Moving to New Delhi with children

Why families are relocating to New Delhi in 2026

New Delhi remains the capital of one of the world's largest economies and a critical posting for multinational staff covering the South Asian region. The city hosts the major diplomatic missions, the heads of regional offices for many of the world's largest companies, and a substantial NGO and multilateral presence. Senior corporate packages in New Delhi typically include full education allowance, a housing allowance and family healthcare cover.

Delhi family life combines substantial expat infrastructure (deep international school market, international hospital networks, established expat neighbourhoods) with the unmistakable scale of one of the largest cities on earth. The trade-offs are real, and air quality through the winter months in particular requires planning. The advantages, in our experience, are also real: a rich cultural calendar, an extraordinary range of weekend travel within reach, and a quality of household and family support staff that no other Asian capital matches. The New Delhi city guide sets the broader picture; this article is the practical family relocation handbook.

The realistic relocation timeline

A typical New Delhi family relocation runs from offer acceptance to settled life in country across five to seven months. The longest line items are the Indian Employment visa process (typically two to three months from full submission), the school admissions cycle (which runs 6 to 12 months ahead of the April or August start at premium tier), and the household goods shipment if used (eight to twelve weeks by sea container from Europe or North America).

Months seven to five before move: Receive and review the formal offer. Begin school research and longlist three to five schools across the relevant curriculum (IB, British IGCSE or American). Initiate the principal's Employment visa application through the employer's immigration counsel. Begin the Indian visa application process at the destination Indian embassy or High Commission, working with the principal's employer.

Months five to three before move: Apply to schools formally. The Delhi premium tier (American Embassy School, British School, Step by Step, the major IB providers) requires school reports, a teacher reference, an entrance assessment, and a video or in-person interview. Receive offers and accept one. Pay deposit and capital fee. Make a house-hunting visit if possible.

Months three to one before move: Apply for dependant visas for spouse and children. The standard X-Misc category for dependants is processed alongside or shortly after the principal's Employment visa. Sign a tenancy. Arrange shipping if used. Complete vaccinations including hepatitis A, typhoid and Japanese encephalitis where indicated.

Month of move: Family arrives on the dependant visas. Children start school in the next available intake; Indian schools typically operate an April academic year start, though the international schools mostly run an August start. Confirm the start date with the school before booking flights. The first week covers SIM cards, vehicle hire, school induction days and home setup.

Employment visas, dependant visas and OCI cards

The Indian Employment visa is the most common category for multinational corporate staff. It is sponsored by the employer and requires a minimum salary threshold (currently USD 25,000 per year). Initial validity is up to two years, with extensions inside India through the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) up to five years. Spouse and dependant children up to age 18 are eligible for X-Misc dependant visas, which are typically processed alongside or shortly after the principal's Employment visa.

Families with one Indian-origin spouse should explore the OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card, which provides multi-year residence rights and avoids the visa cycle entirely. OCI processing runs two to four months and is typically initiated by the eligible spouse before the family's relocation date. Required documents include current passports, birth and marriage certificates, the FRRO registration confirmation once in country, and the employer's no-objection and undertaking letters. The visa checker covers the document checklist for India alongside the major comparator markets.

Choosing a school before you arrive

New Delhi has around 25 schools serving an international curriculum, with a working shortlist of 10 to 12 for relocating expat families. The most internationally established are the American Embassy School (AES, the diplomatic school of choice), the British School New Delhi (the British curriculum flagship), Step by Step School Noida (the strongest IB Diploma school), Pathways World School Aravali (IB Diploma with boarding option), Sanskriti School (IB Diploma alongside Indian curriculum), and several younger entrants in the IB and Cambridge networks. Fees range from INR 4 lakh to INR 30 lakh per year (USD 4,800 to USD 36,000). The full picture is in our best New Delhi schools ranking, with the IB-specific picture at best IB schools in New Delhi and the fees framework at New Delhi fees.

Curriculum fit, year-group availability and commute remain the three dominant considerations, with commute particularly important in Delhi given the city's scale and traffic patterns. The premium tier (American Embassy School and the British School) is heavily oversubscribed at Reception, Year 7 and Year 12, with waitlists that can run 18 months at Year 12. Apply as soon as the offer letter is in hand. Mid-tier and value-tier schools have more flexibility but still benefit from early application.

Where expat families live in New Delhi

Four established expat residential zones dominate. Chanakyapuri and the diplomatic enclave host the embassies and most diplomatic families, with proximity to the American Embassy School and most international institutions. Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj host a large multinational expat cohort with easy access to AES and the British School. Shanti Niketan and Anand Niketan offer slightly older established expat housing with closer proximity to central Delhi. Gurgaon (Cyber City corridor) hosts a substantial multinational cohort closer to the corporate headquarters, with school commutes that work for those willing to spend an hour each way on the school run.

Secondary clusters include Greater Kailash (mid-priced bungalow housing with strong expat density), Defence Colony (older but well-established), and Saket (apartment-dominated with growing expat presence). For families prioritising the American Embassy School or the British School, the practical neighbourhoods are Chanakyapuri, Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj. For families prioritising Step by Step or Pathways, the practical neighbourhoods are Noida and Gurgaon respectively, given the school locations.

Housing, rent and what colonies offer

Expat family rentals in New Delhi in 2026 range from INR 1.5 lakh per month for a three-bedroom apartment in Saket or Greater Kailash to INR 12 lakh per month for a four-bedroom independent house with garden and staff quarters in Vasant Vihar, Anand Niketan or the diplomatic enclave. The premium family housing market sits at INR 4 to INR 8 lakh per month for a three or four-bedroom apartment or independent floor in the most expat-popular neighbourhoods. Gurgaon offers more contemporary tower living at slightly lower rent points.

