For those that who are not regular world travelers and want a little insight into the arrival procedures in India, here's what to do when you arrive in Cochin Airport on an international flight. It's probably very similar to other points of disembarkation such as Bombay Airport, however I can speak with confidence only about Cochin.
If you are arriving in COK from abroad and have not gone through customs and immigration at an Indian transfer airport such as Bombay or Delhi, you will need to perform those procedures upon arrival.
Step 1. As with most international flights, you'll have to fill out a customs form which the airline will supply in-flight. Upon exiting the aircraft you'll get to the immigration check queue. Please be patient with the bureaucrats here- India specializes in this sort of thing. They will take part of the immigration form you received on the plane, check your passport and visa, and send you on your way.
Step 2. After immigration you'll pass through the duty-free shop on the way to baggage claim at which point every traveler should pick up the permitted 2 liters of alcohol. It's cheap and easy (you'll have to show your passport), and will be very helpful as you'll find out later. You can pay with credit cards or US Dollars so don't worry about money exchange.
Step 3. Immediately outside of the duty-free shop is the baggage claim. Once you get your bags you can exchange money at one of three exchange booths at the far end of the baggage claim hall. Traveler's checks give you a slightly better rate but cash works as well.
Step 4. Exit through customs where you will need to present the stub of the immigration form from the plane. They may want to look in your bags. Please don't bring anything that is illegal in your home country.
Step 5. Go to the pre-paid taxi booth right before you exit the airport building. It's just after you go through customs and right next to the exit door. Tell them where you're going (hotel name) and show them the bags that you're bringing so they can choose an appropriate-sized vehicle. You can decide if you want A/C or not, though if most of you are arriving early in the morning (in the 1am-3am range) you probably won't need it. You're call.
Step 6. After you get the pre-paid taxi slip, just walk outside and show your receipt to the guy on the other side of the pre-paid booth and they'll fetch the taxi. Traffic shouldn't be bad if it's early AM so expect a 30-45min drive to town. Look for cows and elephants. Take a deep swallow of some of that booze you just bought if you can't quite stomach the driving. It's probably not like anything you've experienced (unless you've been to Cambodia or Vietnam). A 10 or 20 Rupee tip is sufficient, don't think you need to tip as you do in the US. See the Lonely Planet tipping page for more on tipping.
Any questions? Just drop Vijoy a message.