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There's always a bunch of things one must do before they leave to India. If your going for 8 months there will be more to do then say 8 days.
 1.Visa & Passport. India does not offer visa on arrival. You must apply at least one week in advance in person or two to three weeks in advance by mail. The visa date starts when issued not when you arrive. Do a search for Indian embassies in your country. Six months is the normal visa duration. The visa stamp takes one page and must be good for more than six months.
2. Vaccinations. It is important to have all the vaccinations require for your destinations. Vaccines do work, do not fear the needle, they may save your life. Typhoid, Hep A, Tetanus, Polio, Diphtheria etc You should visit a qualified Travel Doctor for the best advice. Travel Insurance is also very much reccomended(www.travelunderwriters.com) See the Common Illness page and Malaria India for more info.
3.Flight tickets. Many people find that flying to Bangkok is easier option than Delhi or Mumbai. There are usually more frequent flights to Bangkok. See get to India page for Nepal see the get to Nepal.
4. Gear. It's a good idea to buy new gear 1-2 months before departure, test them out before you leave, wear in your shoe or sandals. Your backpack and all the goes in it. Here is the packing page .
5. You apartment or house. A sublet or notifying your landlord. Moving your thing to storage. Organizing a mover. Canceling you phone and internet service etc.
6. Getting to the airport. Taxi or what ever you use. Plan out what your going to do on the day of departure. Try to rest before as much as possible, go to sleep early. Arrive 2-3 hour before departure.
7. Money. 100% travelers checks, small amount of cash for airport purchases. A credit card or ATM card as backup. See how to carry money.
8. Make an arrival plan. Pre booking is usually not necessary. Prepaid taxi to the tourist area and soon you'll have a room. See the room check list . Arriving in smog filled Delhi is not always fun. I recommend a quick depart to some place green and peaceful to rest and acclimatize to India. It take 1-2 weeks or even months to acclimatize to India. See trip routes and Delhi Map
9. Avoiding jet lag. If your coming from North America or a far distance. Jet lag can be extreme. Tips: Avoid alcohol. caffeine, eating too much, get lots of sleep before you leave. Plan to brings some books or ipod to pass the time. Try to sleep as much as possible during the flight, if you can't sleep just close your eyes and try. Aspirin or the like can be a good idea during the flight. When you arrive to your guesthouse immediately take a nap or long rest. Drink lots of water on the plane, even though they only service a small glass at a time.
10. Packing for the plane. If you have a laptop you should carry it on because airlines do not insure these items if lost, stolen, damaged. If you have a connecting flight it is quite possible that your luggage does not make the connection. This seems to happen often so it is wise to carry on a mini pack with you. A change of close and bath items.
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Pre Departure check 
