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DEL

Indira Gandhi International Airport

New Delhi, India

Delhi has three terminals. Terminal 3 has all international flights and some domestic ones; Terminals 1 and 2 are domestic only. Between two international flights you stay in Terminal 3 and follow orange transfer signs; an Iranian may do this without a visa under 24 hours, but get the airline's written confirmation. A flight inside India means passing immigration, which needs an Indian visa.

Airport staff speak English at every airport in these guides. Showing the help card, or the title of the step you are on, is enough; you do not need the local language.

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Both flights on ONE ticket

Your bags go through. You only change planes.

  1. Before you fly: get both boarding passes and check bags through

    An Iranian on one ticket may be able to stay in the Terminal 3 transfer area without an Indian visa if the wait is under 24 hours, so before you buy, get written confirmation from the airline that you can. At the first airport, ask for both boarding passes and ask for your bags to be checked to your final city; the bag tag should show your final airport. Delhi Airport says that without an onward boarding pass you collect your bags and check in again, and that if bags are not checked through you go through Immigration and Customs, which needs an Indian visa. If the first airline cannot do this, ask it what to do before you fly.

  2. Leave the plane and follow the orange transfer signs

    Take all your hand luggage. If your next flight is also international, follow the orange signs for international transfers. Do not follow the signs to immigration, baggage claim or the exit. If you are unsure, ask any staff member and show your boarding pass.

  3. Find a Transfer Help Desk or your airline's transfer counter

    The airport tells transfer passengers to look for the Transfer Help Desks as soon as they arrive. It also says an airline check-in counter in the international transfers area helps with transfer formalities. If you have no boarding pass for the next flight, show your ticket and passport to the transfer or airline staff and ask them what to do. Do not walk towards immigration or baggage claim on your own, because without an Indian visa you cannot enter India.

  4. Pass the transfer security check

    Everyone in transit goes through security again. Liquids must be 100 ml or less each, up to 1 litre in total, in one clear resealable bag; bags are available at the security area. Put phones, tablets and laptops in a tray on their own. If you have a pacemaker or another medical device, tell the security staff first. If you are unsure what to put in the tray, ask the security officer.

  5. Go up to the departure level and find your gate

    After security, take the escalators or lifts up to the departure level. Look at the flight screens for your flight number and gate. Free buggies run 24 hours for senior citizens: use the buggy stations or phones along the piers near the boarding gates. Free Wi-Fi is called GMR FREE WIFI; without an Indian phone number, scan your passport at a Wi-Fi kiosk or show it at an information desk to get a code. If you cannot find your gate, show your boarding pass at an information desk.

  6. Next flight inside India? You pass immigration first

    For a domestic connection you go through immigration, collect your bags and pass customs in Terminal 3. An Iranian passport needs an Indian visa for this, because there is no e-visa or visa on arrival for Iranians. If your domestic flight also leaves from Terminal 3, follow the yellow signs for domestic transfers and do not leave the building. If it leaves from Terminal 1 or 2, go out to the arrivals forecourt and take the free shuttle bus. If you are unsure which terminal your domestic flight uses, ask at a transfer or information desk.

  7. Changing to Terminal 1 or 2: take the free shuttle

    The shuttle stop at Terminal 3 is near Pillar No. 10 on the arrival forecourt, inside a bus waiting lounge. Show your boarding pass at the counter to get a free coupon, then board. Terminal 2 is about a 500 metre walk: the path starts at Pillar No. 18, and older travellers can ask the help desk for a free buggy. Terminal 1 is about 8 km away. At the new terminal, enter at the departure level, check in again and pass security. If you cannot find the stop, ask at the help desk and show your boarding pass.

  8. Give yourself enough time

    The airport's general layover advice is to allow at least 90 minutes for a domestic or international transfer; this is not an official minimum connection time. A change to Terminal 1 or 2 means immigration, bags, customs, a bus ride, check-in and security, so in our view an older traveller should allow much more than 90 minutes. Ask your airline before you book whether the time between your flights is enough.

  9. If you are lost or something goes wrong

    Ask any airport staff member, a CISF security officer or an information desk, and show your boarding pass. The airport call centre is open 24 hours on +91 124 4797300 or +91 124 6838410. For a medical problem, tell any staff member; Terminal 3 has Medanta medical centres, one of them in the transfer area.

