Arriving

Visas & Arrival, Settling In, Flights & Connections. 10 min read.

Pune heritagePhoto: DesiBoy101, CC BY-SA 4.0

01Visas & Arrival

Visas and registration

India's visa rules are the same whichever city you fly into. Your employer and IKAN guide you from the day you accept your offer to your FRRO registration in Pune, usually within 14 days of arrival.

Visa Types

Employment Visa

For foreign nationals employed by an Indian company or the Indian branch of a multinational. Requires an employment contract showing salary of approximately USD 25,000 per year equivalent in Indian rupees. Valid for up to 5 years or contract duration. Multiple entry. Most expats to Pune arrive on this visa.approximately USD 25,000 per yearup to 5 years

Business Visa

For board attendance, establishing operations in Pune's industrial corridors, due diligence visits. Valid up to 180 days per visit. Suitable for senior executives assessing Pune before a full posting.up to 180 days per visit

e-Tourist Visa

30, 90, or 180-day scouting stays, ideal for property viewings in Koregaon Park / Kalyani Nagar, school visits to Mahindra International School (MIS) or Symbiosis, and neighbourhood walks ahead of your move.

Dependent Visa

For accompanying spouses and children. Requires proof of relationship and the primary visa holder's employment documentation. Dependent visas have the same FRRO registration requirement. Note that a dependent visa does not by itself permit employment in India, a spouse who wishes to work needs to obtain their own Employment Visa.

Nationality Rules

Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar and certain other nationalities face additional security clearance requirements and processing times of 4 to 6 weeks beyond standard. Your IKAN consultant will advise on country-specific requirements at your pre-arrival briefing.

Note: There are no Visa or FRRO requirements if you are a returning Indian national or an OCI card holder. Please consult your IKAN relocation advisor for country-specific guidance.

FRRO Registration · Pune

FRRO Registration Deadlines are Non-Negotiable

If your visa carries a registration endorsement (employment, student and dependant visas usually do), FRRO registration within 14 days of arrival is mandatory and legally binding. Other long-stay visa holders must register before completing 180 days in India; when in doubt, treat 14 days as the deadline. Non-registration can escalate beyond fines to criminal penalties (up to 3 years' imprisonment and/or a ₹3 lakh fine). Do not prioritise property hunting or school visits over FRRO registration. IKAN coordinates your FRRO registration as Day 3-4 immediately on your arrival, before everything else.

Portal: indianfrro.gov.in, registration is usually completed online as a digital application; occasionally a physical visit or biometric verification may be required. Have your passport, visa, rental agreement, and 4 passport photos ready, among other documents.Day 3-4 immediately on your arrival

Arriving at Pune Airport

Pune International Airport (PNQ), Lohegaon, ~10 km from Koregaon Park
Limited direct international flights, primarily Gulf hubs (Dubai, Sharjah, Doha, Abu Dhabi)
Most international cross border moves arrive via Mumbai CSMIA T2 and connect onward to Pune by road
Navi Mumbai International Airport, international flights began on 15 July 2026, mostly to the Gulf; ~2-2.5 hour drive from Pune
Immigration queues at PNQ: 20 to 45 minutes
Travel time PNQ to Koregaon Park: 15 to 25 min · to Hinjewadi: 45 to 75 min · to Hadapsar: 25 to 40 min
Pre-book your transfer, Pune airport taxi queues can be slow at peak arrival hours

Relocating with Pets

Cats and dogs can be brought to Pune with planning. You will need an import permit from the Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS), a recent veterinary health certificate and up-to-date vaccinations (rabies included) from your origin country, and microchip identification. India generally permits a limited number of pets per passenger as accompanied baggage or manifest cargo, confirm your airline's live-animal and crate rules early. There is no lengthy home quarantine for compliant pets, but documents are checked on arrival, so start the paperwork well before you fly. IKAN can connect you with specialist pet-relocation agents.

