UNIT 9 FAMILIARIZATION WITH TRAVEL INFORMATION MANUAL (TIM)

Structure
9.0 Objectives
9.1 Introduction
9.2 How to Read TIM Passports
9.2.1 Types of Passports
9.2.2 Checking Passports
9.2.3 Information from the Passports
9.3 How to Read TIM VISAs
9.3.1 Types of VISA
9.3.2 Validity of VISA
9.4 How to Read TIM Health
9.5 How to Read TIM Tax
9.6 How to Read TIM Customs
9.7 How to Read TIM Currency
9.8 Travel Insurance
9.9 TIMATIC
9.9 Let Us Sum Up
9.11 Further Readings
9.12 Clues to Check Your Progress
9.13 Activities

9.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this unit you will be able to:

 explain the role and importance of TIM in aviation sector
 list and describe the type of information that can be found in TIM.
 interpret the information in TIM regarding passports, VISA, health, and other
regulations;
 perform the role of a travel agent with accuracy and efficiency.

9.1 INTRODUCTION

International travel always requires a multitude of documents and formalities; and these
documents are not uniform universally. Documentation rather depends on the country of
origin and destination, transit countries, purpose of travel, type of residency, type of passport,
as well as health conditions. In the current pandemic and health scares globally the health
status has become all the more important as governments are trying to cope up with the
spreading infection. Travel agents and airlines need to have a comprehensive book of
information that will give information for all the countries globally. Travel Information
Manual or TIM, as it is popularly known as, is a practical and handy manual containing up-
to-date entry regulations for air travelers, and is published by INDP (i.e. IATA Netherlands
Data Publications).

Airlines and Travel Agents, both, depend on TIM to provide advice on the documentations
required for travelling internationally to the passengers, at the time booking. Airlines also use
it at the time of boarding to ensure passengers have sufficient travel documents for their
destination and any transit points. In case any passenger does not have the required travel
documents they may be barred by the airlines from travelling abroad. TIM is the world’s
leading source for information on air travel requirements. It has an extensive network of
sources from the travel industry, immigration authorities and World Health Organization to
ensure reliable and comprehensive information for the people serving the travel industry.

Earlier, TIM was published monthly, now the digital version is available is updated every
month. TIM is the world's leading source of Passport, Visa, Health, Airport Tax, Customs
and Currency documentation cum regulation rulebook for passengers is the most reliable or
trustworthy name in the air industry for travel. It has been providing excellent information
since its inception i.e. from 1963 for travel. TIM contains information on more than 200
countries travel procedures, restrictions and regulations. Like a dictionary, TIM is arranged
under country heads and is alphabetically arranged. There are six section in TIM, namely-
i. Passport
ii. Visa
iii. Health
iv. Airport Tax
v. Customs
vi. Currency

Under each head there will be sub-headings from which information about a certain country
can be extracted. In this unit we will discuss these six sections of TIM and how they are read
and interpreted for th purpose of air travel. The use of each section will be discussed as it is
important for tourism professional to be able to access and use TIM.

One thing noteworthy is that the information contained in TIM is only applicable to the
passengers travelling by Air. Different regulations may apply to passengers travelling and
arriving in a country overland or by sea. It is therefore advisable to check specific regulations
with embassy or consulate of the country concerned.

Check Your Progress 1

1. What do you understand by TIM? Who all are dependent on TIM for travel related
information?
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 2. Explain the different sections of TIM in brief?
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3. Which organization is responsible for publication of TIM? Which place it published?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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9.2 HOW TO READ TIM PASSPORTS

Passports and visas were not required for travel between countries in Western Europe in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. If a conventional passport control were implemented, the
train's relative high speed and large movement of people (the closest current counterpart
would be commercial supersonic aircraft) would result in jams. Only after World War I did
passports and visas become widely accepted as necessary travel documentation. Passports
and visas were essentially the same type of travel credentials in ancient times. We will
discuss about Passport in this section and about VISA in the next.

Every traveler needs to hold a valid passport or equivalent document for all international
travel. TIM under each country will show a different validity of the passport for the
tourist/traveler to enter. Most of the countries require a validity of six months but countries
like UK, USA require a passport to be valid for a minimum of one year duration. Indeed it is
the agent’s responsibility to ensure that client’s understand their responsibilities and obtain all
necessary information and documentation needed for their journey.

