Quarantine-free entry in India for vaccinated passengers from Feb. 14

By: 2 years ago

Air India flight 185 arrives from New Delhi, narrowly beating the cut-off after Canada’s government temporarily barred passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days, at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada April 23, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

India will allow “quarantine-free” entry to fully-vaccinated passengers from 82 countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal, in a major move to ease curbs on inbound international travelers in the face of a declining number of Covid-19 cases powered by the Omicron variant.

Under the new guidelines, which take effect from February 14, there is no need for mandatory testing on arrival for travelers from “at-risk” countries, the Indian Health Ministry tweeted.

The samples from two percent of the air travelers will be collected after de-boarding and these passengers can leave the airport without waiting for the results of RT-PCR tests, it said.

The @MoHFW_INDIA has issued revised guidelines for International Arrivals ✈️

Guidelines to come in effect from 14th February.

Follow these diligently, stay safe & strengthen India's hands in the fight against #COVID19.

Main features include:

📖 https://t.co/J9e8ZJw3qw (1/6)

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 10, 2022

The passengers will no longer be required to do a seven-day mandatory quarantine, rather will have to monitor their health for 14 days.

The passengers will no longer be required to get tested on the eighth day after their arrival and upload their test results to the government portal.

Travelers will have to upload negative RT-PCR reports taken 72 hours before the journey and alternatively can upload the certificate of completing the full primary vaccination schedule provided from countries on a reciprocal basis.

The new guidelines have also removed the categorization of countries “at-risk”.