Useful information before travelling to/from South Asia

• Practical information (currency converter, time zones, weather, maps, calendars, online translator, etc.)
• Health and Malaria situation
• South Asian Telephone Directories
• South Asian Hotel Portal
• Travel advice from the Swedish Foreign Office 
• Travel advice from the British Foreign Office
• Schengen Visa
• Swedish Embassies in South Asia
• South Asian Embassies in Sweden, or closest representation
• South Asian Airlines & Railways
• Swedish Travel agencies on South Asia
• Lonely Planet Online, and 
• Survival Guide to Kabul
• Official Tourist boards
• Friendship societies
• Cross-cultural training/Language training

Practical advice:

• Currency Converter, between all curriencies of the World.

• Time around the World, showing the exact time in each Country right now.

• Weather forecasts for South Asian nations is offered by the World Meteorological Organization, based in Geneva:

– Afghanistan
– Bhutan
– India
– Maldives
– Nepal
– Pakistan
– Sri Lanka

(No forecasts available for Bangladesh and Bhutan)

• South Asia Maps:

• Asian Maps, from the Perry-Castañeda Map Collection, at University of Texas, Austin

• Maps of India offers a large variety of Indian maps. It is run by Compare Infobase Pvt. Ltd in New Delhi. There are maps of all kinds: overviews, political, tricolor, outline, physical, dynamic, clickable, zonal, topographic, reference, geographical, demographic, historical, economic, social/cultural , parliamentary constituency, scientific, industrial, statewise, districtwise. Maps of Indian states and cities are also available, as well as transport network maps, airways and railway maps, and many other things.
Maps of India also sells an updated cd-rom containing 5.000 most useful maps of India. It is sold for INR 995 or USD 50. More information about the cd-rom.

• MapmyIndia is a unique New Delhi-based service, providing dynamic, interactive, searchable and highly detailed maps over India, including routes between any two major locations and viewing various tourist and business locations instantaneously on the map. It is an interactive and intelligence based web site, bringing about a paradigm shift in the way people in India have been looking at maps.

• Maps of Afghanistan (political and military maps, city maps, regional overviews, on the security and humanitarian situation, etc.), by GlobalSecurity.org.

• Hindu Calendar

• Conversion between Hijra (Muslim) and Gregorian Calendars

Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) was discovered near Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, India by Ramana Athreya in 2006.

• Indien.nu is a new web site developed by Yvette Ekblom Kenttä and Henric Carlsson in Örebro. It offers (in Swedish only) lots of useful information about travelling to India.

• Kolkatabirds.com. Extensive ornithologists web site, presenting more than 950 species of Indian birds with colour photos. Edited by Bill Harvey, closely associated with the Northern India Bird Network; Bikram Grewal, author of several best-selling guides to Indian birds; and K. S. Gopi Sundar, one of the top field scientists working in India.

• Tea Centre, Stockholm. Tea from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka (and other countries) available in Sweden through mail order.

Situation on malaria and other diseases in South Asia:

WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, based in New Delhi, offers information and statistics on the malaria situation in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

MD Travel Health.com gives information on the malaria situation, as well as facts on vaccinations and other medical advice before travelling to Pakistan.

MD Travel Health.com offers the same exhaustive service for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Information on vaccinations, from Resemedicin.com (in Swedish).

South Asian telephone Directories:

Business guide to Bangladesh yellow pages. White page to follow soon.

Indian Telephone Directories on the Web. Available for Andhra Pradesh; Bhopal and other cities in Madhya Pradesh; Chandigarh; Delhi; Goa; Kolkata (West Bengal); Maharashtra – including Mumbai; and Tamil Nadu – including Chennai.
Besides yellow pages are available for all over India.

Searchable database of telephone codes (STD codes) of cities and towns in India.

Maldivian yellow pages. Searchable directory.

Telephone Directory for Pakistan. Free service offered bt KalDirectory/Phonepk.com.

Sri Lanka Telecom Directory.