Passport is a document for travel and it is issued by the government of a country of residence
which certifies the nationality or the identity of its holder. It is basically helpful for
international travel. They are customary documents which contains various information
related to a citizen of a country such as his/her name (First & Surname), date of birth, place
of birth, Photograph, signature etc. It helps to identify an individual and may have a bar code
which makes it a machine readable passport.

9.2.1 Types of Passport

Types of Passports as issued by Indian government are mentioned below:
1. Ordinary Passport (also known as a tourist or normal passport): This form of
passport is issued to citizens and other nationals and is the most common.
2. Official Passport (service passport, often known as a special passport): Issued to
government personnel and their dependents for work-related travel.
3. Diplomatic Passport: Issued to diplomats and other government officials for
overseas travel linked to their jobs, as well as their dependents. Although most people
who have diplomatic immunity have diplomatic passports, holding a diplomatic
 passport does not imply diplomatic immunity. The government of the country must
provide diplomatic status, which includes diplomatic immunity as a benefit.
4. Emergency Passport (temporary passport): Issued to people whose passports have
been lost or stolen and who do not have enough time to get new ones. This is when
the term laissez-passer comes in handy. National governments issue Laissez-Passer
(Let Me Pass) passports as emergency passports or for humanitarian travel.
International organisations (most notably the United Nations) also provide laissez-
passer to its officers and workers for official travel.
5. Family Passport/Joint Passport: This is a passport that is issued to family members
such as the father, mother, son, and daughter. There is only one person who has a
passport. The passport bearer has the option of travelling alone or with one or more
family members. A family member who is not the passport holder is not permitted to
travel without the permission of the passport holder.

In case you are a passport holder or need to advice a client about getting a passport, you
need to know the difference between the terms renew and reissue. Renew refers to extending
the validity of a passport while Reissue means a new passort is reissued in case a new one is
required due to change in information.

Trend of countries using the biometric information in a microchip embedded in the passport
is fast becoming popular. These biometric passports store information for identification
purpose which may be in form of facial recognition, eye or iris recognition or fingerprint
recognition. In the recent pandemic times most of the airports like Dubai International
Airport, Heathrow International Airport etc. have adapted this no touch system. This is not
new as the ICAO doc 9303 also mentions the document and chip characteristics which
include biometric file formats and the protocols used for communication. The chip stores the
digital image of each biometric feature. The evaluation (appraisal or comparison) of
biometric data is done exterior to the chip of the passport through e-borders (i.e. electronic
border control systems).

9.2.2 Checking Passport

To check the passport requirements using TIM the following procedures are outlined below:
1. Step 1
Establish the nationality of the passport or ID document the client will be travelling
on. This is mandatory as some countries allow dual nationality or some people hold
two kinds of travel document example: Mr. Shah wants to travel to Dubai and hold a
refugee card from Palestine and may have an Australian Passport. An Australian
passport Mr. Shaw will get a visa on arrival but for the refugee card Mr. Shaw needs
to have a visa in advance. A more humble way of enquiring a customer is to ask
her/him about the travel document she/he intends to travel.

A good standard operating procedure is to request for a copy of the client’s travel
document/ passport.
2. Step 2
Next step involves establishing all countries to be visited or transited. Often a
common error committed by travel professionals or the traveler him/herself is to
ignore the transit countries which can pose a problem. Example: A traveler with
Indian passport travelling to Costa Rica transiting through New York, requires an
American transit visa but a client with an Australian passport doing the same will not
require the transit visa.

Best practice is to read the entire passport section of each country. Countries are listed
in alphabetic order.

3. STEP 3
Validity will also be mentioned for a traveler as and when he/she enters the country.
Continuing with the example of Egypt it states that each visitor passport must be valid
for three months beyond the intended period of stay.

Picking us another example Bahamas one can notice the capital city is also
mentioned. The exemption section of Bahamas includes exemption of passport
requirement for Canadian and American passport holders. Others need a validity of
six months. Often a warning is mentioned in this particular case that passengers
travelling to Bahamas via the US should hold correct transit visa of US. It is
indicative of an agreement between Bahamas and US.

