Latest Guidelines For Travelling To India 

Posted on Jan 3rd, 2023 by Arjun Sharma, Last updated on Jan 4th, 2023

Thinking about travelling to India and worried about the latest guidelines for International travel to India? No need to worry as we have shared all the requisite information to prepare you for your travel plans. The fourth wave of covid-19 has erupted again and there is a need to take some basic precautions to control it. Some guidelines are continuously being released by GOI (starting Dec 2022) which you need to follow to ensure that you have a smooth and safer journey. 

Updates on 2 January 2022  

The confusion regarding travellers transiting from high-risk countries has also been sorted. It has now clearly been stated that passengers transiting through Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Korea will need to mandatorily get the RT-PC test done (within 72 hours of undertaking their journey to India) and self-declare on the Air Suvidha portal.

Updates on 29th December 2022  

According to the guidelines given on 29 Dec 2022 by the union ministry of health and family welfare, passengers from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Korea will not be able to board flights to India beginning on January 1 unless they have a mandatory negative RT-PCR certificate.

Air Suvidha has come back into the picture, and every passenger has to fill out the form to know about their health status. It should also include the last 14 days of travel details.

Before travelling, these negative RT-PCR reports must be uploaded on the Air Suvidha portal. Along with this, 2% of all international passengers on a flight (chosen on a random basis) will have to undergo the test. 

The GOI has advised everyone to wear masks, avoid large gatherings at all costs, and unnecessary travel as well. There are some precautions that you need to follow before starting the travel, during travel, and on arrival.

Guidelines Released on 24th December 2022 

Before starting the travel

• Every traveller must be fully vaccinated with both doses, before heading for a trip to India. However, it would be better if you have a booster dose as well.

• Thermal screening is considered mandatory, for all international passengers coming to India. If anyone is found with some possible symptoms, they will be immediately isolated and will be sent to medical care centres for further treatment.

• Random testing for covid-19 will take place at the airport. 2% of international travellers from each flight will be asked to get an RT-PCR test done once they arrive. There is no waiting time period for the passenger to get the results of the tests. You can leave immediately after the test.

• Random testing after arrival is not required for children under the age of 12. However, they must be tested and treated in accordance with established procedures if they are found to be symptomatic for Covid upon arrival or during the self-monitoring period.

• During travel, any passenger who exhibits symptoms of Covid will be isolated in accordance with standard procedure. A mask should be worn, the passenger should be isolated from other passengers on the flight or travel, and they should be moved to an isolation facility for follow-up treatment.

• After arriving, all travellers should self-monitor their health and go to the nearest medical facility or call the national or state helpline number (1075) if they experience any suggestive symptoms.

During Travel

• An announcement about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the precautions to be taken such as wearing masks and keeping a physical distance, will be made during flights and travel as well as at all entry points.

• Any passenger who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 while travelling must be isolated in accordance with standard procedure, which includes wearing a mask, being isolated from other passengers on the flight or travel, and being transferred to an isolation facility for follow-up treatment.

On Arrival

• Proper physical distancing must be there while deboarding the flight. The minimum distance of 6 feet must be followed while moving out of the plane.

• Every passenger should go through a mandatory thermal screening process to make sure that no possible symptoms are available.

•  Infected passengers will be immediately isolated to the medical healthcare centres.

Covid Situation in China

• China has stopped the mass testing of covid 19 in China. They had also eased the rules for covid-19. Their government is not showcasing the actual information. The criteria for confirming covid 19 deaths is very limited to respiratory diseases and deaths related to it only. 

• The situation is moving towards a lockdown again. It is the responsibility of each and every passenger coming to India from abroad to follow the international travel guidelines, so that “prevention is better than cure”. 

• Shortage of beds in the hospitals, patients are lying in waiting rooms in the hospital, and long queues of patients are at the clinics. Earlier China had one of the strictest covid-19 measures, but the recent relaxations have aggravated the situation. Rules governing quarantines and lockdowns have now been eliminated.

• The Chinese authorities have also stated that they will completely open their borders on January 8 with no travel restrictions or quarantine measures for arrivals. A negative Covid test will no longer be required to enter public transportation, restaurants, gyms, or other public buildings.

• Due to China’s ongoing Covid surge, several nations, including the United States, have mandated Covid testing for visitors. 

Measures Taken By Other Countries To Control Covid 19 Variant 

Some of the measures have already been taken by the coivd-19 affected countries. The measures are as follows:-

• United States of America:- They have made some rules mandatory: booster doses for adults, vaccines to keep our schools open, free at-home testing, strengthened public health protocols, workplace protections to keep the economy open, rapid response teams to combat rising cases, treatment pills to prevent hospitalizations and deaths, and continued commitment to global vaccination efforts.

• Singapore:- Up-to-date healthcare protocols are being followed by Singapore. N95 masks are compulsory for everyone who interacts with new passengers from other countries. Face shields are also necessary along with the use of masks. There are measures to operate about additional 200 beds for covid 19 patients.

SOPs Followed By The Airport Authorities To Control The Pandemic  

• Proper Sanitization:- For the safety of passengers, every corner of the airport has been properly sanitized.

• Social Distancing with Floor Stickers: The authorities at the airport have stuck some stickers on the floor so that everyone must stand only in between them to maintain social distance. 

• Facilities that have been upgraded at the airport: The airport has some upgraded facilities, like sanitizing machines.

• Experience of the Contactless Check-in System: The airport offers a contactless check-in system to keep passengers and airport staff safe from infection.

• Thermal Screening: All passengers at the airport undergo a thermal screening to determine their body temperature.

• Printing of Boarding Passes Using No Contact: Printing boarding passes using no contact is completely possible. You can easily board the plane without having to wait in lines by scanning your information and receiving your boarding pass.

We hope after going through all the guidelines and SOPs of covid-19 taken by India, you have a clear picture of the situation in mind. And if you’re looking to book flights, MyTicketsToIndia is here to help. 

We are a flight-booking platform that specialises in booking flights to India from UK along with India flights from other countries like Canada, USA, Australia, and UAE. All you have to do to get assistance is give us a call and we’ll take things forth. 

About Arjun Sharma View All Posts

Arjun Sharma is a writer with a deep passion for helping people. He loves to read and learn. Staying positive, optimistic, and enthusiastic helps him a lot in generating creative ideas. His love for traveling is also immense and so is his knowledge of travel destinations. In a nutshell, writing, traveling, and reading are his strengths. And, oh, he is an avid bhangra lover too. When he’s not into words, he is into expressing emotions through his dance moves.