The Delhi market works on annual tenancies with rent paid monthly or quarterly, plus an interest-free deposit equivalent to two to four months of rent. Most landlords accept either INR or USD payment for expat tenancies. Maintenance, garden service, generator backup, broadband and household staff arrangements are typically negotiable as inclusions. The household staff convention in Delhi is more developed than in any other major Asian capital; most expat families employ a cook, a cleaner and a driver, often with employer support. Confirm staff arrangements early, including the legal and tax framework around household employment, which can be unfamiliar for newcomers.

Healthcare and family insurance

New Delhi's private healthcare sector is well developed, with the major providers being the Max Healthcare network, the Fortis network, the Apollo network and Indraprastha Apollo. Most expat employment packages include private health insurance for the family through one of the major Indian insurers (ICICI Lombard, HDFC Ergo, Star Health) or an international medical insurance provider (Bupa Global, Cigna Global, AIG). Confirm what is covered for maternity, paediatric dentistry, mental health and pre-existing conditions.

The standard advice for relocating families is to register with one of the major hospital networks and identify a family paediatrician within that network during the first month. Vaccinations follow a near-identical schedule to UK and US national programmes, with the addition of hepatitis A, typhoid and Japanese encephalitis where indicated for upcountry travel. The standard advice is to bring a six-month supply of any regularly used prescription medicine, plus the relevant doctor's letter for customs. Most common medicines are available in India at lower prices than in Europe or North America, though brand-name differences exist.

Air quality and the winter season

Air quality is the single topic that most exercises new families relocating to New Delhi, and honest planning is essential. From late October through early February, Delhi experiences sustained periods of poor air quality, with PM2.5 readings regularly exceeding WHO guidelines by ten to twenty times. Schools handle this with indoor air filtration systems, mandatory mask protocols on high-pollution days and indoor PE programmes. The premium international schools (AES, British School, Step by Step) have invested heavily in air filtration infrastructure and publish their air quality readings in real time.

Practical family routines include running HEPA air purifiers in bedrooms and main living areas, monitoring the IQ Air or SAFAR app, scheduling outdoor activity for the cleaner spring and monsoon months, and considering travel out of Delhi for one or two of the worst pollution weeks each year. Air filtration infrastructure runs USD 1,500 to USD 4,000 in year one. The trade-off is that the rest of the calendar delivers some of the most rewarding family life in Asia.

Daily life: shopping, transport, weekends

Daily life in New Delhi runs on a more elaborate domestic infrastructure than most expat families encounter elsewhere. Household staff (cook, cleaner, driver) are the norm rather than the exception, with combined monthly costs running USD 800 to USD 1,500 for a typical family arrangement. Weekly grocery shopping happens at a mix of Modern Bazaar, Foodhall and Le Marche for premium ingredients, the INA Market for fresh produce, and the various Khan Market and Defence Colony specialist stores for specific cuisines. Online grocery (BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto) has become highly developed and covers most household needs.

Weekend family life centres on the cultural calendar (the National Centre for Performing Arts, the India Habitat Centre, the major museums), the parks (Lodhi Garden, Sundar Nursery, the Rose Garden), and weekend trips within reach. Agra (3 hours), Jaipur (5 hours), the Aravalli hill stations (Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Shimla) and Goa (a flight) are all within practical reach. Most expat families run two cars or one car with a driver. The Delhi Metro has improved markedly and works well for some routes, particularly the Yellow Line connecting the diplomatic enclave to central Delhi.

Budgeting the full family year

A working budget for a family of four in New Delhi with one senior child at AES or the British School, one primary child at the same school, and a four-bedroom apartment in Vasant Vihar, sits at around USD 10,000 to USD 14,000 per month all in. That breaks down as roughly USD 3,500 to USD 5,000 for housing, USD 3,000 to USD 4,500 for school fees averaged across the year, USD 400 to USD 600 for utilities and broadband, USD 800 to USD 1,200 for groceries and household, USD 400 to USD 700 for transport including fuel and one car, USD 800 to USD 1,500 for household staff, USD 400 to USD 700 for healthcare excess and discretionary medical, and USD 500 to USD 800 for family social, sports, dining and weekend activities.

The principal budgeting risk in New Delhi is school fee inflation at the premium tier, which has averaged 6 to 9 per cent per year over the past three years (higher than most Asian comparators). The other watchpoint is air quality infrastructure (purifiers, filters, masks) and additional travel during the worst pollution weeks. The cost calculator models the picture across the assignment.

The first 90 days, in order

The first 90 days in New Delhi carry the bulk of the practical setup. Week one is for arrival logistics: FRRO registration within 14 days of arrival (mandatory and easily forgotten), SIM cards, opening an Indian bank account, and the household staff arrangements that will define daily life. Week two is for school induction. Most schools offer settling-in days where new pupils can attend for a half day before the formal start.

Weeks three to six cover the family healthcare registrations: paediatrician at the chosen hospital network, dentist, optometrist if needed, and vaccinations top-up if travelling within India in the early weeks. Weeks six to twelve focus on integration. Most expat families find their first friendship circles through school class WhatsApp groups, the embassy or company social calendar, and one of the established Delhi clubs (the Delhi Gymkhana, the Delhi Golf Club, the IIC) where memberships are available through introductions. Religious communities are well organised for most faiths and offer a useful integration route for families.

Related guides

• Best international schools in New Delhi
• Best IB schools in New Delhi
• International school fees in New Delhi

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