Flights on SEPARATE tickets

You collect your bags and check in again. Allow much more time.

  1. Get an Indian visa before you travel

    On separate tickets you must enter India to collect your bags and check in again. The Bureau of Immigration says Iranian citizens need a visa to enter India and cannot use an e-visa or a visa on arrival, and Iran is not on India's e-visa list. Apply online at indianvisaonline.gov.in, then hand in the printed form at an Indian Consular Application Centre in Iran (Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz or Isfahan). Foreigners must also fill in the online e-Arrival card within 72 hours before arriving. If you are unsure which visa you need, ask the Indian embassy in Tehran before you buy your tickets.

  2. At arrivals, go to the 'Foreign Passport Holder' counter

    If this is your first time in India, the airport says to register your face and fingerprints at a Biometric Kiosk at the arrival pier before you go to the immigration counter. Then go to the 'Foreign Passport Holder' counter and show your passport, boarding pass, visa and the disembarkation form. The airline usually gives this form on board; if not, pick one up at the international arrival pier junction. If you are unsure which line to join, ask a staff member.

  3. Collect your bags and pass customs

    Find your flight on the screens to see your belt number. Trolleys are available in the baggage hall. Paid porters cost 550 rupees per trolley; at Terminal 3 the porter desk is at belt 3 near Hamleys (phone 9289366943). Then walk through customs: the Green Channel if you have nothing to declare, the Red Channel if you do. If a bag is missing, go to your airline's baggage desk and get a Property Irregularity Report before you leave. If you cannot find your belt, ask a staff member.

  4. Go to the departure level and enter again

    In Terminal 3, arrivals are on the lower level and departures on the upper level. All international flights leave from Terminal 3. To enter, show your passport and a printed or digital ticket at the door. If your next flight is inside India from Terminal 1 or 2, take the free shuttle from near Pillar No. 10. If you are unsure where to enter, ask a staff member and show your ticket.

  5. Check in, then immigration, then security

    Find your airline's counters on the screens and check in your bags again. For an international flight, go to emigration (passport control) with your passport, boarding pass and visa, and then to security. Then find your gate on the screens. If you cannot find the counter, show your ticket at an information desk and ask.

  6. Leave a very large margin

    The airport asks passengers to arrive 4 hours before an international flight; another airport page says 3 hours. We found no official minimum time for separate tickets. This is our own advice, not an airport rule: plan at least 6 hours from landing to your next flight, because on separate tickets nobody has to wait for you if the first flight is late. If you are unsure, ask the second airline before you buy when you must be at its counter.

  7. If you miss your second flight

    This is our own advice; we found no airport page about it. Go straight to your second airline's counter and show your ticket. On separate tickets the second airline may not have to rebook you, so carry its phone number. To find your way in the airport, ask staff or call the airport's 24-hour call centre on +91 124 4797300.

  8. Waiting longer or leaving the airport

    Passengers with a ticket for a flight in the next 24 hours can wait in the waiting area in the Airport Metro Building, joined to Terminal 3 by a skywalk; left luggage is there too. It is a separate building, so it is only for travellers who have entered India. The Airport Express metro (Orange Line) runs between New Delhi Railway Station and Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25, and Terminal 3 is a stop on it; the ride from Terminal 3 to New Delhi Railway Station takes about 20 to 25 minutes. The airport lists the first trains at 4:45 in the morning and the last at 11:15 to 11:30 at night. Metro help line: 155370. If you are unsure, ask at an information desk.

Passport control

India's Bureau of Immigration says a foreigner in direct transit by air does not need a transit visa if he or she does not leave the specified area of the airport, for up to 24 hours; after 24 hours a transit visa is needed. The rule is written for all foreigners and lists no nationality exceptions. The Bureau's page for Iran covers only entry: Iranian citizens need a visa to enter India and cannot get an e-visa or a visa on arrival, and Iran is not on India's e-visa list. Delhi Airport's own pages say passengers may require a transit visa based on nationality, and tell you to check with the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). So an Iranian on one ticket between two international flights, with bags checked through and the next boarding pass, may be able to stay in the Terminal 3 transfer area without a visa if the wait is under 24 hours. Before you buy the ticket, get written confirmation from the airline that you can. You need a visa if you must pass immigration: when your next flight is inside India, when your bags are not checked through and you have no onward boarding pass, when you have separate tickets, or when the wait is over 24 hours. Delhi Airport's pages do not agree on every detail (one says all international passengers pass immigration before the next flight, another says domestic transfers avoid immigration), so ask your airline before you book.

