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Guwahati Airport currency exchange

By Syam, JesTiny Guide · Last checked: 3 November 2026

Guwahati Airport (GAU) Currency Exchange: Counters, New Terminal and Rules

Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) opened a large new terminal in 2025 and 2026, and this has made older guides unreliable. This guide states what the airport operator's pages, the news reports on the new terminal and a forex seller's page say about the exchange counters. It is plain about what we could not confirm. We found no measured GAU rate, so we do not name a best counter or give a percentage for the airport gap. We did not measure any rates ourselves.

The counter details were last checked on 3 November 2026; the rest of the page on 21 October 2026.

The short version

What the operator's pages say

Adani runs two websites with a foreign currency exchange page for Guwahati, and we read both on 3 November 2026. They agree that Thomas Cook has two counters in Terminal 1, one in Departures and one in Arrivals, and they give the same contact number. They describe the positions differently:

We cannot tell which description is current, so if you cannot see the counter in one spot, look in the other.

Adani One also lists two forex counters in Terminal 2: one next to Departure Gate 2, and one near the Guardian Pharmacy in Arrivals. It does not name the company that runs them. Neither page says whether these terminal labels match the new terminal that opened in February 2026, so check which terminal your airline uses.

Adani One says the service is offered "at nominal charges", and that Indian passport holders travelling abroad can convert up to 49,999 rupees in cash and must carry a PAN card. Neither forex page lists opening hours.

The Airports Authority of India's page says the operation, management and development was awarded to Guwahati International Airport Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, effective 8 October 2021, under a 50-year public-private partnership. It says nothing about forex counters and points to the operator's contact page.

Thomas Cook

A trade report on Thomas Cook India (scanx, April 2026) says the company inaugurated a franchise outlet in Guwahati on 7 April 2026, with prepaid travel cards, currency exchange for 26 destination currencies, overseas education forex and remittances to over 120 countries. It says Thomas Cook already has a presence at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, which matches the Terminal 1 counters on Adani's pages.

The new city outlet is not an airport counter, so do not confuse the two.

The new terminal

A news report from The Machine Maker dated 23 February 2026 says commercial operations at the new terminal at Guwahati began that evening, with Akasa Air flying in from Mumbai as the first arrival. It says the Prime Minister formally inaugurated the terminal on 20 December 2025, and that retail and dining services will open in phases. It gives no terminal names, no airlines other than Akasa, and says nothing about currency exchange or ATMs.

Find out which terminal your airline uses before you plan around a counter.

What the forex seller's page says

BookMyForex, a forex seller, has a page on Guwahati airport. It says the airport counters are "run by private vendors", does not name them, and describes international departures with two or three counters past security near duty free, arrivals with one or two near the baggage claim belt, and a few kiosks on the domestic side that close during off hours. It says hours are limited and no counter runs around the clock.

The page also gives markups for airport counters. It says 8 to 10% in the introduction, 6 to 10% elsewhere, and 6 to 13% plus 18% GST in a calculator, and says other money changers charge 2 to 3% plus GST. The figures are inconsistent with each other, they come from a seller that benefits from the comparison, and no method is given. We do not use them as measured gaps, but include them so you know they exist.

Hours

Neither of Adani's forex pages gives opening hours for the Guwahati counters. The seller's page says no counter is open around the clock, with no source. If you land late at night or very early, do not assume a counter will be open.

We do not know whether a counter at this airport exchanges rupee notes for departing travellers under RBI's 2 April 2026 circular, so ask at the counter.

ATMs

Check the signage on the machine. If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency, choose rupees. Our guide to dynamic currency conversion explains why.

What the sources say about rates

We found no source that measured a GAU rate against the mid-market rate. The operator says "nominal charges." The seller gives inconsistent markups with no method. So the size of any airport gap at Guwahati is unknown from our sources.

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

How to check a rate yourself

This section is our advice.

  1. Look up the mid-market rate for your currency pair on the day you travel.
  2. Ask the counter for the final amount in rupees for your exact sum, including every fee.
  3. Divide the counter's rate by the mid-market rate. A result of 0.98 means 2% below.
  4. If a sign says "no commission", ask for the final amount anyway, because the margin may sit inside the rate.
  5. Keep the exchange receipt, and keep the amount small if you can wait for a better rate in the city.

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.

Our reading of the sources

This section is our reading. Guwahati is an airport in transition, and the sources have not fully caught up. Adani's two sites agree that Thomas Cook runs two counters in Terminal 1 but differ on where they are, and they list two more counters in Terminal 2 without naming the operator. Check which terminal your airline uses, and look for the positions above. The usual logic holds on cost. A counter at an airport is convenient, the rate is probably not the best available, and the cost scales with the amount.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the exact position of the Terminal 1 Thomas Cook counters, because Adani's two sites differ, or who runs the Terminal 2 counters. We also found no opening hours and no measured GAU rate.

A simple plan

  1. Find out which terminal your airline uses at Guwahati.
  2. In Terminal 1, look for Thomas Cook near Gate 1 or opposite the ticketing counters (Departures), or near Belt 3 or opposite Belt 2 (Arrivals). In Terminal 2, look next to Departure Gate 2 or near the Guardian Pharmacy in Arrivals.
  3. Ask for the final amount in rupees for your exact sum, and compare it with the mid-market rate.
  4. If you are a resident buying forex, pay by card or transfer from 50,000 rupees, and bring your PAN.
  5. At an ATM or card terminal, choose the local currency and check your card's fees first.

FAQ

Who runs currency exchange at Guwahati airport?
Adani's pages name Thomas Cook for the two Terminal 1 counters. They do not name the operator of the two Terminal 2 counters.

Where are the counters?
Terminal 1: Departures near Gate 1 or opposite the airline ticketing counters, and Arrivals near Baggage Belt 3 or opposite Belt 2 (Adani's two sites differ). Terminal 2: next to Departure Gate 2, and near the Guardian Pharmacy in Arrivals.

Has the new terminal opened?
A news report says commercial operations began on 23 February 2026, after an inauguration on 20 December 2025.

Is currency exchange open 24 hours at GAU?
We could not confirm it. Adani's forex pages give no hours.

Do I need a PAN to buy foreign currency?
Adani One says to carry a PAN card; for the rules, 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, and BookMyForex sells forex.

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.

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