Mumbai Airport (BOM) Guide

Before security

• Entry: boarding pass/ticket plus photo ID checked at terminal entry gates.
• Digi Yatra face-recognition lanes operate at both terminals — especially worth it for T1’s long early-morning security queues.
• Web check-in beforehand lets you go straight to bag drop — a real time-saver at T1.

Gates & quirks

• T2 is huge — allow 10–15 minutes’ walk to far international gates, more if you linger along the art wall.
• Boarding-pass scanners at BOM struggle with dim phone screens — turn your brightness up before the gate.
• Runway works are scheduled through 2026–27 (resurfacing of the main runway) — expect occasional schedule adjustments; check flight status the day before.

In the arrivals hall (T2)

• SIM cards: telecom kiosks in international arrivals — passport and photo needed.
• Prepaid taxi counters (fixed fare, scam-proof) are just past the exit — often cheaper than surge-priced apps late at night.
• Pranaam meet-and-greet, the airport’s paid assistance service, can be pre-booked for arrival help.

Meeting someone?

• Greeters wait outside the terminal exits — entry to the building requires a ticket.
• For car pickups, the arrivals lanes allow only a brief stop; for longer waits use the multi-level car park and coordinate by phone.

Indian citizens

• Immigration applies to international trips only — passport, boarding pass, and destination visa where needed.
• Fast Track Immigration (FTI-TTP) e-gates operate at T2 for registered Indian citizens — enrol online in advance to clear in seconds.
• Returning residents get a duty-free allowance (general goods up to a rupee limit, plus limited alcohol and tobacco) — check current CBIC limits before shopping abroad.

OCI holders & PRs abroad

• OCI card holders use visa-free entry with a valid foreign passport + OCI card; the FTI-TTP fast-track is open to OCI holders too.
• Indian-origin travellers with foreign PR (e.g. US green card) but no OCI need a visa/e-visa like other foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals

• e-Visa holders: follow the dedicated e-Visa counters at T2 immigration — carry the printed ETA approval.
• Regular visas use the standard foreigner queues; complete the arrival card from the plane or the hall.
• Customs: green channel if nothing to declare; currency above prescribed limits (foreign cash beyond ~US$5,000, or higher total instruments) must be declared.

Lounges

• Adani Lounges (T2) — the flagship spaces, post-immigration on the international side and on the domestic level; access via premium cabins, DragonPass (partnership added late 2025) and select cards.
• Plaza Premium (T1) — the 24/7 workhorse for early domestic departures; walk-in roughly ₹2,000–2,300, access via Priority Pass/DragonPass and many bank cards.
• Encalm Privé (T1) — newer, smaller premium option.
• Transit lounge (T2 airside) — for international connections with 6+ hour layovers; bookable, walk-in ~₹3,500.
• Card note: bank lounge programmes changed across India in late 2025 — confirm your card’s current access before relying on it.

ATMs & forex

• Bank ATMs are available in both terminals, landside and airside.
• 24/7 currency exchange counters operate at T2 arrivals and departures — airport rates carry a premium, so change only what you need.
• Mumbai runs on UPI; a working international card plus a small cash reserve covers most travellers. Ask your hotel about UPI options for foreigners.

Shopping & art

T2’s international side has a large duty-free plus branded retail and Indian crafts — and don’t skip the Jaya He art wall: 3 km of curated Indian art with thousands of artefacts, effectively a free museum built into the terminal.

Food

T2 spans Indian fine-casual to global fast food with 24/7 coffee; T1 has a functional food court. Pre-security outlets are generally cheaper — and Mumbai’s own vada pav makes a better send-off than a burger.

Restrooms & essentials

Restrooms are frequent and well-signed in both terminals, with accessible facilities. T2 adds showers (in lounges), spas, pharmacies, a medical centre, child-care rooms, free time-limited Wi-Fi, and the Niranta transit hotel for layover sleep.

The basics

T1 (Santacruz) and T2 (Sahar) are ~4 km apart in different neighbourhoods — there is no walkway or airside link. The free inter-terminal shuttle (for same-day ticketed passengers) runs roughly every 20 minutes and takes 15–25 minutes in traffic. Budget 45–60 minutes door to door.

Alternatives

Uber/Ola between terminals typically costs little and can beat the shuttle wait. Metro Line 3 now connects Santacruz (T1) and Sahar (T2) stations directly — often the most predictable option in heavy traffic.

Connecting flights

International→domestic: clear immigration, collect bags, and transfer — keep at least 3 hours, more if your onward flight leaves from T1. And if your connection is actually from Navi Mumbai (NMI), treat it as a separate journey entirely: 40+ km and 60–90 minutes by road.

Metro & rail

• Metro Line 3 (Aqua) — underground line with stations at both terminals, running south through BKC to Cuffe Parade. The traffic-proof way into the city.
• Suburban rail: Vile Parle (near T1) and Andheri stations connect to the Western line — very cheap, very crowded at peak.