South Asian Hotel Portal:

Pakistan: Cheap Hotels is the Pakistani hotel comparison portal that helps visitors to find hotels in Bhurban, Gwadar, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi. Browse the portal.

Information from the Swedish Foreign Office:

Recommendations about travelling to different countries. At present (January 2013) the Swedish Foreign Office
advises against all travel to Afghanistan,
advises against all travel to the provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, plus the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan
and all non-essential travelling to:
       • Other parts of Pakistan; and
       • Jammu och Kashmir State in India
          (except for travelling to the Ladakh region by air to Leh, or by road via Manali, Himachal Pradesh)

Travel Advice for Swedish travellers to India and Sri Lanka (Info from the Swedish Foreign Office)

Travel Advice for Swedish travellers to Nepal (Info from the Swedish Foreign Office)

Visa rules for Swedish citizens intending to visit foreign countries

Visa rules for foreigners intending to visit Sweden

British Foreign Office:

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office gives detailed advice on safety aspects on travelling to all countries. The British advise as follows:

AFGHANISTAN:

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office strongly advises against all but essential travel to Kabul and the surrounding urban area, because of ongoing terrorist activity and the high risk of kidnap, violent crime and suicide attacks. The main supply routes and principle roads have a particular heightened threat of road side bombs and ambush.
It also strongly advises the following travel restrictions according to provincial regions:
Kabul:
• against all travel to the Surobi, Paghman, Musayhi and Chahar Asyab Districts of the Kabul province.
• against all but essential travel to other parts of Kabul province.
Northern Afghanistan:
• against all travel to Kunduz
• against all but essential travel to Badakshan, Balkh, Baghlan, Faryab, Jawzjan, Samangan, Sari Pul and Takhar.
Eastern Afghanistan:
• against all travel to Ghazni, Kapisa Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Pakitka, Wardak and Paktya.
• against all but essential travel to Bamiyan, Parwan, Panjshir, and the main Kabul/Torkham highway.
Southern Afghanistan:
• against all travel to Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul.
Western Afghanistan:
• against all travel to Badghis, Farah the Shindand and Gozarah Districts of Herat province.
• against all but essential travel to Dai Kundi, Ghor and Herat.

• use caution. Afghanistan has a high threat of terrorism and specific methods of attack are evolving and increasing in sophistication. No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts.

The recent high-profile attacks within the Central Region highlights the dangers of becoming caught up in an insurgent attack within relatively secure areas of Afghanistan.  As insurgents attempt to destabilise the ongoing transition of security to Afghan National Security Forces it is likely that these attacks will continue, in particular an increase is expected in those targeting foreign and Afghan national interests.

You should be vigilant and take extra care, particularly in and around landmarks and places where large public crowds can gather. International embassies, government ministries and military establishments, as well as hotels, shops and restaurants used by the international community have been attacked in the past and it is likely that there will be further such attacks.
Afghanistan has a high threat of terrorism and specific methods of attack are evolving and increasing in sophistication. No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts.
There is a heightened threat of roadside bombs and ambush outside Kabul City. You should maintain a heightened level of vigilance at all times, observing the strictest of security measures and avoid any unnecessary travel. Travellers should also consider making their own security arrangements for the duration of their time in Afghanistan.
The kidnap threat throughout the country remains high, particularly against local nationals, but also against the international community.

An Afghan government-controlled security force, the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF), took over provision of most commercial security services in Afghanistan from private security companies by 20 March 2012. This follows President Karzai’s Presidential Decree 62, of August 2010, ordering the disbandment of private security companies in Afghanistan. Only embassies and other accredited diplomatic missions will be permitted to continue using private security companies after March 2013. 
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Afghanistan.

