New rules for international passengers arriving in India from today — Details
The new international travel rules announced by India on February 10 have come into force from today.
The new rules for international arrivals have been relaxed for 87 countries including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Maldives, New Zealand, Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, UK, and the USA. However, China and UAE are among those not on the list as of now.
Only 2% of international travelers flying to India will be tested randomly on their arrival at the airport.
Important Points To Know
1. Submit Self Declaration Form On Air Suvidha Portal
All travelers planning to travel to India should submit complete and factual information in a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha Portal before the scheduled travel, including the last 14 days of travel details.
Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report or Covid -19 vaccination certificate of having completed the primary vaccination schedule.
2. No Pre-Departure RT-PCR Test Required
Earlier, all international travelers are required a negative RT-PCR test to board a flight to India but now the same has been dropped for fully vaccinated travelers from 87 countries.
However, they have to upload a Certificate of completing the full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19 vaccination while submitting the self-declaration on the Air Suvidha Portal.
3. RT-PCR Test On 8th Day Also Scrapped
Apart from the pre-departure RT-PCR test requirement, the Indian Govt. has also scrapped the requirement of the Covid-19 test need for undertaking on the 8th day of arrival in India and uploading the same on the Air Suvidha portal.
4. Random Sampling of 2% Travelers
2% of the total international passengers in the flight shall undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport upon their arrival in India.
Such travelers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries). They will submit the samples and shall be allowed to leave the airport.
If such travelers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be treated/isolated as per laid down standard protocol.
5. No Mandatory Home Quarantine
In the major relaxation, the Govt of India has removed the mandatory 7 days of home quarantine for international arrivals. Now travelers will only have to self-monitor their health for the next 14 days of arrival.
If travelers under self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number.
All the relaxations are for those who are arriving from the following 87 which primary vaccination schedule completion certificate is allowed to be uploaded;
- Albania
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Brunei Darussalam
- Botswana
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cambodia
- Chile
- Columbia
- Commonwealth of Dominica
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Ireland
- Israel
- Kazakhstan
- Kingdom of Morocco
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Paraguay
- Panama
- Portugal
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Romania
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- State of Palestine
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- The United Kingdom
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United States of America
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
