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The Indian government has made it easier for passengers to return to India by expanding air transport agreements to 33 countries, the latest country to be added being Australia. However, strict Covid-19 restrictions are in place to ensure safety given the global increase in cases linked to the new variant of the coronavirus, omicron, and the government is urging states to exercise caution.
In accordance with a circular from the Indian government dated December 14, 2021, international passengers arriving in India or in transit from “countries at risk†are required to pre-book their RT-PCR test from December 20, 2021. Like this news rule takes effect In, international travelers can book their RT-PCR tests at six key airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. As of November 30, 2021, countries “at risk” include the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
Passengers traveling from or transiting through “high risk countries” will not be allowed to leave the airport or on connecting flights until a negative test result is obtained.
The Civil Aviation Authority last week extended the previous ban on international flights until January 31, 2022 and said it would allow certain international flights on a case-by-case basis. India’s Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia previously said international flights could resume from December 15, an order he later revoked in light of the ambiguity due to the new variant of the Omicron coronavirus.
Special international flights were operated via the government flagship Vande Bharat Mission since May last year. Some air transport arrangements have also been in place since July 2020. “Transport bubbles” or “air transport arrangements” are temporary arrangements between two countries to restart commercial passenger services when scheduled international flights are suspended due to of the Covid-19 pandemic. . The government says these pacts are reciprocal in nature, which means that airlines of both countries enjoy similar benefits.
Here is the latest information and advice on traveling to India from key travel destinations including the US, UK, Canada, and Singapore.
Travel from the United States to India
Pre-boarding
Advising greater caution when traveling to India, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 Travel Health Advisory and the State Department has issued a travel advisory. Level 2, which encourages U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution throughout the country due to potential risks to their safety and security.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to:
- Be fully vaccinated before travel
- Getting the flu shot to better protect yourself from a major flu epidemic
- Obey measures introduced by India to mitigate Covid-19 epidemics.
Travel to India for tourism and other short-term purposes resumed fully on November 15 for people with tourist or e-tourism visas issued on or after October 6, 2021. The US government says visas Tourist issued before October 2021 will not be honored and travelers attempting to enter India using any of these visas may be detained and returned to their point of origin.
Additional categories of travelers, including certain business travelers, as well as people moving to India as residents, are permitted.
All international travelers arriving in India, regardless of their vaccination status, must upload a self-declaration with a negative RT-PCR report to the Air Suvidha portal within 72 hours of departure for India.
At the arrival
All travelers will undergo heat screening upon arrival in India.
Symptomatic travelers will be isolated and retested. Travelers who choose to use the quick test will be charged INR 3,500 and can expect to wait up to an hour and a half after landing to leave the airport. Travelers who choose to use a PCR test will be charged INR 500 and can expect to wait up to 5 hours after landing to leave the airport.
Travelers who test negative will need to self-quarantine at home for seven days, retest on day eight and continue to self-monitor for an additional seven days. Travelers who test positive will be strictly isolated.
Travel to india
Commercial flights operate in India. A reduced number of international flight options are available and airlines may have strict policies regarding who can book or board these flights depending on Indian government restrictions.
People in public areas without a mask could be fined up to INR 2,000 for non-compliance. The amount differs from state to state.
Traveling from UK to India
All scheduled international flights remain suspended. However, under a bilateral agreement between the UK and Indian governments, a limited number of flights between India and the UK continue to be provided.
Pre-boarding
All travelers must follow the general mandate set by the Indian government. It includes a self-report form on the Air Suvidha online portal prior to the planned trip, uploading a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report of a test performed within 72 hours before embarking on the trip, a statement regarding the authenticity of the report.
You will not be able to travel if you have symptoms of coronavirus (you will have to isolate yourself and travel later). Passengers must comply with any additional health control measures put in place by authorities prior to your departure.
At the arrival
As the UK is on the Indian government’s ‘at risk countries’ list, travelers are required to pre-book their RT-PCR test and must also wait for their test results at the arrival airport. before leaving or taking a connecting flight. If the Covid-19 test is negative, travelers will be required to self-quarantine at home for seven days. Another Covid-19 test is required on the 8th day of arrival in India. If the 8th day test is negative, travelers should monitor their health for the next seven days.
All travelers who test positive for Covid-19 will need to undergo additional treatment and monitoring in a separate isolation center for a period of 10 days.
Travel to india
Entry requirements may vary by state for international and domestic air travel, and may include restricting entry for foreign nationals or imposing a quarantine for international travelers. Entry requirements may change in the very short term. You should check with your airline before traveling.
All land borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal in eastern and northeastern India are closed to the movement of people, with the exception of returning Indian nationals.
Passengers may need to provide their contact details and be asked to download the Arogya setu application.
Travel from Canada to India
Pre-boarding
The Indian government has now made RT-PCR testing carried out up to 72 hours before departure time mandatory, updated from its earlier mandate for travelers arriving from Canada who did not require a test report, but travelers had to pass a mandatory 14-day examination. quarantine on arrival.
Both Vande Bharat Mission flights to Delhi and air travel bubble arrangements are available for passengers to travel to India.
All travelers must submit a self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha online portal, preferably 72 hours before the intended trip.
At the arrival
Passengers with a negative covid certificate can travel on public transport, including domestic flights, to reach their final destination.
Previously, only pregnant women, those who have died in the family, those suffering from a serious illness, parents with children under 10 years old and those with a negative RT-PCR certificate were exempted from quarantine. That has now changed with the Indian government demanding a negative RT-PCR report making the 14 day quarantine null and void.
Travel from Singapore to India
Pre-boarding
As of December 11, India removed Singapore from the list of “countries at risk” and vaccinated passengers from Singapore are allowed to travel to India.
India requires all international arrivals from Singapore to submit an online self-declaration form via Air Suvidha portal and have proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test performed within 72 hours of departure for India.
Travelers who have completed a Covid-19 RT-PCR in Singapore for overseas travel will receive a digital test result certificate from Singapore. Travelers must digitally authenticate their test results with help from the clinic and / or through the Singaporean government website Notarise. All successfully authenticated digital result certificates are then converted into a QR code, which can be used during embarkation and customs clearance abroad.
Travelers who generated offline QR codes before December 10 and are having issues with vaccination expiration date while verifying are recommended to regenerate their QR codes on Notarise.
At the arrival
All passengers arriving from Singapore must undergo a self-paid Covid-19 RT-PCR test at the airport and test negative before they can leave the airport.
The Singapore government has recommended its citizens to familiarize themselves with India’s restrictions related to Covid-19, including immigration procedures and entry requirements.
The government advises travelers to:
- Purchase comprehensive travel insurance and familiarize yourself with the conditions and coverage.
- Equip themselves with research on the entry conditions of their destination, the current situation, local laws and customs.
- Register online at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs website so that you can contact you in an emergency.
Rest of the world in India
All countries that have a transport bubble agreement with India allow travelers to visit India. Besides the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore, the countries which have concluded air bubble agreements with India are Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kuwait, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan.
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