB) are cheaper; eSIMs can be bought before you fly. Plugs are the 3-pin UK Type G at 230 V – bring one adapter per device. We drive on the left; the emergency number is 999 (or 112); tap water is safe; tipping is 10–12.5% in restaurants (often already added), not expected in taxis, pubs or shops.

Arriving at the airport: what we do for Indian visitors

Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board the moment you clear passport control and customs; we track the flight and the first 60 minutes after landing are free. Fixed fares to central London: Heathrow from £85, Gatwick from £85, Stansted from £85, Luton from £85 – one price for the whole car, no surge, child seats on request. Tell us when you book if you need a SIM, cash, a pharmacy or a halal/kosher/vegetarian meal on the way and the driver will stop. Heathrow · Gatwick · Stansted · Luton.

Where the Indian community is

Southall (UB1) is the Punjabi heart of London – the Broadway for saris, gold and dosa; Wembley (Ealing Road) for Gujarati sweets and chaat; Green Street in East Ham and Tooting for South Indian and Pakistani food; Harrow and Hounslow are the family suburbs. Diwali on Trafalgar Square is in October/November.

Food from home

Dishoom (Bombay café, six branches), Sakonis in Wembley (vegetarian), Saravanaa Bhavan in East Ham (pure veg), Tayyabs in Whitechapel, and the Michelin-starred Gymkhana and Benares in Mayfair. Jain, Swaminarayan and sattvic food is easy to find in Wembley and Harrow.

Places of worship

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden (the famous marble temple); Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir, Wembley; Sri Murugan Temple, Manor Park; gurdwaras in Southall (Sri Guru Singh Sabha) and Hounslow; mosques citywide.

Embassy and consular help

High Commission of India: India House, Aldwych WC2B 4NA (consular services at Aldwych). Lost passport: report to the police (101) and your embassy; we can take you there.

Good to know

Air India and British Airways land at Heathrow Terminal 2/5, Virgin at T3, Vistara-era codeshares at T2; Mumbai and Delhi flights arrive early morning, when a pre-booked car beats a 40-minute taxi queue. Indian cards work for contactless; UPI does not. Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and Tamil-speaking drivers are available on request.

Next steps

Airport transfers · London food & shopping guide with prices · All visitor guides · Rushxo for Business. Get a fixed-price quote →