Quick answer
Work out your daily spend outside pre-paid items, multiply by the days, add 15–20% as a buffer, and carry most of it on a forex card. Take 10–20% in cash for card-friendly places like Dubai and Europe, and 30–50% for Thailand, Bali or Vietnam. RBI caps foreign currency notes at USD 3,000 per trip, and you can carry up to ₹25,000 in Indian rupees.
Key takeaways
- Budget daily spend × days + known extras, then add 15–20% as a buffer.
- Cash share: 10–20% in Dubai, Singapore and Europe; 30–50% in Thailand, Bali and Vietnam.
- RBI limit: foreign currency notes up to USD 3,000 per trip; the rest on a forex card or other non-cash form.
- On return, declare foreign currency notes above USD 5,000, or all forex above USD 10,000.
- You can keep up to USD 2,000 in notes at home for the next trip.
How do you work out how much you need?
Start with what's already paid. On a package, hotels, breakfasts, transfers and many sightseeing tours are covered, so you need money only for meals not included, local transport, optional activities, shopping and tips. On a self-planned trip, add hotels you'll pay at check-in and any tourist taxes.
A simple method:
- Daily spend per person outside pre-paid items × number of days
- Add one-off costs you already know: a theme park, a desert safari, a show, city taxes
- Add 15–20% as a buffer
- Decide how much of the total goes on a card and how much in cash
What are typical daily spends by destination?
These assume a mid-range package with breakfast included, per person per day, excluding shopping.
| Destination type | Examples | Daily spend per person | Cash share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Asia | Thailand, Bali, Vietnam | ₹2,500–4,500 | 30–50% |
| Gulf | Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman | ₹3,000–5,000 | 10–20% |
| East Asia | Singapore, Japan, South Korea | ₹3,500–6,000 | 15–40% |
| Western Europe and UK | France, Italy, Switzerland, UK | ₹4,500–8,000 | 10–20% |
| North America and Australia | USA, Canada, Australia | ₹5,000–9,000 | 10–15% |
| Africa safaris and Egypt | Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt | ₹2,500–5,000 plus tips | 30–50%, often in US dollars |
Shopping is the wild card. If you plan to buy electronics in Dubai or a watch in Switzerland, budget it separately, pay by card, and remember that what you bring home counts against your customs allowance.
Which destinations still need more cash?
- Thailand and Bali: street food, markets, tuk-tuks, boat fees and small tips run on cash. Malls, hotels and bigger restaurants take cards.
- Vietnam: cash for street food, markets and taxis outside the ride-hailing apps; cards in hotels and larger restaurants.
- Japan: far more card-friendly than a few years ago, but small restaurants, shrines, rural inns and some ticket machines still want cash. Convenience-store ATMs usually accept foreign cards.
- Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania: tips, park extras and small purchases are often in US dollars. Carry clean, recent notes in small denominations.
- Dubai, Singapore, the UK and Scandinavia: you can get through most days without cash. Keep a little for tips and emergencies.
Worked example: a Thailand family trip
A Hyderabad family of four, with children aged 8 and 12, takes a five-night Phuket and Krabi package with breakfast and transfers.
- Daily spend: about ₹3,000 per adult and ₹1,500 per child, so ₹9,000 a day
- Five days: ₹45,000
- An island tour upgrade and an evening show: ₹12,000
- Buffer at 15%: about ₹8,550
- Total: about ₹65,500, or THB 24,300 at ₹2.7
They take THB 10,000 (₹27,000) in cash for street food, tuk-tuks, tips and markets, load the rest on a forex card, and carry one credit card. The Thailand trip cost guide has the full budget.
Worked example: a Europe couple
A Chennai couple takes an eight-night France, Switzerland and Italy package with breakfast and some dinners.
- Daily spend: ₹6,000 per person, so ₹12,000 a day
- Eight days: ₹96,000
- A Seine dinner cruise and a gondola ride: ₹25,000
- Buffer at 15%: about ₹18,150
- Total: about ₹1.39 lakh
They carry EUR 150 and CHF 100 in cash (about ₹26,300) and put the rest on a multi-currency forex card, with a credit card for hotel deposits.
What are the RBI limits when you leave India?
| Rule | Limit at the time of review |
|---|---|
| Foreign currency notes per trip | Up to USD 3,000 or equivalent; the rest on a forex card or other non-cash form |
| Total foreign exchange for travel | Within your USD 250,000 LRS limit per financial year |
| Indian rupee notes, leaving or returning | Up to ₹25,000 per person |
| Paying for forex in cash | Not allowed above ₹50,000 |
A few destinations have different cash limits. Nepal and Bhutan accept Indian rupees widely, so you rarely need forex there, but both have their own rules on higher-denomination notes; check before you carry ₹500 notes.
You don't need to declare legally bought forex when leaving India, but keep the forex invoice. It shows where the money came from if an officer asks, and helps when you sell leftovers back.
What do you have to declare when you come back?
On arrival in India, declare foreign currency to customs on the Currency Declaration Form if:
- foreign currency notes alone exceed USD 5,000 or equivalent, or
- all foreign exchange together, including travellers' cheques, exceeds USD 10,000 or equivalent
Most returning holidaymakers carry far less, so there's nothing to declare. Bringing back more than ₹25,000 in Indian rupee notes is not allowed.
What can you do with leftover forex?
You can keep up to USD 2,000 in foreign currency notes and coins at home for your next trip, with no time limit. Anything above that should be sold back to an authorised dealer, or credited to a resident foreign currency account, within 180 days of your return. Forex card balances can usually stay on the card.
Sell leftover cash in India rather than at the destination airport, and hold on to coins for the next trip, since money changers rarely buy them back.
Don't carry all your cash in one place. Split it between two family members and the hotel safe, and keep the forex card and the credit card in different bags.
When should you buy?
Buy cash two to five days before you fly, from a bank or money changer in your city, comparing rupees-per-unit quotes including GST. Load forex cards a week ahead so there's time to fix an activation problem. Don't try to time the rupee: on a ₹1 lakh trip, a 1% move is ₹1,000. For which payment method to use for what, see forex card vs cash vs credit card, or ask our foreign exchange desk for a single quote for cash and card together.
Frequently asked questions
How much foreign currency can I carry from India?
How much cash should I carry for a five-day Dubai trip?
Can I carry Indian rupees abroad?
Do I need to declare foreign currency when I return to India?
Can I keep leftover foreign currency after my trip?
Is it cheaper to buy foreign currency in India or abroad?
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Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