At times, in the TIM, subhead in the passport section may have sections like -
PASSPORT Required except for holders of:
NOTE: The above information means that every passenger requires a passport to enter
the country unless they are the passenger who holds certain other document which
provides them exemption. Thus the list is a list of exemption.
Example in an Egypt section it shows that holders of Laissez Passer issued by United
Nations or to Palestinians by Jordan, Lebanon, Syria etc. will not in addition require a
passport to enter Egypt.

To acquaint or to know more about or the Laissez Passer document one can refer to
the front section of the TIM. It will be found under the head Terms and Definitions, in
the section about type of passports and other travel document.

As a travel professional one need to understand what a laissez passer is or any other
similar document is and who all are entitled for it. This will allow you to give proper
advice the passenger holding the Laissez Passer document that they are exempted
from needing a passport to enter a particular country.
 9.2.3 Information from the Passport
Summarizing the type of information found in the passport section of TIM:
i. EXEMPTIONS: Individuals exempt from needing a passport to gain entry into
country.
ii. VALIDITY: The time period for which the passport should be valid.
iii. ADMISSION/TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS: Details of circumstances and/or persons
who will be refused entry or possibly transit through the country.
iv. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION will illustrate any further notes relating to the laws
of the country concerned. For example visitor to certain countries may be required to
register themselves with the police or an authority within a stated number of days of
arrival. For examples: Pakistan nationals arriving in India need to register themselves
with the local intelligence unit LIU of the city/district they intend to stay at and have
sought permission for.
v. MINORS occasionally country information details regulations relating to the minors
under the age of 16 travelling in and out of the country. Example Restrictions on
minor travel existed earlier in the Middle East as the minors were at risk of being used
as camel jockeys.

The section should not be browsed or skipped but be read properly and carefully. Few
precautions need to be taken, as under:
i. If the client is making any transit stops, then the passport information of that country
must be checked. Problems have often been caused because agents have failed to
check passport requirement of transit countries.
ii. In addition, the information given in TIM is often qualified or supplemented by a
note, which appears as a number inside a black box. This should be read too as it
contains supplementary information.

9.3 HOW TO READ TIM VISAS

VISA or Visitor Intended to Stay Abroad, allows an individual or the bearer to live in a
particular country for a fixed duration or even the number of permitted visits or even permit
to work in a country. It may also allow an individual to enter a particular region, district or a
destination. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official
at the time of actual entry, and can be revoked at any time. The visa may be present on the
passport in form of a stamp or a sticker or a print document or even an electronic record of
authorization.

Visas have evolved into distinct secondary travel documents in the modern world, with
passports serving as the primary travel documents. Visa is a government document or
authority which allows a person or applicant to visit a foreign country in a legal way. As, the
profile of applicants may vary such as an ordinary citizen, diplomat, defense personnel etc.,
the type of Visa also varies to meet the requirement of the tourist.
9.3.1 Types of VISA
Each country has a plethora of visa types, each with its own set of titles. Visas come in a
variety of sorts and names. Few important and commonly used categories of VISAS are:
1. A transit visa is required to go from one country to another. Transit visa validity is
usually limited to a few hours to ten days, depending on the size of the country and/or the
circumstances of a particular transit itinerary.
 Airside transit visa, required by some countries for passing through their airports
without passing through passport control.
 Crew member, steward, or driver visas are issued to persons employed or trained on
aircraft, vessels, trains, trucks, buses, and any other means of international
transportation, or ships fishing in international waters, and are required by some
countries to pass through their airports even without going through passport control.

2. For short visits to the host nation, a short-stay or visiting visa is available. Many
nations distinguish between distinct types of trips, such as:
 private visas for private visits by invitation of country inhabitants.
 Tourist visa, valid for a limited time of pleasure travel with no business activity
permitted;
 medical visa, valid for diagnosis or treatment in the host country's hospitals.
 A business visa allows you to conduct business in the country. These visas often
preclude permanent employment, which would necessitate a work visa.
 Working holiday visa, which allows young people to work for a period of time while
travelling between countries that provide a working holiday programme.
 Athletes and performing artists (together with their support crew) are granted an
athletic or artistic visa.
 Cultural exchange visa, which is frequently given to sportsmen and performers who
are taking part in a cultural exchange programme.
 A refugee visa is given to people who are fleeing persecution, a conflict, or a natural
disaster.