Your Arrival Sequence

Embassy Visa Application

You

Apply at the Indian Embassy or High Commission in your home country. IKAN guides you through the documentation checklist. Processing: 3-10 working days for standard applications.

onDay 3 to 4

FRRO Registration · Day 3-4

IKAN

IKAN coordinates your registration with FRRO Pune. We help complete the online application at indianfrro.gov.in first, usually no physical visit is required, though FRRO may occasionally call you in for verification. Ensure to share copies of your passport, visa, rental agreement, and 4 passport photos. IKAN also helps negotiate and prepare your Leave & License (the standard Indian lease), so it meets FRRO rules.

Indian SIM

You

Bring passport and visa to any Jio or Airtel store. Both offer eSIM in Pune. Activation typically takes 4 to 24 hours. Your Indian mobile number is required for almost every downstream registration, get it first.

PAN Card Application

You

Apply on the Protean (formerly NSDL) portal (onlineservices.proteantech.in) with Form 49AA soon after arrival; your passport serves as proof of identity and address, so you need not wait for FRRO registration. Required for banking, investments, and tax compliance. Takes 10-15 working days. Aadhaar is not required, PAN is your financial identity in India.

Bank Account Opening

You

Open a resident savings account at HDFC, HSBC, or Axis Bank (NRE/NRO accounts are for non-resident Indians, not for a foreign national working in India). Bring passport, visa, FRRO acknowledgment, PAN, employer letter, and rental agreement. Takes 3-5 working days. Essential for salary, UPI, and all local transactions.

UPI & Digital Payments

Once your bank account is active, link it to Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm. India runs on UPI, your daily kirana shop, café, auto-rickshaw, and chai stall all accept QR-based UPI payments. Cash is no longer the default.

Arrange Permanent Transport

You

Set up an Ola Corporate account via your employer's travel desk and download the Maha Metro app for the Purple and Aqua lines. For the Hinjewadi corridor and frequent airport runs, many expats arrange a personal driver through their building, typically ₹15,000 to 25,000/month for a full-time driver with maintenance.

02Settling In

Your first 30 days

These steps turn the arrival steps in the visa section into a checklist for your first month. Do them in this order. IKAN handles the ones with deadlines, so none of them is missed.

Your first 30 days

Six steps

byDay 180

FRRO Registration (know your deadline)

IKAN

IKAN coordinates your FRRO registration within your window: 14 days of arrival for endorsement-carrying visas (most employment and dependant visas), before 180 days for other long-stay visas. Typically scheduled Day 3-4 of your arrival. Complete the online application at indianfrro.gov.in first, registration is usually a digital application with no physical visit required, though FRRO may occasionally require an in-person verification. Bring passport, visa, rental agreement, and 4 passport photos. Your FRRO acknowledgment is needed for banking, school admissions and future visa renewals, and can also serve as address proof for your PAN.

Done: FRRO Registration (know your deadline)

Indian SIM

You

Bring passport and visa to any Jio or Airtel store. Both offer eSIM in Pune. SIM activation takes 4 to 24 hours. Your Indian mobile number unlocks every downstream registration, get it set up as soon as possible after landing.

Done: Indian SIM

PAN Card Application

You

Apply on the Protean (formerly NSDL) portal (onlineservices.proteantech.in) with Form 49AA soon after arrival; your passport serves as proof of identity and address, so you need not wait for FRRO registration. Required for banking, investments, salary credits, and tax compliance. Takes 10-15 working days. Aadhaar is not required for foreign nationals, PAN alone is your financial identity in India.

Done: PAN Card Application

Bank Account Opening

You

Done: Bank Account Opening

UPI & Digital Payments

You

Link your Indian bank account to Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm. India runs on UPI, your daily kirana shop, café, auto-rickshaw, and chai stall all accept QR-based UPI payments. Cash is no longer the default. Set up auto-pay for utilities once UPI is active.

Done: UPI & Digital Payments

Arrange Permanent Transport

You

Set up an Ola Corporate account via your employer's travel desk. Download the Maha Metro app. For Hinjewadi corridor and frequent airport runs, many expats arrange a personal driver through their building, typically ₹15,000 to 25,000/month for a full-time driver with maintenance.

Done: Arrange Permanent Transport

Transport Setup

Pune Mobility

Ola Corporate · Maha Metro Purple & Aqua lines · PMPML Chalo app for buses · personal driver via building. Test your Hinjewadi-corridor commute in all conditions (off-peak, peak, monsoon) before settling on a permanent neighbourhood.

