War in Ukraine: India relaxes some COVID-19 rules for international travellers

Considering humanitarian grounds amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, central government on Monday made some exemptions in the mandatory International Travel Guidelines for COVID-19 prevention.

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said that it has revised mandatory International Travel Guidelines and on humanitarian grounds has allowed some exemptions in the advisory for international travellers.

Indian nationals not fulfilling either of the mandatory requirements (pre-boarding negative RT-PCR test report or fully vaccinated certificate) as laid down in the present ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’ have been exempted from uploading these documents on Air-Suvidha Portal before departure to India.

Further, individuals who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination (irrespective of the country of departure/vaccination) have been allowed to leave the arrival airport in India with the advice to self-monitor their health for the next 14 days, the government said.

In case a traveller is not able to submit a pre-arrival RT-PCR test or who has not completed their COVID-19 vaccination, they have been allowed to submit their samples on arrival with the advice to continue to self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival in India. If tested positive they shall be clinically managed as per laid down protocol, the revised guidelines said.

The Indian government realised that large diasporas of Indian Nationals (mainly students) have found themselves embroiled in the political turmoil being faced by ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine in Europe.

Direct evacuation of these stranded Indians through flights could not be carried out in view of the Notice to Airmen or Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) issued in Ukraine.

Accordingly, Indian missions in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary have been making arrangements to get Indian nationals from Ukraine and fly them out of their respective countries under Operation Ganga flights.

As on February28 2022 (till 12:00 Hrs), 5 flights (one in Mumbai and four in Delhi) carrying Indians from Ukraine have arrived in India carrying a total of 1156 passengers with none of the passengers kept under isolation so far.

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, in close collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Home Affairs, is lending all support possible in evacuating Indians from Ukraine, the government said.