3. Long-stay visas, which are valid for longer but still limited periods of time:
 student visa, which allows the holder to study at a higher education institution in the
issuing nation;
 temporary worker visa, which allows the holder to work in the host country. These are
more difficult to obtain than business visas, although they are valid for longer periods
of time. The H-1B and L-1 visas in the United States are examples of this. The status
of a temporary worker may or may not grow into that of a permanent resident or
naturalised citizen, depending on the country.
 Journalist visas are required by various nations when journalists travel for their
respective news companies. Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United
States (I-visa) are among the countries that insist on this.
  A residence visa is issued to persons who wish to live in the host country for an
extended period of time. Long-term residence is required in some countries to obtain
permanent residency status.
 Asylum visas are granted to people who have faced or are likely to face persecution in
their home country as a result of their political activities, opinions, or physical
characteristics, or affiliation with a social group.

4. E-visa (electronic visa) which is stored in a database and not stamped or glued, rather
it would be a paper document given for travelling)

5. Immigrant (to let a bearer to live permanently in a country) Vs. Non-immigrant

Visas (to let a bearer to live temporarily in a country).

6. Schengen visa is Europe's most widely used visa. It allows its holder to enter, freely
travel within, and exit the Schengen zone from any Schengen member country. In the
Schengen Area, there are no border restrictions. This visa allows you to visit 26
European countries as many times as you like within five years, as long as you don't
over the 90/180 day limit.

Checking for visas is similar to passports. Example for, in the VISA for Zimbabwe it states a
warning:
Visas Warning: says non compliance with the entry regulations will result in refusal of
entry and deportation of passenger to point of origin.

The above warning above states that the people who arrive into Zimbabwe without the proper
travel document will not be permitted to enter the country and will be deported back from
where they travelled.

TIM’s information should be read in its entirety. The visa section assumes that all nationals
need visas except for those listed.

Warning is also applicable to passenger who show up without proper papers and are
deported. Example may be the country of origin my not make it mandatory that a passenger
needs to be vaccinated for COVID SAR2 but at the destination it is a mandatory requirement.
So when a passenger arrives at the destination the papers are considered incomplete and the
passenger is deported. With more vigilant and automated check in process and immigration
staff the passenger without the necessary visas will not be boarded.

Taking example of Jordan it mentions six exemptions for a visa entry into Jordan.
Abbreviations like TWOV is used which stands for Transit Without Visa means that transit
without a visa is permissible for special listed people. Time constraints may also important
for a transit passenger in this case of Jordan passenger transiting for less than six hours and
does not intend to leave the airport area then no visa is required. But in case the transit
passenger is travelling to another country within 24 hours of arrival into Jordan they will not
need a visa too fulfilling the condition that they leave their passports with the immigration.

There may be Additional Information columns like in the case of Jordan it states that travelers
need to hold onward or return tickets. Also mentions that exit/re-entry permits needed for
Jordan for few such as those mentioned as Performing Artists on Artists Visa (a singer for a
show); and while exiting they should obtain a clearance certificate from Income Tax
Department.

9.3.2 Validity of VISA

VISA like passport has a validity period - the period of time between the granting of your
visa and the date on which it expires is referred to as visa validity. The visa validity refers to
the amount of time you are allowed to travel to a port of entry. Visas can range from a single
entry (application) to multiple/unlimited entries, depending on the nationality.
i. A single-entry visa entitles the holder to only one entry into the nation.
As the name suggest, single entry VISA means one can enter only once into the
country of granting VISA. If you leave its jurisdiction, you must apply for a new visa
before returning. This is sufficient for the majority of trips and vacations. Single-entry
visa is usually less expensive and easier to obtain.

ii. A multiple-entry visa allows the holder to enter the country many times.
Multiple - entry VISA as the name suggests allows the traveler more than one entry in
to the country of issuing Visa using that one visa. The terms of multiple-entry visas
differ based on the nation from which they are issued. While the visa is still valid, the
number of entries is often unrestricted. Multiple-entry visas, for example, are divided
into sub-types such as double-entry and triple-entry visas. Multiple-entry visas, in
most situations, allow the holder to enter the country of issue an infinite number of
times until the visa expires.

