Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issues Guidelines for International Arrivals in India
With a view to continue economic activities in an unhindered manner, despite the growth and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of Covid-19 virus with regional variations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (“Ministry”) has issued a set of guidelines for international arrivals in India.
The Standard Operating Procedure consists of a set of protocols to be complied with by international travellers as well as the airlines and all other points of entry such as airports, seaports, and land borders. The present set of guidelines replaces the Guidelines issued on 10th February 2022. The present Guidelines shall be valid from 3rd September 2022 till further orders.
Key Highlights-
Planning for travel-
• Travellers are required to submit complete information in self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal (https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration) before the scheduled travel, including last 14 days travel details;
• Travellers should conduct Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey and submit the negative test report or submit the details of vaccination. Children below 5 years of age will be exempted from taking the test unless they are found to be symptomatic;
• All travellers should submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise;
• All travellers should also give an undertaking on the portal to Ministry of Civil Aviation through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority any post arrival requirement to undergo home/institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, as warranted.
• Prior to boarding, the concerned airlines / agencies will provide the Do’s and Don’ts along with ticket to the travellers. Such airlines will only allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and submitted details of negative RT-PCR test report or completed Covid -19 vaccination.
• At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to board after thermal screening.
• All passengers shall be advised to download Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
During Travel-
• During travel, an in-flight announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures will be followed and the in-flight crew will ensure that COVID appropriate behaviour is always followed.
• In the event, any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he / she shall be isolated as per protocol.
• Proper in-flight announcements should be made by the airlines regarding the testing requirements and people who need to undergo such testing to avoid any congestion at the arrival airports.
On arrival –
• On arrival, de-boarding should be done ensuring physical distancing.
• Thermal screening will be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the airport. The self-declaration form filled online will be shown to the airport health staff.
• The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening will immediately be isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.
Post arrival-
x• A sub-section (2% of the total passengers in the flight) will undergo random post arrival testing at the airport on arrival.
• Such travellers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries). They will submit the samples and will be allowed to leave the airport.
• If such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network.
• They will be treated / isolated as per laid down standard protocol.
• All travellers will self-monitor their health for next 14 days of arrival.
• If travellers under self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075) / State Helpline Number
• International travelers arriving through seaports / land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol except that facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.
• Such travelers will submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of Government of India at seaports / land ports on arrival.