BANGLADESH:

• against non-essential travelling to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (this does not include the city of Chittagong). If you propose to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts you are required to give the Bangladeshi authorities ten days' notice of your travel plans.
• use caution. Demonstrations and protests are frequent. They can occur suddenly and quickly turn violent and may include the burning of buses and attacks on property, road blocks and confrontation with the police. Serious violent disorder has claimed scores of lives across Bangladesh since 28 February 2013. There are regular enforced strikes, known locally as hartals. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 18-Party Opposition will hold a 36-hour hartal starting at 06:00 on Tuesday 23 April.
If you’re intending to travel to Bangladesh, even if you’re a regular visitor with family or business links, you should be aware that disruption to normal life has become frequent. You should follow developments in the news media and consult FCO Travel Advice regularly. 
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Bangladesh.

BHUTAN:

• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Bhutan.

INDIA:

• against all travelling to or through rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir state (with the exception of the region of Ladakh).
• against all travelling in the immediate vicinity of the border with Pakistan, other than travel across the international border at Wagah.
• also against all travelling to the North-Eastern state of Manipur (except Imphal by air).
• against non-essential travelling to Imphal, capital of Manipur.
• against non-essential travelling to Srinagar, capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
• use caution. Police are reporting that a bomb has exploded on 17 April 2013 in Bangalore outside the local office of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A number of casualties are reported.
There is a high threat from terrorism throughout India. Recent attacks have targeted public places including those visited by foreigners.
The Indian government has relaxed the rules on re-entering the country whilst on a tourist visa. The previous rule of no re-entry on the same visa for two months after leaving India no longer applies to foreign nationals coming to India except in case of nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origins and Stateless persons.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about India.

MALDIVES:

• against non essential travel to Malé Island. Our advice against all but essential travel to Malé Island does not include Malé International Airport or travel from the airport to any part of the country other than Malé Island. 
• use caution. There are ongoing political demonstrations in the capital island of Malé. Some previous demonstrations have resulted in violent clashes involving police, military and demonstrators. We advise that you stay alert, exercise caution and stay away from demonstrations and spontaneous gatherings.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Maldives.

NEPAL:

• use caution. The political situation in Nepal is changeable. There are frequent bandhs (shutdowns), rallies and demonstrations, which can be violent and cause widespread disruption. If you are travelling in Nepal, you should remain vigilant, avoid demonstrations, and stay in close touch with your tour operator.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Nepal.

PAKISTAN:

• against all travelling to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa including the areas of Peshawar, Charsadda, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki and Dera Ismail Khan. We advise against travel to the city of Peshawar and districts south of the city. The Pakistani military is conducting ongoing operations against militants across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
• against all travelling to Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir, including travel on the Peshawar to Chitral road via the Lowari Pass. In these areas there are ongoing reports of military or militant activity. 
• against all travelling to Northern and Western Baluchistan and non essential travel to Quetta.
• against non essential travel to Nawabshah in Sindh Province, and to parts of Interior Sindh to the north of Nawabshah. 
• against non essential travel to the Kalesh Valley, the Bamoboret Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. These areas have seen a significant increase in militant activity recently which has included abductions, violent armed robbery and murder.
• against using the rail network across the whole of Pakistan.
• use caution. There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan. See Terrorism & sectarian violence.
The Pakistani authorities are also concerned about the threat to foreigners of kidnapping.
There have been media reports of terrorist threats to Islamabad.  As a result of these reported threats we would advise caution and vigilance in all major cities of Pakistan, whilst maintaining a low profile and avoiding large gatherings and crowds.
The media has reported that the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued threats against media outlets across Pakistan. The Pakistani authorities have stated that they will increase security to media offices. You should remain vigilant and aware of the high threat from terrorism.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Pakistan.

