By Syam, JesTiny Guide · Last checked: 21 October 2026

Delhi Airport Currency Exchange: Counters at T3 and the Rules That Matter

International flights at Delhi use Terminal 3 (T3), and most questions we hear are about which counters are there, what they charge, and what the rules say about paying cash. This guide sets out what the sources we read say about the counters and is plain about what we could not confirm. We found no verified Delhi rate, so we do not name a best counter.

Everything was last checked on 21 October 2026.

The short version

• Delhi airport's own website lists EbixCash at T3 in Arrivals, Domestic Arrivals, International Arrivals and International Departures. It gives no location or opening hours.
• Other sites also name Central Bank of India and Thomas Cook at T3. Those pages are undated or old (one from 2021, one with a 2023 timestamp), and we found no current official list.
• We found no measured rate for Delhi. General claims of 6-12% and 10-12% worse than the market come from sites that give no method.
• For Indian cash, PAN and customs rules, see our India money rules.

Counters the sources name at T3

The sources do not agree on who is there, and none of them is dated recently, so treat this as a list of names to look for, not a guarantee.

• EbixCash. Delhi airport's website (undated) lists EbixCash at T3 Arrivals, Domestic Arrivals, International Arrivals and International Departures, with no location text or hours. EntryIndia (updated 26 April 2021) says EbixCash is the only counter after immigration and security in the departure section.
• Central Bank of India. AirportBanking (its page metadata is dated 2023) lists a counter at T3 International Arrivals and International Departures, open 24 hours.
• Thomas Cook. AirportBanking lists a T3 counter covering domestic and international arrivals and departures, open 24 hours. EntryIndia (2021) lists Thomas Cook before security in the departure section. We found no source that says it has closed.
• Punjab National Bank. EntryIndia (2021) lists it as an exchange counter. AirportBanking lists a PNB ATM at T3 International and a PNB bank branch at T1 International Arrival, open weekdays 10am to 4pm and Saturdays 10am to 1pm. Neither source describes an exchange bureau on a second floor of T3.

For hours, AirportBanking and EntryIndia both say the counters are open 24 hours. Delhi airport's own page gives none, so we cannot confirm it.

An RBI circular of 2 April 2026 lets residents exchange rupee notes at departure-hall counters beyond immigration. We could not confirm which counters at Delhi do this, or what limits apply.

What the sources say about rates

No source we read measured a Delhi rate against the mid-market rate.

• BankBazaar (undated, footer 2026) says airport currency exchange rates are "usually 10-12% higher than the actual value" in a general FAQ about Indian airports. It gives no method, and the wording does not say which direction is meant.
• TravelCurrencyGuide (last updated May 2026) says counters in T3 arrivals post rupees "6 to 12 percent off the interbank rate", and gives a table in which USD 100 turns into about USD 88-94 at the counter. The page carries affiliate links, we could not verify its figures, and it names Centrum Direct and Travelex at T3, which no other source does, so we treat it as a claim.
• EntryIndia (2021) says the buying and selling rates are mostly the same across the four counters it lists. It gives no figures.

To see what a percentage gap costs on your amount, use our mid-market rate guide.

Indian rules on paying for forex in cash, PAN, carrying rupees, exchanging rupees before you fly and declaring cash when you return are on our India money rules page.

Cards and ATMs

TravelCurrencyGuide (May 2026) says SBI, HDFC, ICICI and Axis ATMs are in T3 arrivals, that foreign-card fees run 125-250 rupees at HDFC, ICICI and Axis, and that SBI often waives the fee on the first five withdrawals each month. Those figures come from one sales-oriented page, and we could not confirm them from any bank. The same page also puts a figure on paying in your home currency at a card terminal, but there is no standard figure for that: Visa and Mastercard give none, and the one measurement we found, a 2016 Norwegian bank study of 1,500 Visa ATM withdrawals cited by the Norwegian Consumer Council, found that paying in the home currency cost more in 99.7% of cases, with the largest gap at 12.4%. Our DCC guide explains more.

This section is our advice, based on the sources above. It is not a sourced fact. Your fee depends on your own card issuer and on the bank that owns the machine, so check your card's fee schedule before you travel. If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency, choose rupees.