Check Your Progress

1) What are the different types of Passport? List two important information found in Passport
section of TIM.
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2) What is the difference between Transit/ Short/ Long term Visa? Cite with an example
each.
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9.4 HOW TO READ TIM HEALTH

Health was and now is very important matter of concern for entry into any country. Each
country has established certain health related requirements such as vaccination. For checking
the passenger’s health requirement for travelling, the following steps are involved
1. Establishing all the countries to be visited, in case the client is travelling to more than
one country
2. The order of visiting the countries is also of utmost importance. Since health
requirements can be different when one is flying out from different countries.
3. Checking the individual country listings under the heading “3 Health”.
The infectious diseases included in TIM are selected on the basis of:
a. Diseases that have a sufficiently high global or regional prevalence to
constitute a significant risk for travelers;
b. Diseases that are severe and life-threatening, even though the risk of exposure
may be low for most travelers;
c. Diseases for which the perceived risk may be much greater than the real risk,
and which may therefore cause anxiety to travelers;
d. Diseases that involve a public health risk due to transmission of infection to
others by the infected traveler.

Picking up examples from Tanzania - the health box in TIM will include a small number in a
black box. This number refers to the GHI (General Health Information) section at the starting
of the TIM. The section provides further information on the areas where infectious diseases
such as yellow fever, cholera are endemic. GIH section will contain diseases in alphabetical
order; and the infected and endemic countries, areas, regions are also mentioned. A travel
professional needs to know that countries who are signatories to WHO are bound by it
(countries like Australia are not bound).

A world map with colors representing different diseases illustrates the endemic and epidemic
areas. For checking the certificate of vaccination, it is necessary to check carefully the health
regulations of:
 The country of destination.
 The country of departure (also for returning if applicable).
 The transit stations.

A passenger will be asked to show the ‘Certificate of Vaccination’ wherever it is thus

mentioned in the GHI. A separate section for “Transit Documents Check”- “Vaccination
Certificates” exists and need to be checked. Therefore, it is advisable for a passenger to
contact his family doctor or the proper authorities according to the regulations which are in
force in the country of departure, to get the proper vaccination completed. Common
vaccination asked for are Yellow Fever and Cholera vaccination and usually take up to 20
days to complete the vaccination process. However the actual order of vaccination is very
much a personal decision of the physician concerned, based on both the country of departure
and expectations at the country of arrival.

The “International Certificates of Vaccination” booklet, which can be ordered from an air
carrier, must be duly filled in, signed by the proper authority. The International Certificates of
Vaccination in addition to being issued by country health administrations, are also valid when
originating from the health services of specialized agencies of the United Nations, for
example FAO, UNESCO, WHO etc. These certificates should, of course be signed by the
vaccinator and carry the official stamp of the agency concerned. To be valid in international
traffic, vaccination certificates must be printed in English and French; and a third language
may be added. Loose vaccination certificate are accepted if they are in the same format.

In case of health suspicion with respect to PASSENGER, the passenger may be put in under
the following conditions:
i. SURVEILLANCE: Passengers may be put under medical surveillance for the period
of incubation, calculated from the day of departure, in the event of missing invalid
certificate of vaccination.

ii. QUARANTINE: In case of missing/invalid certificates of vaccination passengers may

be placed in quarantine. (Note for airline station managers: Whenever the official
health authorities place an arriving passenger in quarantine a detailed report should be
sent in order to enable the carrier’s head office to contact, if necessary, the WHO
Geneva).
iii. CORONA COVID SARS VACCINATION/HEALTH PRECAUTION
 The Passenger should be physically fir.
 Should carry a RTPCR test report 96 hours prior to travel.
 The countries are still trying to adjust to timings reducing to 72 hours and currently
to 48 hours.
 The rules keep on changing as still the travel world is adjusting to this new
challenge.

In case of health suspicion with respect to AIRLINES, aircraft may be put under:
i. DETENTION: Aircraft may be detained for a very brief period for the purpose of
disinfection if it carried on board a case of cholera or yellow fever among its
passengers.
ii. CORONA COVID SARS VACCINATION/HEALTH PRECAUTION
 The operations of the airlines will be suspended. Then the bubble agreement
process, for which the following requirements were put in place, will be started.

