Home » Moving to Chennai

Planning to relocate to Chennai? If so, you are probably going to need a company that specializes in International Relocation services before you make your mind on what to pack and what not, packing and moving, home search, immigration services, FRRO registration, School Search and even City Orientation.

PM Relocations can assist you to plan your international move and make the best out of your move to Chennai. You can request for a free quote online as per your requirement.

General Information :

Chennai (Officially known by its former name, MADRAS) is the capital of Tamilnadu State of India. It's a city where history is imbibed within the shades of modernity, where the Dravidian culture has fused well with the tints of internationality.

Chennai is a major commercial, cultural, economic, medical and educational center in South India. Apart from this Chennai is also known as the "Cultural Capital of India" and considered home to many educational and research institutions. IIT Madras (Indian Institute of India) is ranked among the top centres of engineering education in India.

Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, computer, technology, hardware manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Chennai is India's second largest exporter of information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services as of 2012

Chennai, the city full of pomp and grandeur, today has all the modern amenities with the flyovers, shopping malls, multiplexes etc and the city has become a center of attraction of many tourists all around the world.

Climate of Chennai :

Chennai weather is hot and humid as it lies close to the thermal equator and is in also on the coast. The weather is hot and humid for most of the year. The hottest part of the year is late May to early June, with maximum temperatures around 35–42 °C. The coolest part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around 15–22 °C. Monsoon season is divided into two phases; (June to August) and Post Monsoons (September to November) with mild to heavy winds and rains. Chennai has relied on annual monsoon rains to replenish water reservoirs, as no major rivers flow through the area.

International Schools & Pre Schools :

We face a very tough time in deciding a good school for our kinds in new city. PM Relocations can assist you finding a suitable school for your kids. With so many choices Pune has lots of good and reputed international schools and pre-schools with excellent facilities and groomed teachers. School sessions begin in April in India. Only thing is that you have to pay total fee since April if you seek admission in between the session. There are American International School, British International School, German International School, Gateway International American School, MCTM International School, to name a few. For more details, you may write to us at info@pmrelocations.com

Immigration :

You will need a visa to enter and stay in India and the nature of that visa must suit your pursuits here. There is no provision of 'Visa on Arrival' in India and no fee is charged for immigration facilities at the airports. If you are coming to India to stay on a long terms (for more than six months), it is compulsory for every expat to register with the FRRO office within 14 days of your arrival. If registration not done within 14 days of arrival, it may attract penalty. For Immigration assistance feel free to write to us at info@pmrelocations.com

Look See & Shopping Area :

With its historic landmarks and buildings, long sandy beaches, cultural and art centers and parks, Chennai has been the home for many sacred temples and many beautiful sight seeing places. To name a few, The World Famous Mahabalipuram, Covelong Beach, Kanchipuram (for its finest silk fabric in the world), Tirupati, Crocodile Bank, Kanyakumari for a spectacular sunrise and sunset view. There are a quite a number of beaches and resorts between Elliot's Beach and Mahabalipuram, along East Coast Road. The 15 km long and 400 to 500 meter wide Marina Beach features the Light House, memorials, statues, walkways, gardens and drives alongside the beach front. On the other side you may visit the most notable of these is Covelong Beach which has a cove and a fort. Chennai is full of attraction and surprises.

Regarding Shopping in Chennai, the city has some unique places to offer for shopping. Art and crafts, contemporary and traditional artwork, antiques, jewellery etc are available in the city. So if you like to shop, you may visit local markets and big shopping malls as well. Pondy Bazaar situated in T. Nagar is is famous for footwear, leather bags, crockery, jewellery, cotton garments, stationary etc. Mount Road, has many large stores lines up covering an area of 8 kms.

If you are a person who prefers to shop in the comfort of an air conditioner and want to avoid the Chennai heat wave completely, then malls are the best place for you. Chennai has quite a few malls inside the city like City Centre mall, Spencer Plaza, Alsa Mall, Globus Emerald Plaza, Fountain Plaza, Burma Bazaar and Raahat Plaza that houses many international stores and designer showrooms

Tips for living in Chennai :

• Local Transportation - Traffic can at time be impossible and risky at peak hours. The main roads become congested and the lanes become muddy and water and the use of taxis is a cheap option. Tell the driver your destination and negotiate your price upfront or ask to see their tariff card first. People who don't do this often get cheated on the fair.
• Get what you need - Not all apartments come standard with basic necessities. Air conditioning and water are not standard in India; some apartments ration your water usage but not all of them do. It gets very hot and humid so ask if your apartment comes with air conditioning and inspect the plumbing.
• Don't wait until it's too late! - You need to provide your own health insurance or be able to pay upfront for services. There is good health care in Chennai but it can be very crowded. Get registered with a doctor as soon as you arrive.