Relocating to India: The Complete Guide
India draws people for very different reasons. Some are foreign professionals posted to a fast-growing market; some are entrepreneurs and investors chasing one of the world’s largest consumer economies; and a very large number are members of the UAE’s Indian diaspora moving back home — or splitting their lives between the Gulf and a base in Mumbai, Bengaluru or Delhi. Whichever group you belong to, the mechanics of the move are similar: get the right entry route, register on arrival, find a home and a school, sort private healthcare, and ship your household so it clears customs cleanly. This guide walks through each step as it stands in 2026. Rules and figures here are indicative and change frequently — we confirm the current position for your case before you commit.
Overview
India is a federal country of states, each with its own property market, school landscape and pace of bureaucracy, so “moving to India” really means moving to a city. The three that dominate inbound relocation are Mumbai (finance and corporate headquarters), Bengaluru (technology) and the Delhi National Capital Region (government, multinationals and manufacturing). English is widely used in business, medicine and education, which softens the landing for newcomers. The two recurring themes you should plan around are the private sector — you will rely on private schools and private hospitals — and registration: most longer-stay foreign nationals must report to the authorities soon after arrival. Get those two right and the rest is logistics.
Visas and residency
Your route depends on nationality and purpose. The main options in 2026 are:
- Employment Visa — for foreign nationals taking up a skilled job with an Indian entity. The headline condition is a gross annual income threshold, currently set at around INR 16.25 lakh (roughly USD 25,000). The government has been moving to denominate this in rupees rather than US dollars so applicants are not pushed below the line by exchange-rate swings. The package calculation is generous: salary plus the imputed value of perquisites such as company housing count toward the threshold. Narrow exemptions exist for roles such as ethnic cooks, certain language teachers, performing artists and some honorary NGO positions.
- Business Visa — for meetings, setting up a venture, sourcing or negotiating. The e-Business Visa is typically valid for 365 days with multiple entries and a maximum stay of 180 days per visit. It does not permit you to take up local employment; using a tourist visa for business activity now risks deportation and a re-entry ban, so match the visa to the activity.
- OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) — the route most relevant to the UAE’s Indian community. People of Indian origin (broadly, those who were Indian citizens on or after 26 January 1950, and their descendants), and spouses of Indian citizens or OCI holders where the marriage has subsisted at least two years, can hold a lifelong, multiple-entry visa. OCI holders live, work and study in India indefinitely, are exempt from FRRO registration, and can bank, invest and buy non-agricultural property — though OCI is not citizenship and carries no voting rights or right to buy farmland. As a 2026 guide, the fresh OCI fee is in the region of USD 275 (or about INR 15,000 if applied for within India), and the digital e-OCI process has shortened turnaround considerably.
Most employment and study moves also require attested supporting documents (degrees, marriage and birth certificates). Our visa and immigration team manages the application end to end, and our attestation and apostille service handles the certificate side so nothing stalls.
FRRO registration. Foreign nationals staying long-term must register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office via the e-FRRO portal. Under the Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules notified in 2026, those intending to stay beyond 180 days should now register before crossing that 180-day mark — the old grace period after the threshold has been tightened, and short-stay buffers have narrowed. Children below 12 and OCI cardholders are exempt. Because the rules shifted mid-2026, we verify the exact deadline for your visa type so you do not fall foul of it.
Cost of living (2026)
India is inexpensive by Gulf standards, with one big exception: international schooling and good private healthcare, which can rival or exceed UAE pricing. Rent is the main lever, and it varies enormously by city and neighbourhood — Mumbai is the costliest, then Delhi, then Bengaluru. The figures below are indicative 2026 monthly ranges for a household, in Indian rupees (INR); actual costs depend heavily on area, lifestyle and family size.
| Item (monthly, household) | Mumbai | Bengaluru | Delhi NCR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 2–3 bed in an expat area | INR 70,000–200,000+ | INR 40,000–100,000 | INR 50,000–120,000 |
| Utilities, internet & mobile | INR 8,000–15,000 | INR 7,000–13,000 | INR 7,000–14,000 |
| Groceries (family of four) | INR 25,000–45,000 | INR 20,000–40,000 | INR 22,000–42,000 |
| Domestic help / driver | INR 15,000–40,000 | INR 12,000–35,000 | INR 14,000–38,000 |
| Transport (car, fuel or ride-hailing) | INR 8,000–25,000 | INR 7,000–22,000 | INR 8,000–24,000 |
Treat these as a planning starting point, not a quote. School fees and health insurance — covered below — are usually the two largest line items for a relocating family and sit outside this table.