9.5 HOW TO READ TIM TAX AND CUSTOMS

Taxes play a vital role in the economic growth and development of a country. Revenue from
airport taxation plays an important role in the facility maintenance and development of
infrastructure of an airport. In TIM you will find information relating to the collection of
airport taxes. An airport tax is a tax levied on passengers for passing through an airport. The
taxes will be listed for all the countries in TIM. For example taking the case of Cuba, the box
of Cuba would look like:
Tax: Airport Service Charge is levied on passenger leaving from:
i. Varadero or Havana Airport: USD 20
ii. All other airports: USD 15
Place of payment: Airport of departure.
Exempt are:
 Diplomats based and accredited in CUBA;
 Children under 2 years;
 Transit passenger not leaving the transit area;
 Government employees travelling on duty.
 All the details of tax are provided.

Some countries charge a departure tax only when a person is leaving by air. Various rules
apply to the payment of the tax, including payment at the airport to those about to catch a
flight (sometimes only in the local currency and sometimes by credit card), or by some
prepayment method, or it may be charged to the airlines and included in the airline ticket
price.

9.6 HOW TO READ TIM CUSTOMS

The term Customs refers to regulations governing the import and export of articles carried as
luggage or cargo by passengers and airlines. TIM’s customs regulation stipulate for each
country listed what items are permitted or prohibited. The Customs section of TIM describes
regulations relating to:
 Import and export allowance
 Baggage clearance
 Wild flora and fauna
 Prohibited articles
 Pets
 Firearms and other weapons

Custom regulations describe what passengers and airlines are allowed to carry as luggage and
transport into and out of countries. These are rules covering a large variety of item and as a
general principle apply to many countries. One thing worth noting is that all holiday
purchases and gifts are subject to custom regulations.

Many countries for example are members of the Convention on the International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). There is a system through which the
international trade in endangered species is regulated. CITES does not just govern the
transportation of live animals and plants but also their parts and derivatives. A complete list
of protected species is published in IATA Live Animals Regulations. Although travel agents
are rarely involved in arrangements for the transport of such goods, it is wise to be aware of
the existence of CITES and how the client’s overseas purchases may be affected. Pets for the
purpose of TIM are considered to be cats, dogs or pet birds. The regulation applies to pets
only if they are:
 Accompanied by a passenger as personal baggage either in the cabin (if
allowed) or in the hold of the aircraft.
 Second important point is that it is not destined for commercial purposes.

Still it is advisable that when a passenger intends to transport a pet the agent must consult the
carrier and enquire if this is permitted. Most authorities require vaccination certificates for
cats and dogs, as well as veterinarian’s health certificate issued at the point of departure.
Some countries also insist on an import permit and in certain cases animals have to undergo a
period of quarantine.

Restrictions may also apply to transiting animals. Indeed import or transit of certain animals
may be prohibited altogether. Therefore it is wise to check the applicable regulations before
making any travel arrangements. It is also necessary to consult the airlines, as they may have
their own regulations concerning the transport of animals. A country’s custom information as
described in the TIM may be lengthy and may span several pages. However the information
is very simple to follow and needs to be checked carefully to ensure that the passengers are
aware of the regulations.

9.7 HOW TO READ TIM CURRENCY

Currency is one of the most important information provided by TIM. All countries in the
world do not follow the same currency system and neither does all of them allow the same
amount of currency to be carried into the country. TIM comes in handy as it provides
currency comprising of the following elements:
 Name of the country’s currency and its three letter abbreviation.
 Limits, if any, of local and foreign currency that an individual is allowed to import and
export. These limits may differ between non residents and residents.
 Conditions applicable to import and export of stated limits (if any).
 Restrictions, if any, applying to imports of precious metals such as gold and silver.
 The currency section of TIM shows a country’s currency and its three letter code.
 Travellers should be aware of the penalties for not complying with the regulations.
These range from heavy fines to imprisonment in many countries. The individual
country entries appear under a heading 6 currency and are normally short sections
which are clearly stated. An example for Canada is picked up.

Apart from this, passengers must be aware how much of foreign currency is permitted by any
nation from/to the destination. For example in India the currency rule state:
  Local Currency (INR) 25,000/- max can be carried inside. (Not allowed for nationals
of Pakistan and Bangladesh residing outside of India; and, denomination of 90 rupee
notes only allowed if entering from Bhutan or Nepal)
 Foreign currency amounts exceeding USD 5,000 (or equivalent) in cash, or USD
9,000 (or equivalent) in traveler's cheques must be declared.

