Hi,

I am visiting India in next two months. I am wondering how I should I take the funds that I would need during the trip. Should I take a traveler’s check or transfer money from here into an Indian bank account or something else?

Thanks,

MG.

Money transfer/traveler's check costs you fees and exchange rates. Most to all debit cards work in all of the ATMs in India. You get the current exchange rate (unlike banks that takes away somer percent) and can cost you only a dollar or 2 for ATM fees. Only care needs to be taken not to use it quite often e.g. for Rs 5000, 3 times a day as needed...that will cost you more in ATM fees.

Interac will not work. If your debit card has any other symbol matching what is displayed on ATM like Plus or Cirrus, that will work. Don't know about the spread, all have to some degree.

If the amount is not big, you can carry cash too which you can exchange at a forex dealer in India. If you do a bank transfer, the advantage is that you know beforehand what exchange rate you are getting and safer than carrying cash.

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You can kill two birds in stone by this route.

You can borrow money in Indian Rupees from your near and dear while visiting India and promise to pay them back in CAD when they visit you here.

This way they will remember you always and at the same time the chances are slim to none that they will visit you here.

Or

If they do visit you here they will compare the standard of living between yours and theirs and will give you more money in Canada.

As they do in Canada, say anything they want add the phrase : Just Kidding !.

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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.

The expenses we incur in medical like paying for a docs visit etc can we claim in taxes.

Hello

Indian banking is far more advanced and cheaper than Canadian banks. You can use Interac debit at any HDFC bank ATM. If you use any other ATM they are most like to charge a dollar more in fee but are sure to give you money. Unlike Canadian banks who work in monopolistic ways, you can even set an arrangment with any Indian bank like SBI or ICICI in Canada and use ATM in every nook and corner of India, even if you use it at any unknown village in interior Punjab. In fact you can even get money on your cellphone sitting in a village in India and pay thru virtual credit cards which is still out of reach and considered so "HI FI" tech in Canada.

If your debit card has only Interac logo it will not work.

http://www.hdfcbank.com/nri/access/atm/atm_faqs.htm#7

Which cards can be used at your ATMs?

You can use the following cards at our ATMs:

* American Express

Charge/Credit Cards

* Cirrus

MasterCard Credit Cards - Domestic/International (of domestic, currently only Citibank, Standard Chartered and ANZ MasterCard Credit Cards can be used at our ATMs)

Cirrus ATM Cards - Domestic/International

Maestro Debit Cards - Domestic/International (of domestic Cirrus/Maestro Cards, currently only Citibank Maestro/Cirrus Cards can be used at our ATMs)

* Plus

VISA Credit Cards - Domestic/International (of domestic, currently only Citibank, Standard Chartered, HSBC and ANZ can be used at our ATMs)

Plus ATM Cards - Domestic/International

VISA Electron Debit Cards - Domestic/International

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