SRI LANKA:

• use caution. Visas are required to enter Sri Lanka. As of 1 January 2012, foreigners should obtain short stay visas to Sri Lanka through an online visa application process, the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), and pay the appropriate processing fee. Further details can be obtained from the ETA official website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
All other visas, including for those undertaking voluntary activity and paid or unpaid work, should be obtained at a Sri Lankan High Commission or Embassy before you travel.
The Government of Sri Lanka has announced that foreign nationals, with the exception of foreign media crews, no longer need to have permission from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence before travelling to the northern districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaittivu and Vavuniya. 
Political rallies in Sri Lanka have on occasion turned violent in the past. British nationals should avoid any political gatherings or rallies and beware of spontaneous large gatherings.
There is a general threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Although the LTTE or “Tamil Tigers” suffered a military defeat in May 2009, the Government maintains its State of Emergency, under which it has extensive anti-terrorism powers and increased security measures including checkpoints and a highly visible military presence remain throughout the country. Isolated attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate. Foreign tourists and visitors have not been targeted in the past but attacks have occurred in places frequented by foreigners.
Although the conflict is over, extensive military operations are still ongoing, clearing minefields, unexploded ordnance and locating LTTE weapon caches (hides). The security forces are also involved in the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Always obey orders from the security forces or signs warning about the danger from land-mines. Do not venture from the roads or cleared footpaths and if in any doubt, contact the local security authorities for local advice.
The majority of visits are incident free, although there are an increasing number of incidents of credit card fraud, road accidents and drownings.
Read FCO’s more detailed travel advise report about Sri Lanka.

Schengen Visa

Sweden and 24 other European countries issue so called Schengen visas, valid for travel in all the countries. Besides Sweden the Schengen countries comprise of all European Union countries (except United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Rumania and Bulgaria), plus three non-EU countries, namely Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. More information on the Schengen Visa regulations.

‡ In order to improve the services to applicants and facilitate visa processing, the Embassy of Sweden in India has commissioned a private company, VFS Global Services, to operate the Swedish Visa Application Centre (VAC) in New Delhi from 15 October 2008. The VFS Swedish Visa Application Centre located at No. 5, S-1 Level, E-Block, International Trade Tower, Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019, will accept visa applications from all country nationals who wish to travel to Sweden. VFS shall accept applications for Tourist, Relative/Friend, Business, Conference, and Transit Visa categories maximum of 90 days duration in a six months period. Processing time will be of five working days (including day of submission at VFS) for Business/Conference and Transit visas and eight Working days (including day of submission at VFS) for Tourists, Visiting Friends and Relatives. Those who wish to submit their visa applications at the Embassy, should note that the processing time will be 10 working days for Business/Conference and Transit Visas and 15 working days for Tourists, Visiting Friends and Relatives. Applications for stay in Sweden exceeding 90 days, or Residence and/or Work Permit, still need to be submitted at the Embassy in New Delhi or Consulates in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. More information.

Swedish embassies in South Asia:

• Embassy of Sweden in Kabul, Afghanistan 

• Embassy of Sweden in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Closed down on 4 March 2010. The Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi has taken over the responsibility for Sri Lanka. Sweden now has a Honorary Consulate General in Sri Lanka. 

• Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On Thursday 7 October 2010, the newly appointed Ambassador of Sweden to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, H.E. Ms. Anneli Lindahl Kenny presented her credentials to the Honourable President Md. Zillur Rahman at a ceremony at Bangabhaban Presidential Palace in Dhaka. 

• Consulate of Sweden in Thimphu, Bhutan. The consulate was opened in August 2011 and the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi appointed Mrs. Phub Zam as a honorary consular in Bhutan. This is the first diplomat in the country to represent Sweden. The visiting address of the consulate is Consulate of Sweden, Yarkay Complex, 4th flo, Clock Tower, Norzin Lam, Thimphu, Bhutan. 

• Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad, Pakistan (photo to the right)

• Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi, India (also for Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives)

– Swedish Consulates in other Indian cities/Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai

– Sweden in Bhutan/Liaison Office of Denmark in Thimpu

– Swedish Consulate in the Maldives

– Swedish Consulate General in Nepal. From 1 June 2008, the Embassy of Denmark in Kathmandu represents visa related issues for Norway and Sweden.