How to check a rate yourself

This section is our advice, based on the sources above. It is not a sourced fact.

1. Look up the mid-market rate for your currency pair on the day you travel. That is your benchmark.
2. Read the rate on the board and make sure it is the rate at which the counter buys your currency, not the rate at which it sells.
3. Work out the gap: take the mid-market rate, subtract the board rate, and divide the result by the mid-market rate.
4. Ask what you will receive in total for your amount before you hand over notes, and compare that figure, not the headline rate. A sign saying "zero commission" tells you how a charge is labelled, not whether the spread is wide.
5. Compare at least two counters if both are close, and use a card or ATM as a benchmark if you have one that waives foreign fees.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm which operators run counters at T3 today beyond EbixCash, their opening hours or exact positions, or any measured Delhi rate. We also could not confirm which Delhi counters exchange rupee notes in the departure hall under the April 2026 circular.

A simple plan

1. Look for EbixCash first in Arrivals or International Departures, and expect other counters to be named differently from what any one site says.
2. Check the rate on the board before handing over money, and compare it with the live mid-market rate.
3. If you are a resident buying forex, pay by card or transfer when the amount is 50,000 rupees or more, and bring your PAN, passport, ticket and visa.
4. Keep the encashment certificate and receipts for any leftover rupees you want to change back.
5. At an ATM, choose rupees if asked, and check your card's fees first.

FAQ

Which companies run currency exchange at Delhi airport T3?
Delhi airport's website lists EbixCash. Other sites also name Central Bank of India and Thomas Cook, but they are older, and we found no current official list.

Can I pay cash for foreign currency in India?
Yes, for amounts below 50,000 rupees; see our India money rules page.

Do I need a PAN to buy foreign currency?
Yes, if you pay more than 50,000 rupees in cash at one time; see our India money rules page.

Can I exchange rupees at Delhi airport before leaving?
An RBI circular of 2 April 2026 allows it at departure-hall counters beyond immigration, but we could not confirm which Delhi counters do this; see our India money rules page.

Is airport exchange more expensive than exchanging in the city?
Two sites say so, with figures of 6-12% and 10-12%, but neither measured Delhi and neither gives a method. We cannot give you a verified percentage.

Is EbixCash open 24 hours?
Delhi airport's page gives no hours. EntryIndia (2021) says all four counters it lists, EbixCash included, are open 24 hours.

What documents do I need to buy foreign currency?
BankBazaar's general list includes a passport, a confirmed air ticket, a PAN card, a second identity proof and a visa. The counter may ask for other documents.

How much foreign cash can an Indian resident buy for a trip?
RBI's FAQ says up to USD 3,000 in notes and coins per visit for most destinations; see our India money rules page.

Sources and how we checked them

Checked on 21 October 2026. Where we call something confirmed, at least two of these sources agree, or an official source says so directly. Several are not official sources.

• Delhi International Airport, official, EbixCash services page (undated).
• Reserve Bank of India, official, FAQ on miscellaneous forex facilities, updated 28 November 2025.
• Reserve Bank of India, official, circular RBI/2026-27/05, A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 04, 2 April 2026.
• Press Trust of India via The Tribune, news agency, RBI allows residents to exchange rupee notes at airport forex counters, 3 April 2026.
• Income Tax Department of India, official, Rule 114B (page uploaded 13 December 2025).
• Reserve Bank of India circular RBI/2011-12/234, 25 October 2011, as reproduced on Taxguru, tax news site.
• AirportBanking, directory site, Delhi Indira Gandhi airport banking page (undated, page metadata 2023). It is not associated with the airport.
• EntryIndia, travel site, Delhi airport currency exchange, updated 26 April 2021.
• BankBazaar, finance site, How to exchange currency at Indian airports (undated, footer 2026).
• TravelCurrencyGuide, travel site with affiliate links, Currency exchange at DEL, last updated May 2026.
• AdvocateKhoj, law library, Reconversion of Indian currency (undated, cites no rule).

Editorial note: The counter, rate and airport information in this guide is editorial and is not paid for. Rates and fees change, so confirm the final rate at the counter before exchanging.