Getting around

Terminal 3 has arrivals on the lower level and departures on the upper level. All international flights use Terminal 3, including Air India, IndiGo, Emirates and Qatar Airways. For flights inside India, Air India uses Terminals 2 and 3 only, IndiGo uses Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and Terminal 1 has IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa, so check the terminal on your ticket. Delhi Airport's airline list still shows Mahan Air (W5) at Terminal 3, but Mahan's own Delhi page showed no weekly flights on 5 November 2026 and its route map has no Delhi, so confirm with Mahan that the flight exists before you pay. Terminal 2 is about 500 metres from Terminal 3 on foot, with free buggies for senior citizens, and Terminal 1 is about 8 km away. Free shuttle buses link the three terminals 24 hours a day; the airport's pages say every 20 minutes in one place and every 10 minutes in another. Show your boarding pass at the shuttle counter to get a free coupon; without it the conductor charges a fare. Cabs and taxis also run between terminals. The Airport Express metro runs from New Delhi Railway Station to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25, and Terminal 3 is a stop on it. Terminal 1 has its own metro station on the Magenta Line.

Wheelchair and special help here

Ask your airline, not the airport. Delhi Airport says airlines provide wheelchair help and you should ask when you book. Its passenger charter says to tell the airline at least 48 hours before departure. Air India asks for requests at booking and at least 48 hours before departure, and does not charge older and infirm travellers. IndiGo asks for at least 48 hours. Emirates asks at booking or at least 48 hours before. Qatar Airways lets you ask at booking or up to 48 hours before through Manage booking, and suggests arriving 3 hours early. Ask for help on every flight, including the connection in Delhi.

At Terminal 3, passengers with reduced mobility have their own entry gates, Gate 3 and Gate 6, and can be dropped off in any lane opposite Gates 3 and 6; this matters mainly on separate tickets. Inside, buggy stations and buggy phones along the piers serve senior citizens 24 hours a day. There are dedicated immigration counters for passengers who need help, and accessible toilets with call buttons. At Terminal 2 the special assistance desk is between entry gates 4 and 5. For hidden disabilities you can ask for a Sunflower lanyard at any help desk or information counter.

The buggy service is free. A paid wheelchair service is also offered by companies working at the airport: book online on the airport website or ask at their counter. The airport's paid meet and assist service, Atithya (by Encalm), meets transit passengers at the arrival gate, helps with bags and re-check-in and takes them to the gate, 24 hours a day: phone +91 92893 66950 or email guest.services@encalm.com. Collecting bags may mean passing immigration, so ask Atithya first whether it can help you without an Indian visa. Atithya does not supply wheelchairs; those must be booked with the airline. If you use a wheelchair or have a pacemaker, tell the security staff before screening.

Where to ask for help

Look for the Transfer Help Desks when you land, and your airline's counter in the international transfers area of Terminal 3. Information desks and touch-screen help desks are around the terminals; staff there also give out Wi-Fi codes and free strollers. The airport call centre is open 24 hours: +91 124 4797300 or +91 124 6838410. Flight information: +91 11 61234567. Wi-Fi help: +91 8448995655. Medical help runs 24 hours: Terminal 3 has four Medanta centres, at the domestic and international piers, the transfer area and the food court. In an emergency, go to any staff member, CISF officer or information desk. Lost items go to the Lost and Found office of each terminal (LostProperty.Dial@gmrgroup.in).

