Latest Information And Guidance On Travel From India – Forbes

As the world witnesses the emergence of a new variant of the novel coronavirus, governments worldwide are continuing with strict vigil on what would make travelling from one country to another safer and convenient.

As a general mandate, all international travellers from India are required to submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before their scheduled travel, including details of their travel during the last 14 days.

Passengers are being asked to upload their Covid-19 RT-PCR report from tests conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. A negative test result is needed for the passenger to continue their travel.

Before boarding, passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries are mandated to undergo post-arrival testing, quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation protocols if tested positive, in line with the mandate communicated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Countries including the UK, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong and Israel are in Indias list of at-risk countries.

At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers are being allowed to board after thermal screening.

All passengers are being advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.

Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during home quarantine period, they are expected to undergo testing and treated as per laid down protocol.

Passengers from key countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, Singapore and Dubai have to follow the following guidelines.

All international air passengers boarding a flight to the U.S. who are two years or older, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR), need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 viral test administered within no more than one day before their flight (regardless of vaccination status) effective December 6, 2021.

Travel to India for tourism and other short-term purposes resumed fully on November 15 for individuals holding tourist or e-tourist visas issued on or after October 6, 2021.

Tourist visas issued before October 2021 are not being honored and travelers attempting to enter India using one of these visas are likely to be detained and returned to their point of origin.

Additional categories of travelers including certain business travelers, as well as individuals moving to India as residents, are permitted.

The regulations for travel from India remain the same as notified by Indias Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that require all international passengers to submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before their scheduled travel, including details of their travel during the last 14 days along with uploading their Covid-19 RT PCR report of a test conducted within 72 hours before departure of the flight.

The Britain government has made it compulsory for travellers to follow protocol such as taking a Covid-19 test two days before travel to UK.

Travellers need to book and pay for a COVID-19 PCR test after they arrive in UK. They are needed to complete a passenger locator form, which is to be completed in the 48 hours before they arrive in the UK.

If youre in the UK for less than 2 days, you still need to book and pay for a day 2 Covid-19 test. You must quarantine at home or wherever youre staying until you receive a negative test result, or until you leave UK, whichever is sooner. You can end quarantine if your PCR test result is negative or 14 days have passed, whichever is first.

If your test result is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day of the test is day 0. If your test result is unclear, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.

If your PCR test result is delayed, you must quarantine until you receive a negative test result or until day 14 after arrival, whichever is sooner.

To qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to the UK, you must have proof of full vaccination with a full course of an approved vaccine.

You must have had your final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in UK. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days. Both Covishield and Covaxin are recognized as approved vaccines in the UK.

There are different rules in the UK if you are in a red list country. India does not fall in the red list and hence those travelling from India have to follow regulations mandated for the general public.

Children aged 4 and under do not have to take any Covid-19 travel tests. Children aged 12 to 17 must take a Covid-19 test in the two days before travel to England. Children aged 5 to 17 have to follow the testing and quarantine rules for people who qualify as fully vaccinated on arrival in England.

Direct flights from India to Canada have resumed. Passengers eligible to enter Canada and travelling on those flights must follow the general mandate by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This includes obtaining a pre-departure negative Covid-19 test at the airport within 18 hours before their scheduled departure. Alternatively, travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 can present a positive test issued by a certified laboratory in India. The date of collection must have been between 14 days and 180 days before their scheduled departure to Canada.

Passengers who travel from India to Canada via an indirect route still need to provide a pre-departure negative Covid-19 test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.

Things to keep in mind include:

You should hence carefully consider your itinerary, transit options and entry requirements for third countries.

On arrival foreign authorities might not recognize or accept proof of vaccination issued by Canadian provinces and territories. You may need to obtain a translation, a notarization, an authentication, or the legalization of the document.

With effect from September 19, 2021, Germany no longer lists India as a country with a significantly elevated risk of infection. This means that the obligation to submit a digital entry declaration when entering Germany does not apply to those travelling from India.

Nevertheless, EU-wide travel restrictions remain in place when entering Germany from India or Bhutan.

Currently, the so-called 2G regulation applies in many parts of Germany. This means that access to accommodations, restaurants and events is only possible for those who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. Additionally, it may be required to show a negative Covid test.

At this point, people vaccinated with Covaxin do not count as vaccinated, since this vaccine is not yet recognised by the German Paul Ehrlich Institute.

Only digital vaccination certificates recognised in Germany (Digital Covid Certificates according to EU regulations) are generally accepted. Travellers may therefore be denied access to events or facilities if they have only an Indian vaccination certificate. It is advisable to check in advance whether they can travel under the new restrictions by contacting their host or checking the website of the event that they are planning to attend.

Persons vaccinated with Covaxin or any other vaccine not recognised by the Paul Ehrlich Institute have to carry a negative PCR test report which is not older than 72 hours on entry in Germany. Please note that in these cases, travel is permitted only if there are urgent reasons for entry.

If you were vaccinated with Covidshield, please note that your vaccination certificate must contain your passport number or date of birth. Reference to Aadhaar number is not sufficient.

Singapore has implemented the SafeTravel Lanes to facilitate travel. The Singapore-India Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) came into effect on November 29, 2021. Under the VTL, fully-vaccinated travellers from India on VTL flights are permitted to enter Singapore without quarantine and need to undergo Covid-19 testing.

Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders need to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass to enter Singapore under the VTL.

Travellers travelling on non-VTL flights from India into Singapore will be subject to the prevailing public health requirements based on the corresponding Singapore Ministry of Healths country or region classification for border measures.

As of November 18, 2021, India is classified under Category II, which implies travellers will have to meet stringent public health requirements that require evaluating where the traveller has been in in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival in Singapore.

Tourists travelling to Dubai from India are expected to follow specific protocols that include:

The certificate must be a RTPCR test. Other test certificates including antibody tests, NHS Covid test certificates, Rapid PCR tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai.

The government mandates travellers to bring an official printed or digital certificate in English or Arabic to check in. SMS certificates are not accepted.

Passengers arriving in Dubai from India will be required to take another Covid19 PCR test on arrival at the Dubai International airport. If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

Passengers are also being recommended to download the Covid 19 DXB Smart App.

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Latest Information And Guidance On Travel From India - Forbes