Amsterdam to New Delhi (AMS–DEL) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

Dutch passport holders need a visa to enter India. Apply for an e-Visa at indianvisaonline.gov.in at least 4 days before travel. The e-Tourist visa costs $25 for 30 days (single/double entry) or $40 for 1 year (multiple entry, 90 days per visit). Processing takes 3 to 5 business days. Upload a passport photo and a scan of your passport bio page. Payment by credit card. A traditional sticker visa through the Indian Embassy in The Hague costs EUR 82 and takes 5 to 10 working days.

Passport must be valid for at least 6 months with two blank pages. The e-Visa approval comes by email as a PDF. Print it and carry it along with your passport. e-Visa holders enter through 28 designated airports (all major ones: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa, Kochi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad). On arrival, go to the e-Visa counter at immigration, where your biometrics are taken.

Direct flights from Amsterdam Schiphol to Delhi run about 7 hours 45 minutes on KLM and Air India. KLM also flies direct to Mumbai (about 8 hours 30 minutes) and Bangalore (about 10 hours). India uses the Indian rupee (INR), trading at roughly 95 INR per EUR 1. ATMs are everywhere but sometimes reject foreign cards, so carry a backup card. No mandatory vaccinations. Indian SIM cards require passport copies and a photo, available at airport Airtel or Jio counters for INR 200 to INR 500 with data.

Intercity and Sprinter trains run directly to Schiphol Plaza (the station is inside the terminal) from Amsterdam Centraal every 10–15 minutes (15 min, €5.70). The Intercity Direct from Rotterdam takes 43 minutes (€17.40 with supplement). Trains from The Hague take 35–45 minutes.

Taxis from central Amsterdam cost €35–50 and take 20–35 minutes. Highway A4 is frequently congested during morning rush. Bus 397 runs from Amsterdam Leidseplein to Schiphol (30 min, €5.50) for a cheaper landside alternative.

Airport Express Metro from T3 to New Delhi Railway Station (18–20 min, ₹60) runs 5am–11:30pm. T1 (domestic departures) has a free shuttle to T3 for the metro. Prepaid taxi booths in arrivals offer fixed fares; the New Delhi railway area is ₹400–600.Ola and Uber are reliable from DEL and often cheaper than prepaid taxis. Delhi traffic is severe; plan 60–90 minutes for surface transport during peak hours even though the airport is only 15 km from Connaught Place. NH-48 expressway provides the main access road.

Semi-arid climate with extreme seasonal variation. Summers (April–June) are extremely hot (38–46°C). Heat affects ground crew capacity but flights operate normally. Monsoon season (July–September) brings heavy rain and severe thunderstorms that frequently cause delays and diversions. Dust storms (andhi) precede monsoon onset in May–June and reduce visibility to near zero within minutes.

Dense fog is the most disruptive winter condition. December and January bring persistent cold fog (5–10°C with near-zero visibility) that can shut down operations for hours each morning. Delhi is one of the foggiest major airports in Asia during this period. Autumn (October–November) and spring (February–March) are the most flight-stable windows.