Where to live and home search
Each city rewards local knowledge. In Mumbai, expat and corporate families gravitate to South Mumbai (Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Worli), the Bandra–Khar–Juhu belt on the western suburbs, and Powai for value near tech and schools. In Bengaluru, Indiranagar, Koramangala, Whitefield and the Sarjapur Road corridor balance lifestyle with access to tech parks. In the Delhi NCR, South Delhi (Vasant Vihar, Greater Kailash), plus Gurugram and Noida, host most multinational families. Leases typically run 11 months, renewable, and landlords usually ask for a deposit of several months’ rent — sometimes more in premium Mumbai buildings. Society approvals, broker fees and registration add friction. Our home search service shortlists properties to your budget, schools and commute, then handles viewings, negotiation and the paperwork so you are not navigating an unfamiliar rental market alone.
Schools and education
Most relocating families choose international or premium private schools offering the IB, Cambridge/British (IGCSE and A Level) or the Indian CBSE/ICSE curricula. Demand at the top schools is high and waitlists are real, so apply early. As an indicative 2026 picture, budget international schools run roughly INR 1.5–3.5 lakh a year at primary level, mid-tier schools around INR 4–7 lakh, and premium schools INR 8–15 lakh or more — with secondary, IGCSE and IB Diploma years higher again. Budget separately for one-off admission and development fees, which can add INR 50,000 to several lakh, plus exam-board charges. Our school search service matches your child’s curriculum and stage to the right schools, advises on the application calendar and supports admissions in your chosen city.
Healthcare
India’s public system is not the route for newcomers; you will use the private sector, and you should treat comprehensive private health insurance as essential. The good news is that leading private hospital groups — Apollo, Fortis, Max, Manipal and others in the metros — offer modern, internationally accredited care, and English is the working language of Indian medicine, with prescriptions and discharge notes written in English. As a 2026 guide, a private GP consultation is broadly INR 800–2,500 and a private hospital room runs from several thousand rupees to INR 20,000+ a night, with ICU days well above that — manageable with cover, painful without it. Expatriates often hold international plans from insurers such as Allianz Care, AXA or Bupa Global, while returning residents and OCI holders may combine an Indian policy with international cover. Arrange a policy that is active from your arrival date, before you need it.
Shipping your belongings and customs
From the UAE, sea freight is the workhorse for a full household — a 20ft or 40ft container for a larger home, or shared LCL for smaller volumes — with air freight reserved for essentials you need immediately. The decisive issue is not freight cost but customs, and specifically Transfer of Residence (ToR), the single biggest concession for people moving back. In broad 2026 terms, to qualify you must have stayed abroad for at least two years and be genuinely transferring residence to India, with limited prior visits during that period. ToR raised the duty-free allowance on used personal and household effects to around INR 7.5 lakh in 2026 (up from INR 5 lakh), and lets a defined list of higher-value appliances clear at a concessional basic customs duty (around 15%, plus surcharge) rather than the much steeper standard baggage rate. Two timing traps catch people out: goods generally must arrive within about 30 days of you reaching India unless customs condone a delay, and ToR-cleared appliances usually cannot be sold for two years under a self-disclosure undertaking. Only one family member can claim ToR. We plan the shipment around these rules and prepare the documentation so your goods clear without surprises — see our international moving service.
Bringing pets and vehicles
Pets. Dogs and cats can move from the UAE to India, but the process is exacting. Expect an ISO-standard microchip, a full vaccination record including rabies, an official health certificate, and the import clearances handled through India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), with a No Objection Certificate arranged ahead of arrival. Importing a pet under the baggage rule generally requires proof of two years’ stay abroad and that you are transferring residence. A temporary relaxation was introduced in March 2026 for owners coming from conflict-affected parts of the Middle East, but the standard documentation route is what most movers should plan for. Our pet relocation service manages microchipping timelines, paperwork, AQCS clearance and IATA-compliant flights.
Vehicles. India permits a returning resident to import one vehicle (car or, in its place, a motorcycle) when transferring residence, but the duty is very high — in the region of 165% of the CIF value for cars — and a no-sale bond of two years applies. For most families the economics favour buying locally rather than shipping a car. Where importing genuinely makes sense, our vehicle relocation service assesses eligibility, duty and homologation before you ship anything.
How Relocate MENA helps you move to India
We are a full-service relocation company headquartered in Dubai, handling anywhere-to-anywhere moves for individuals, families and corporate teams — and the UAE-to-India corridor is one we run constantly. One move manager owns your relocation end to end: the right entry route (Employment Visa, Business Visa or OCI) and FRRO registration; document attestation; home and school search in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi or beyond; private healthcare guidance; and a shipment planned around Transfer of Residence so your household clears customs cleanly, with pets and vehicles handled too. You brief us once, and we coordinate the rest with transparent costs and one point of contact.
Request a callback and a relocation specialist will map out your move to India and confirm the current rules for your situation.