Asia

What are the new guidelines for international travellers?

February 10, 2022
Henry Club

With the Omron variant-driven third wave subsiding in the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Thursday revised guidelines for international travellers, allowing “quarantine-free” entry for travelers from 82 countries. In the same guideline, the ministry also did away with the seven-day mandatory quarantine for all international travellers.

“The demarcation of countries ‘at-risk’ & other countries removed. Accordingly need for giving samples on port of arrival & waiting till the result is obtained from countries ‘at-risk’ is dispensed with,” said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Twitter.

What’s new in the revised guideline?

  • There is no need for mandatory testing on arrival for travelers from “at-risk” countries
  • Samples from 2 per cent of the travelers will be collected at random after de-boarding
  • These passengers can give their samples and leave the airport. They do not have to wait for the results.
  • The passengers will no longer be required to do a seven-day mandatory quarantine. They will have to monitor their health for 14 days.
  • The passengers will no longer be required to get tested on the eighth day after arrival and upload their test results to the government portal.
  • The guidelines also allow for “quarantine-free” entry to fully vaccinated travelers from 82 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore.

Which countries would India accept vaccination certificates from?

The vaccination certificates of travelers from countries that have an agreement with India on mutual recognition of certificates for vaccination using nationally recognized or World Health Organization (WHO) recognized vaccines. The vaccination certificates of travelers from countries that do not have an agreement but exempt fully vaccinated Indians from quarantine will also be accepted on the “basis of reciprocity”.

The list currently includes 82 countries and will be dynamic. Travelers from such countries will have to upload their vaccination certificates on the Air Suvidha portal of the government.

What are the rules that remain from the previous guidelines?

  • The travelers still have to upload a self-declaration form on the government’s Air Suvidha portal before travel
  • They also have to upload a negative RT-PCR test done 72 hours before travel.
  • Only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the plane.

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