Rest and comfort

Prayer rooms at Terminal 3 are at the International Pier Junction near the Airtel shop and at the Domestic Pier Junction near the smoking room, with separate spaces for men and women. The Holiday Inn Express transit hotel is inside Terminal 3; travellers with a connecting international flight use its international wing, for up to one night, and cannot leave the hotel once checked in. The paid nap and shower rooms (Encalm) are in the Terminal 3 arrivals meet and greet area, which is after immigration, so a transit passenger without an Indian visa cannot reach them; travellers who have entered India can book at STAY@TransitByEncalm.com or 011 49632249. The international lounge is in Terminal 3 departures near the food court, 4,150 rupees for 2 hours, and the airport also lists an International Transit Lounge on Level 3. Free drinking water and charging points are near seating and gates. Money: India uses the rupee. The airport says shops accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express, duty free takes rupees, US dollars and other currencies, and Terminal 3 has money exchange counters in arrivals and departures.

My help card

Print the card on its own, fill in the lines by hand, and keep it in your pocket.

I am traveling alone. I need help to find my connecting flight. Please show me the way, or call someone who can help me. Thank you.

You can type the details here before printing. They stay on this device only.

Partly checked against official pages.

What we could not confirm (17)
  • We could not confirm the exact English words on the transfer signs. Delhi Airport's pages only say orange signs for international transfers and yellow signs for domestic transfers.
  • We could not confirm exactly where the international transfers area, the airline transfer counters and the Transfer Help Desks are inside Terminal 3, or their opening hours. The terminal map is interactive and could not be read as text.
  • We could not confirm whether a transfer or airline counter can give an onward boarding pass to a passenger who arrives without one and stays in the transfer area. The airport's transit page says that without an onward boarding pass you collect your bags and check in again.
  • We could not confirm on an official page that Iranian citizens may use the 24-hour no-transit-visa rule. The Bureau of Immigration states it for any foreigner and lists no exceptions, its Iran page covers only entry, and Delhi Airport says passengers may need a transit visa based on nationality. No MHA or MEA page was read directly.
  • We could not confirm which Delhi Airport page is right about immigration for transfers: the transit guide says all international flights need immigration before the next flight whatever the terminal, the international-to-international page mentions only security, and the Terminal 3 transit page says international-domestic transfers do not need immigration. We followed the Bureau of Immigration rule and the airport's step pages.
  • We could not confirm whether Mahan Air flies Tehran to Delhi now. Delhi Airport still lists Mahan Air (W5) at Terminal 3, but Mahan's own Delhi page showed no weekly flights on 5 November 2026, its route map has no Delhi, and Delhi Airport's live board showed no Tehran flight for 5 and 6 November.
  • We could not confirm any official minimum connection time for Delhi. The 90-minute figure is the airport's general layover advice, and the 6-hour separate-ticket figure is our own plain advice.
  • We could not confirm how often the shuttle runs: the commute pages say every 20 minutes and the FAQ says every 10 minutes. The FAQ also says the Terminal 2 shuttle desk is not operational.
  • We could not confirm how early to arrive for an international flight: the airport FAQ says 4 hours and the first-time flyer page says 3 hours.
  • We could not confirm whether the Encalm nap and shower rooms have any entrance from the transfer area. Their page calls them part of the Terminal 3 transit zone but gives the location as the arrivals meet and greet area, and lists prices without a currency.
  • We could not confirm whether Iranian bank cards work at the airport; no official page says. The airport only says shops accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express.
  • We could not confirm whether airline wheelchair help continues automatically through the connection in Delhi, or whether Mahan Air has its own assistance notice period.
  • We could not confirm whether the paid wheelchair services or Atithya can serve a passenger who stays in the transfer area on an international-to-international connection, or their prices.
  • We could not confirm whether staff at the transfer or information desks speak Persian or Arabic.
  • We could not confirm whether both the online e-Arrival card and the paper disembarkation form are needed. The Bureau of Immigration asks foreigners to complete the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before arrival, while the airport still describes a paper form.
  • We could not confirm the current fee or processing time for the Indian transit visa (up to 15 days) that the Indian embassy in Tehran lists in its 2023 fee schedule for Iranian applicants.
  • We could not confirm whether baggage trolleys are free, or whether first-time visitors can register fingerprints at the immigration counter instead of a Biometric Kiosk.

Airports change signs, gates and rules. This guide is general help, not an official instruction. Always follow the staff and the screens, and check with your airline.

Last prepared 5 November 2026.

Where this comes from (51)