India Lifts its 7-day Quarantine, Testing and List of ‘At-risk’ Countries from Feb. 14
India has announced that travelers will no longer be required to undertake a seven-day mandatory quarantine or to get tested upon arrival and on day eight of their stay.
The new guidelines, which will come into effect Feb. 14 onwards, do require visitors to upload to the Air Suvidha portal a negative RT-PCR taken within 72 hours of their arrival in India. (Exceptions apply).
A 14-day self-monitoring period is advised under the revised protocols but is not mandatory.
The classification as a “country at-risk” has also been withdrawn, removing the requirement for passengers to give samples and wait for their results at the airport.
“The demarcation of countries ‘at-risk’ & other countries [has been] removed. Accordingly, the need for giving samples at the port of arrival and waiting till the result is obtained from countries ‘at-risk’ has been dispensed.”
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
According to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, around 2% of international travelers from all nations will be asked to leave a sample, but they will be permitted to leave the airport.
If positive, samples will be forwarded to the INSACOG laboratory network for genomic testing and additional research.
Quarantine-free travel to India will be also possible for fully vaccinated travelers whose vaccine certificates were issued in countries other than India.
As of today, 82 nations have signed an agreement with India on the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates. Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, and Singapore are among those.
On the “basis of reciprocity,” vaccination certificates from nations that do not have an agreement but exclude fully vaccinated Indians from quarantine will also be accepted.
“Besides uploading a negative RT-PCR report (taken 72 hours prior to journey), [there is an] option to upload a certificate of [having completed] primary COVID-19 vaccination provided from [other] countries [which will be accepted] on a reciprocal basis,” the health minister said.
All inbound travelers must still fill out a self-declaration form on the government’s Air Suvidha portal detailing their travel history in the previous 14 days before departure.
According to the new travel regulations, only asymptomatic people will be allowed to board aircraft to India.
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