Traffic Reality

Peak Hour Guide

Hinjewadi inbound: 8-10am gridlock. Hinjewadi outbound: 6-9pm. Old city / Laxmi Road / Tilak Road: Saturday afternoons and Ganpati season. Schools dismissal: 2-4pm radii. Aundh-Baner internal roads handle peak relatively well; the Mumbai Highway / Wakad junction does not.

Expat Community

Build Your Network

Your building and society WhatsApp groups are your day-one lifeline for plumbers, drivers, and deliveries. Beyond that: the KP / Koregaon Park expat circles around German Bakery, township groups in Magarpatta and Hinjewadi, and consulate-linked communities (German, Japanese, Korean) tied to the auto and IT clusters. School parent networks at Mahindra and Symbiosis open doors fast.

Key Portals

Essential Links

FRRO: indianfrro.gov.in · PAN: onlineservices.proteantech.in · MSEDCL (electricity): mahadiscom.in · PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation): pmc.gov.in · Maha Metro: punemetrorail.org · Maharashtra state eGov: aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in · IRCTC: irctc.co.in

Household Staff

Help at Home

Most expat households engage some help, a cook, a maid / house-help, an ayah (nanny), and often a full-time driver (typically ₹15,000 to 25,000/month, arranged via your building). Hire through your society, a trusted agency, or neighbour referrals, and complete domestic-worker police verification at the local police station (your society office assists). IKAN can advise on prevailing salary norms and help set simple terms.

03Flights & Connections

Flights from Pune

Pune International Airport (PNQ) flies to most Indian cities but has few direct international flights, mostly to the Gulf.

For long-haul, most people drive to Terminal 2 of Mumbai's CSMIA, one of Asia's best-connected international airports. The new Navi Mumbai International Airport (~2-2.5 hour drive from Pune) is now another option. Most families moving to Pune from abroad arrive through CSMIA, and use it for later international trips too.

Destination	Airlines (from PNQ)	Frequency	Duration	Approx Fare (Economy)
Dubai (DXB)	IndiGo, SpiceJet	Multiple daily	3h 30m	₹18,000 to 35,000
Abu Dhabi	Air India Express	Daily	3h 30m	₹16,000 to 30,000
Singapore (via Mumbai)	SIA, Air India, IndiGo, connect at CSMIA	Multiple daily via BOM	5h 45m flight + transit	₹25,000 to 50,000
Doha (via Mumbai)	Qatar Airways, connect at CSMIA	Multiple daily via BOM	45m + 3h 45m	₹22,000 to 38,000
Bangkok (BKK)	Air India Express (direct)	4 days/week (Thu, Sat, Sun, at times Mon)	4h 45m	₹9,000 to 25,000
London (via Mumbai)	Air India, BA, Virgin Atlantic, connect at CSMIA T2	Multiple via BOM	45m + 9h 30m	₹60,000 to 95,000
New York / Frankfurt (via Mumbai)	Air India, Lufthansa, connect at CSMIA T2	Daily via BOM	45m + 9-16h	₹70,000 to 1.6L

Domestic

Pune → Mumbai

45m flight / 3h drive

IndiGo, Air India, multiple daily

Domestic

Pune → Delhi

2h 15m

IndiGo, Air India, Akasa

Domestic

Pune → Bangalore

1h 30m

IndiGo, Air India

Domestic

Pune → Goa

1h 00m

IndiGo, Air India Express

PNQ & CSMIA, Your Two Airports

About Your Airports

Pune International (PNQ) at Lohegaon handles ~10M passengers annually, comprehensive domestic, limited international (primarily Gulf). 10 km / 15 to 25 min from Koregaon Park. For long-haul international travel, most expats use Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Terminal 2, accessed by road on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, or the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (~2-2.5 hour drive from Pune). Many Pune residents simply book through-tickets with a Mumbai connection. The proposed Purandar International Airport remains in planning as of 2026.

Next chapter03Where to liveNeighbourhoods, Housing Market, The IKAN Method

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