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Updated July 2023
India has relaxed all its COVID-19 travel restrictions and requirements, and flights have resumed business as per usual. Those looking to return to India from foreign countries will find a wide range of airlines, flight routes, and arrival airports to choose from.
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What are the current COVID-19 testing and vaccinations guidelines in India? Keep reading to find out.
Registering on Air Suvidha
Registration on the Air Suvidha portal, which was once a mandatory requirement for all arrivals in India, has now been discontinued. Most passengers will no longer need to fill out the self-health declaration form.
However, travellers coming from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan are still required to fill out the self-health declaration form and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report along with the date. The test should have been conducted within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.
Guidelines for International travellers
Planning for Travel
All travellers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against COVID-19 in their Country.
During Travel
- In-flight announcements about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including precautionary measures to be followed (preferable use of masks and following physical distancing) shall be made in flights/travel and at all points of entry.
- Any passenger having symptoms of COVID-19 during travel shall be isolated as per standard protocol i.e. the said passenger should be wearing a mask, isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow-up treatment.
On arrival
- De-boarding should be done, ensuring physical distancing.
- Thermal screening should be done for all the passengers by the health officials present at the point of entry.
- The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to a designated medical facility as per health protocol (as above).
- All travellers should self-monitor their health post-arrival and report to their nearest health facility or call the National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number if they have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Passengers from high-risk countries
Pre-departure COVID-testing requirements apply only to travellers from six high-risk countries, including China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan. They must take a test within 72 hrs before undertaking the journey and upload the negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report on the Air Suvidha portal.
They should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority for any post-arrival requirement including home/institutional quarantine/self-health monitoring, as warranted.
Vaccination requirements
Passengers can enter India without being fully vaccinated. According to the new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), presenting a vaccination certificate is no longer mandatory.
Nevertheless, travellers are still advised to be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against COVID-19 in their country.