South Asia embassies in Sweden, to be found on the web:

• Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Stockholm

• Embassy of India, Stockholm. Visa forms are readily available.

– From Monday 1 December 2008, the Embassy of India in Stockholm has contracted the private company TT Services AB to handle visa applications to India at a new ”Indian Visa Application Center” located at Kungsgatan 36 (2nd floor) in Stockholm. More information about TT Services AB.

• Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Stockholm

• Embassy of Sri Lanka, Stockholm.

Closest diplomatic representation outside Sweden:

• Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Oslo, Norway (the ambassador is non-resident envoy also to Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland). Visa forms are readily available.

• Embassy of Bhutan, Geneva, Switzerland. Visa application form (pdf-file)

• Embassy of the Maldives, London, United Kingdom

• Embassy of Nepal, Copenhagen, Denmark

South Asian Airlines & Railways:

• Indian Railways Online Passenger Reservation Site

– Informative article about train journeys in India, ”Train Travel in India: Important Tips and Advice From a Local”, published by BotsnAll in 2009. 

• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

• Kolkata Metro Railway, the first underground system in India

Swedish travel agencies specialised on South Asia destinations:

©NandiTravels

• Albatros Travel, Copenhagen

• GetAway Resor, Stockholm

• Gränslösa Resor, Vingåker

• Himalaya Bike Tours, Själevad

• Himalaya Jeep Tours, Själevad

• Indcen Resor, Stockholm

• Indienresor (formerly Samuel Travel), Stockholm

• Kilroy Travels

• Läs och Res, Stockholm

• Metropolresor, Stockholm

• Nygren & Lind Resebyrå (Nandi Travels)

• Out of the Box Travel, Stockholm 

• Pilgrim Travels, Kovland

• Rosa Bussarna, Stockholm

• Simmy Travels, Malmö

• Swed–Asia Travels, Strängnäs

• Tant Gröns Resor, Borlänge

• Tranås resebyrå. Specialised on tickets for non-commercial customers, especially working with development projects. Member of the Raptim chain. Offers travel insurances at very advantageous rates (35 SEK/day), for foreign visitors to Sweden, if they are related to aid or other non-commercial actvivities.

• Vanakkam Tours/Little India, Nyköping

• Volontärresor, Stockholm

• Världens Resor, Stockholm

Lonely Planet Online:

The Australian book publisher Lonely Planet offers exhaustive and updated information on all aspects of travelling in the countries of South Asia. The information is provided by Lonely Planet readers round the Globe.

Survival Guide to Kabul

Advices for people travelling to Afghanistan

Official Tourist Boards of the South Asian Countries

• Afghanistan travel guide – Wikitravel

• Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (National Tourism Organisation) 

• Department of Tourism, Govt. of Bhutan

• Government of India/Department of Tourism

• Maldives Tourism Promotion Board

• Nepal Tourism Board

• Nepal Visitors Network

• Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation

• Sri Lanka Tourist Board

Friendship Societies in Scandinavia, on the Net

• Afghanistansolidaritet, established in September 2002, working against all foreign intervention in the war-ravaged country

• Danish Indian Society

• Indian Association in Sweden/Samband

• Indian Association of Skåne/Bharatvashi

• Swedish Indians Federation (SIA)/Svensk Indiska Förbundet, organisation for people with Indian and Srilankan origin living in Sweden. Runs a Google discussion group.

• Svenska Afghanistankommittén, SAK

• Svensk-Indiska Föreningen

• Swedish Bhutan Society (Svensk-Bhutanesiska Föreningen)

• Sweden Nepal Society (Sverige Nepalföreningen)

• Sweden-Pakistan Friendship Society (SVEPAK)

Cross-cultural training/Language training for South Asia

• Global Adjustments, with head office in Chennai, offers relocation service for families coming to India and cross-cultural training for Indian professionals going overseas. Courses are also offered for multinational firms working in India. Global Adjustments publish a monthly cultural magazine, called ”At A Glance – Understanding India”.