Taxi & ride-hailing

• Prepaid counters at arrivals: roughly ₹650–950 to South Mumbai in a kaali-peeli, ₹900–1,400 in an AC Cool Cab — late at night these often beat surging apps.
• Uber/Ola from marked pickup zones; South Mumbai runs ₹620–920 baseline, up to double in surge or monsoon.
• Auto-rickshaws (metered) serve nearby suburbs from T1’s stand.

Bus & car

• BEST buses, including AC airport services (~₹50–180), connect major hubs.
• Parking: multi-level lots at both terminals.
• Drive times: Bandra/BKC 20–30 min; South Mumbai 45–75+ min. The Sea Link (₹100 toll) and Coastal Road help from the south.

Under 30 min away

• Juhu Beach — Mumbai’s most famous beach and street-food strip, ~20–30 min; sunset + pav bhaji is the classic layover move.
• Bandra — Bandstand promenade, Mount Mary Basilica, cafés and street art, ~25–35 min.
• Powai Lake & Hiranandani — a calmer lakeside stretch, ~25–30 min.

Worth it with 6+ hours

• Gateway of India & Colaba — the icon, plus the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and Colaba Causeway, but it’s 60–90 min each way.
• Marine Drive — the Queen’s Necklace seafront.
• Sanjay Gandhi National Park — a genuine national park inside the city, with the Kanheri cave temples, ~40–50 min.

Closest to the airport

• ISKCON Juhu — landmark Krishna temple by the beach, ~20–30 min, with a popular vegetarian restaurant.
• Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra — the hilltop Catholic basilica, ~25–35 min.

Mumbai’s icons

• Siddhivinayak Temple — the city’s most famous Ganesha temple, in Prabhadevi.
• Haji Ali Dargah — the sea-mosque reached by a causeway at low tide.
• Mahalakshmi Temple — historic seafront goddess temple.
• Global Vipassana Pagoda — the vast golden meditation dome at Gorai (a longer trip, ~1.5 hr, ferry included).

Lost something at the airport?

• Both terminals have lost & found desks — report in person before leaving if possible, or through the official CSMIA website (csmia.adaniairports.com) / Adani One app.
• Left something on the plane? Items found onboard go to your airline, not the airport — contact the airline directly.
• Pranaam (the airport’s paid assistance service) can help with arrival/departure logistics: [email protected] · +91 8879992391.

Airline customer service

Use only the contact details on airlines’ official websites — fake “customer care numbers” planted in search results are a common scam in India:

• Air India — airindia.com → Contact Us
• IndiGo — goindigo.in → Contact Us (24/7 chat in-app)
• SpiceJet — spicejet.com → Contact Us
• Akasa Air — akasaair.com → Support
• International carriers: use the airline’s own site, or their T2 ticketing counters at departures level.

At the airport

Both terminals have 24/7 medical rooms with doctors and ambulances — ask any airport staff member or CISF officer for the nearest medical centre. India’s all-in-one emergency number is 112 (ambulance also via 102/108).

Major hospitals within ~30 min

• Nanavati Max Hospital, Vile Parle — large multi-speciality, ~10–15 min from T1.
• Holy Spirit Hospital, Andheri East — full-service hospital close to T2, ~10–15 min.
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri West — flagship private hospital, ~20–30 min.
• Lilavati Hospital, Bandra — renowned private hospital, ~25–35 min.

In & around BKC

The U.S. Consulate General is in BKC, with the British Deputy High Commission, and the consulates of Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore and many others in BKC or nearby business districts.

Before you go

• Nearly all consulates require an appointment — check the official website; walk-ins are usually only for citizen emergencies.
• Most consular sections work weekday mornings only.
• For a lost passport you’ll typically also need a police report (Mumbai Police supports online e-FIR for lost property).

Physical stores

• Andheri East & Vile Parle markets — pharmacies, convenience stores, and everyday supplies minutes from either terminal.
• Supermarkets — D-Mart, Reliance and similar chains operate across Andheri and Santacruz for bigger shops.

The Mumbai shortcut: delivery apps

Staying at an airport hotel? Quick-commerce apps — Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart — deliver groceries, toiletries, chargers, and medicine to the lobby in 10–30 minutes. Usually easier than braving Mumbai traffic for a shop run.

Hotel dining & bars

The Sahar hotel strip is the reliable move: the restaurants and bars at the JW Marriott Sahar, ITC Maratha, The Leela and Taj Santacruz all welcome non-guests — ideal for a proper meal or cocktail before a late flight.

Andheri & Vile Parle

Andheri East is packed with restaurants across every budget, and Vile Parle’s old snack houses are beloved for Maharashtrian breakfast classics — ask for missal pav or sabudana vada.

Worth a short ride

Juhu (~20–30 min) doubles as dinner-and-a-beach-walk: legendary street food stalls at the sand, plus established restaurants and bars along Juhu Tara Road.