If you are not an Indian national, it may seem very daunting to book train tickets in India through the Indian railway system website, IRCTC. Firstly, because they ask for a local mobile number. As a foreign national, who isn’t from India it’s not possible to have a local number, but what most people don’t know is you can register on the IRCTC website using any number & further more you need to send the scanned copy of the passport so that IRCTC can forward the email & passport copy to the concerned department.
Below is the step by step procedure to buy train tickets from outside India:
- First register on the Indian train system. Go to the IRCTC website and select signup link to start registration.
- The form for registration appears when you click “Signup” link. Filling the form is pretty simple until you come to the mobile number requirement. Here just fill your number as it is.
- Continue filling the form as usual, it is pretty straightforward. The only place where you will again get stuck is Pin Code entry. The box is designed only for alphabets, if you write alphabets, it won’t take it. So just enter any number for now.
- Click the submit button, after which you will get a popup saying your email & phone number will need verification, click ok.
- The next screen will confirm your registration.
- After this you will need to verify your phone number & email. You won’t get a phone number verification since you entered a foreign number. However, make sure that you contact care@irctc.co.in for verification of your account at IRCTC after online submission of registration forms at www.irctc.co.in along with your nationality documents such as passport etc. for due verification. Request that your mobile verification code to be sent to by email to your registered email ID
- After getting this code (may take some days), login to through the link mentioned in your earlier mail & enter the verification code to complete your registration.
And that’s it! Your registration is done. If you get stuck anywhere else, email the IRCTC at care@irctc.co.in. They respond quite timely. Happy travels!
