India to Lift Quarantine Requirement For International Arrivals From Today | Check Latest Guidelines Here

Earlier last week, the Union health ministry had released the revised guidelines for international arrivals according to which travellers will be asked to produce a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report.

Picture For Representation Only

New Delhi: Fully vaccinated passengers coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines shall be allowed to leave the airport without undergoing home quarantine and testing from Monday, October 25 onwards. Earlier last week, the Union health ministry had released the revised guidelines for international arrivals according to which travellers will be asked to produce a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report.Also Read - International Flights: AirAsia India Gets Security Clearance, Likely to Get Global Flying Permit Soon

“The global trajectory of Covid-19 pandemic continues to decline with certain regional variations. The need to monitor the continuously changing nature of the virus and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) must still remain in focus,” the ministry said.

It added, “The existing guidelines (issued on 17th February 2021 with subsequent addendums) for international arrivals in India have been formulated taking a risk-based approach. In view of increasing vaccination coverage across the globe and the changing nature of the pandemic, the existing guidelines for international arrivals in India have been reviewed.”

Check Fresh Guidelines Here:-

If partially or not vaccinated, the travellers need to undertake measures which include submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self monitor their health for next seven days.
The new document provides protocols to be complied with international travellers as well those to be followed by airlines, points of entry (airports, seaports and land border) for risk profiling of passengers.
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall be valid from Monday till further orders. Based on the risk assessment, this document shall be reviewed from time to time, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, India has signed agreements for mutual recognition of nationally or WHO recognised COVID-19 vaccines with 11 countries – the UK, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia. Travellers coming from these countries who are fully vaccinated and 15 days have elapsed since completion of the COVID-19 vaccination schedule, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and shall self monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival.
All travellers should submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. This test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.
Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution if found otherwise.
If a traveller is coming from a country excluding those covered under category A (coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines,) they would be required to undergo the measures such as submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor of their health for next seven days, irrespective of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

The list of countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing (countries at-risk) are:-