Currency import and export regulation is where FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act)
comes into the picture. According to this act, “All residents, including minors, are able to
remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or
capital account transaction, or a combination of the two.”
FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) was adopted in 1999 to replace FERA (Foreign
Exchange Regulation Act). The objective of FEMA is to facilitate external trade and
payments and assist in the orderly development and maintenance of the Indian Forex market.
FEMA was created to address all of the flaws and shortcomings of FERA and as a result, it
enacted a number of economic reforms (major reforms). It applies on:
- Foreign exchange.
- Foreign security.
- Export of any commodity and/or service from India to a country outside India.
- Import of any commodity and/or services from outside India.
- Securities as defined under Public Debt Act 1994.
- Purchase, sale and exchange of any kind (i.e. Transfer).
- Banking, financial and insurance services.
- Any overseas company owned by an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) and the owner is
60% or more.
- Any citizen of India, residing in the country or outside (NRI).

9.8 TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel insurance is always advisable especially when one is travelling abroad. Travel
insurance is a type of insurance that covers both medical and financial problems that may
occur while travelling abroad. To that purpose, there are a variety of travel insurance policies
available that provide different type of coverage while travelling abroad. These insurance
plans provide benefits such as
 lost or delayed checked baggage,
 loss of important documents such as passports,
 personal accidents, and
 Medical expenditures including dental treatment, transportation to the hospital, and a
daily hospital stipend
 personal liability and personal accident coverage,
 compensation in the event of a hijacking, and
 coverage for financial emergency assistance..
Although travel insurance may appear to most people to be an unnecessary investment, but
like immunizations, it is one of the many things that one must have when travelling. Travel
insurance, in addition to being a legal obligation, provides coverage for a variety of
emergencies, as discussed above. Hence, travel insurance is a must-have and an
unquestionably wise purchase when travelling especially internationally.

9.9 TIMATIC

Technological improvements in modern time have now made TIM available digitally, known
TIMATIC, both in the GDS as well as in the web based platform. TIMATIC stands for
Travel Information Manual Automatic and is used by airlines to determine whether a
passenger can be carried, as well as by airlines and travel agents to provide this information
to travellers at the time of booking (IATA). TIMATIC is the database containing cross border
passenger documentation requirements (IATA). This is critical for airlines due to fines levied
by immigration authorities every time a passenger is carried who does not have the correct
travel documentation. The information contained in TIMATIC are about:
 Passport requirements and recommendations
 Visa requirements and recommendations
 Health requirements and recommendations
 Airport tax to be paid by the traveler at either departure or arrival airport
 Customs regulations relating to import/export of goods and small pets by a passenger
 Currency regulations relating to import and export by a passenger
 Contains requirement for every nationality going to every country
 Serve as reservation and departure control systems

This digitally available TIMATIC is highly beneficial for the travel industry since the
information is available online. This has :
Reduced fines and repatriation costs
 Reduced operational and staffing requirements
 Reduced training costs
 Increased penetration of self-service check-In
 Enhanced customer experience

Check Your Progress 3

1) List 5 countries each for which Yellow fever and Cholera vaccination is required?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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2) Mention the fields where FEMA can be applied.
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 3) List the key benefits of TIMATIC.
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……...…………………………………………………………………………………

9.10 LET US SUM UP

To understand the concept of TIM and be able to properly read it is a mandatory requirement
for a travel agent, the travel professional needs to read and apply information supplied by
TIM, relating to regulation for passports, visas, health, customs and currency. The
professional should also be able to provide correct and up to date information to the
customer. The information in TIM may be lengthy and may span several pages since it covers
many areas of concern. However the information is very simple to follow and needs to be
checked carefully to ensure that the passengers are aware of the regulations.

9.11 FURTHER READINGS

 Travel Information Manual: An IATA Publication

 TIMATIC on GDS (online resource)

9.12 CLUES TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check Your Progress 1

1) Refer 9.1
2) Refer 9.1
3) Refer 9.1

Check Your Progress 2

1) Refer 9.2
2) Refer 9.2
3) Refer 9.3

Check Your Progress 3

1) Refer A & B 9.4
2) Refer 9.7
3) Refer 9.9

9.13 ACTIVITIES

Try searching the parameters mentioned in the TIM for visiting at least countries from each
continent. Ask your friends to do the same and then compare between different countries.