Quick answer
Order a special meal for every flight at least 48 hours ahead: VJML for Jain, AVML for Indian vegetarian, VLML for vegetarian with eggs and dairy, VGML for vegan. On the ground, pick stays with a kitchen or included breakfast, carry ready-to-eat food that meets customs rules, learn a few phrases, and watch for fish sauce, fish stock and animal rennet.
Key takeaways
- Order VJML, AVML, VLML or VGML when you book and reconfirm at check-in; low-cost airlines usually sell meals instead.
- Carry dry, packaged food; the EU and UK bar most meat and dairy from outside Europe, and Australia and New Zealand want all food declared.
- Fish sauce in Southeast Asia, dashi in Japan and animal rennet in European cheese are the hidden ingredients to ask about.
- A written card in the local language, explaining exactly what you don't eat, works better than any phrase you try to pronounce.
Which airline meal code should you order?
Full-service airlines offer special meals at no extra charge, identified by four-letter codes used across the industry. These matter most to Indian travellers:
| Code | Meal | What it means | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| VJML | Vegetarian Jain meal | No meat, fish, eggs, honey, onion, garlic or root vegetables; usually Indian-style | Jain travellers |
| AVML | Asian vegetarian meal | Indian-style vegetarian; may include dairy, onion and garlic | Most Indian vegetarians |
| VLML | Vegetarian lacto-ovo meal | Western-style vegetarian; may include eggs and dairy | Vegetarians who eat eggs |
| VGML | Vegan meal | No animal products at all, including dairy and eggs | Vegans, and a back-up for Jains when VJML isn't offered (check for onion and garlic) |
| FPML | Fruit platter | Fresh fruit only | A simple back-up for strict diets |
Request the meal when you book, or through Manage Booking, at least 48 hours before departure; some airlines need more notice. Request it for every flight on the ticket, including partner airlines, and reconfirm at check-in. A seat change, an aircraft swap or a schedule change can drop the request, and special meals are loaded passenger by passenger.
Low-cost airlines, including IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express, usually sell pre-booked meals from a menu rather than offering special meal codes. Vegetarian options are common; strictly Jain options are not guaranteed, so carry your own food.
Be realistic about the result. An AVML on a foreign airline may be mildly spiced, and a VJML occasionally arrives with something you would not eat. Check before you start, and keep a back-up snack in your bag.
What food should you carry from India?
Dry and packaged food travels best: theplas, khakhra, mathri, roasted chana and makhana, instant poha and upma cups, ready-to-eat dal and rice pouches, and your own masala packets. Jain-friendly ready-to-eat brands are widely available in India. A small travel kettle or electric cooker turns a hotel room into a basic kitchen; many hotels in Europe and the US have no kettle.
Two sets of rules apply:
- Airport security: pickles, ghee, honey and sauces count as liquids, so they go in checked baggage, sealed and double-bagged. Our baggage rules guide covers the details.
- Customs at your destination: the EU and UK bar travellers from bringing most meat and dairy products from outside Europe, which includes ghee, paneer and milk-based sweets. Australia and New Zealand require you to declare all food on arrival; most packaged vegetarian food is allowed after inspection, but undeclared food draws heavy fines. The US and Canada also ask you to declare food.
How do you find food on the ground?
- Indian restaurants exist in almost every large city abroad. For Jain food, ask for no onion, no garlic and no potato or other root vegetables; most Indian kitchens understand immediately.
- ISKCON temples and their Govinda's restaurants, found in many cities worldwide, serve food without onion or garlic, though potato appears.
- Jain community centres in cities with large Indian communities, such as London, Leicester, Antwerp, Nairobi and Singapore, can point you to suitable food.
- Vegetarian restaurant apps such as HappyCow list vegetarian and vegan places by neighbourhood.
- Self-catering: an apartment with a kitchen, plus a supermarket for bread, fruit, vegetables, yogurt and rice, makes strict diets easy. Read labels for gelatine and rennet.
Which hidden ingredients should you ask about?
| Where | Hidden ingredient | Often found in |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia | Fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce | Curries, stir-fries, dipping sauces |
| Japan | Dashi (fish stock) | Miso soup, noodle broths, many sauces |
| South Korea | Fish sauce, anchovy stock, salted shrimp | Kimchi, soups, stews |
| China and Hong Kong | Oyster sauce, lard, chicken stock | Vegetable dishes, noodles, pastries |
| Europe | Animal rennet, gelatine, meat stock, lard | Hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, desserts, soups, pastry |
| Everywhere | Egg | Fresh pasta, cakes, mayonnaise, batters |
Which phrases help?
| Language | Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Thai | Gin jay | I eat jay food: no animal products, onion or garlic |
| Thai | Mai sai nam pla | No fish sauce |
| Vietnamese | Toi an chay | I eat vegetarian |
| Japanese | Niku, sakana, dashi wa taberaremasen | I can't eat meat, fish or fish stock |
| Mandarin | Wo chi su | I eat vegetarian |
| Indonesian | Saya vegetarian, tanpa daging, tanpa ikan | I'm vegetarian, no meat, no fish |
| Italian | Sono vegetariano, senza carne e pesce | I'm vegetarian, without meat or fish |
| Spanish | Soy vegetariano, sin carne ni pescado | I'm vegetarian, without meat or fish |
Make a card in the local language that lists exactly what you do not eat: meat, fish, eggs, fish sauce, stock, and for Jains, onion, garlic and root vegetables. Showing it to the waiter works better than any pronunciation.
Which destinations are easiest?
- Easy: Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, the UK and Italy, with plenty of Indian restaurants and vegetarian dishes.
- Manageable with planning: Thailand, where jay food is clearly marked during the annual vegetarian festival and in Chinese-Thai neighbourhoods, plus Bali, Switzerland, Vietnam and the US.
- Harder: Japan and South Korea, because fish stock is everywhere, and Spain, Central Asia and much of Eastern Europe outside big cities.
Our food guides for Japan, Thailand and Italy go dish by dish.
Jain-specific planning
Eating before sunset needs planning in both directions: in northern Europe in June, sunset can be close to 10 pm, while in December it can come before 4 pm. Carry dry food for tithi days and long sightseeing days. Remember that potato is a staple across Europe, so "vegetarian" there often means potato. Several Indian operators run Jain-friendly group departures with their own cooks, which many Jain families find easiest for a first trip abroad. Our tour packages can be planned around Jain meals; tell us your requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the VJML meal on a flight?
What is the difference between AVML and VLML?
How early should I request a special meal on a flight?
Can I carry home-cooked food on an international flight?
Which countries are easiest for Indian vegetarians to visit?
How do I explain Jain food rules at a restaurant abroad?
How we checked this page
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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.
