Best Place to Exchange Money in Delhi

01Exchange

Where to change money in Delhi

Only banks and changers authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), or their franchisees, may legally buy your pounds. Licensed counters must post the day's rates by 10:30 a.m., and non-bank changers must display their RBI licence.

• Janpath and Palika Bazaar, Connaught PlaceBookMyForex, an online currency seller, says most Connaught Place changers are grouped here and nearby, including the Inner Circle's A and N blocks and Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
• Terminal 3 exchange counters, Delhi airportThomas Cook is among the firms at the arrivals counters, and there are more in departures; estimated margins are covered below.

02On arrival

Changing money at the airport

All international flights into Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) use Terminal 3. Arrivals has exchange counters, Thomas Cook's among them, and any sited between immigration and customs must give you an encashment certificate. Travel Currency Guide (May 2026) estimates their margin at 6 to 12 per cent over the mid-market rate; BookMyForex, itself a currency seller, says 8 to 10 per cent. Past customs, an SBI machine is on the right, with HDFC and ICICI further along. HappyFares lists prepaid government taxi counters in the arrivals hall.

03Cash machines and cards

ATMs and cards in Delhi

Indian banks charge foreign cardholders per withdrawal, on top of any UK bank fee. India Someday (September 2025) says ₹150 to ₹300 is usual, while ATM Fee Saver (February 2026) lists ₹200 to ₹335 at most private banks. Single withdrawals are often capped at ₹10,000 to ₹20,000, so fewer, larger ones save on fees. Delhi machines may propose settling the withdrawal in pounds; ATM Fee Saver notes that agreeing brings the ATM's own rate plus a conversion fee, so let Visa or Mastercard convert instead. Small grocers and street stalls may not take cards, but UPI One World, a prepaid wallet that UPI's operator, NPCI, extended to all inbound travellers in July 2024, lets you pay by scanning a shop's QR code once an issuer has checked your passport and visa.

04Getting around

Paying for transport in Delhi

The Airport Express Line runs from beneath Terminal 3 to New Delhi station in under 20 minutes. Metro gates accept National Common Mobility Cards from any issuing bank, and QR tickets are sold through apps such as Amazon Pay (Railway Gazette, August 2024). The Foreign Office says Uber and Ola operate widely in India, airports included. In autos, Move to Delhi advises asking for the meter and agreeing the minimum fare first.

05Local know-how

Good to know

• Over USD 5,000 in notes, or USD 10,000 in notes plus travellers' cheques, must be declared on arrival, says the UK Foreign Office, and a changer then needs to see that form.
• Bringing rupees into India is restricted, so get them after you land. Leaving by air, RBI rules let you take up to ₹25,000 in Indian notes.
• The Foreign Office warns that card skimming is common in India; India Someday suggests machines attached to a bank rather than stand-alone ones on the street.