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Revised Guidelines for International Arrivals dated 7th January 2022

Posted on: January 07, 2022 | Back | Print

Government of India

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Guidelines for International Arrivals

(in supersession of all guidelines issued on the subject on and after 30th November 2021)

Introduction

The global trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic continues to decline with certain regional variations. The

need to monitor the continuously changing nature of virus and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of

concern (VOCs) must still remain in focus. The existing guidelines for international arrivals in India

have been formulated taking a risk-based approach. The existing guidelines have been revised in view

of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been classified as

Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization.

Scope

This document provides protocols to be complied by international travellers as well as those to be

followed by airlines and all points of entry (airports, seaports and land border).

This Standard Operating Procedure shall be valid w.e.f. 11th January 2022 (00.01 Hrs IST) till further

orders. Based on the risk assessment, this document shall be reviewed from time to time.

A.1. Planning for Travel

i. All travellers should

a. Submit complete and factual 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.

b. Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report*. The test should have been conducted

within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.

c. Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the

report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise.

ii. They should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to 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 to

undergo home/institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, as warranted.

iii. Continuing with the earlier approach, travellers from certain specified Countries (based on

epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in those Countries) are identified for additional follow

up. These include need for additional measures as detailed in para (xviii) below. The listing of

such specified Countries is a dynamic exercise based on evolving situation of COVID-19 across

the world and will be made available on the websites of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,

(mohfw.gov.in) and the link of the same will be available at website of Ministry of External

Affairs and Air Suvidha Portal.

iv. All travellers who need to undertake testing on arrival, should preferably pre-book the test

online on Air Suvidha Portal, to facilitate timely testing.

A.2. Before Boarding

v. Passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines

that they will undergo post arrival testing, quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation

protocols if tested positive etc. as mentioned in para (xviii).

vi. Do’s and Don'ts shall be provided along with ticket to the travellers by the airlines/agencies

concerned.

vii. Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in

the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test

report.

viii. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after

thermal screening.

ix. All passengers shall be advised to download Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.

A.3. During Travel

x. In-flight announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed

shall be made at airports and in flights and during transit.

xi. During in-flight crew shall ensure that COVID appropriate behaviour is followed at all times.

xii. If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per

protocol.

xiii. 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.

A.4. On arrival

xiv. De-boarding should be done ensuring physical distancing.

xv. Thermal screening would be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the health officials

present at the airport. The self-declaration form filled online shall be shown to the airport

health staff.

xvi. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately 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#

xvii. Travellers from specified Countries at risk [as mentioned in para (iii) and (iv) above] will follow

the protocol as detailed below:

• Submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test* at the point of arrival (self-paid).

Such travellers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before

leaving or taking a connecting flight.

• If tested negative they will follow, home quarantine for 7 days and shall undertake RT-

PCR test on the 8th day of arrival in India*.

• Travelers shall also be required to upload results of repeat RT-PCR test for COVID-19 done

on 8th day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs).

• If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days.

• However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for

genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network.

• They shall be managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol

including contact tracing mentioned in para (xvii).

• The contacts of such positive case should be kept under home quarantine monitored

strictly by the concerned State Government as per laid down protocol.

xviii. Travellers from Countries excluding those in referred to in para (iii) and (iv) above, will follow

the protocol as below:

a. A sub-section (2% of the total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at

random at the airport on arrival.

b. These 2% of such travellers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines

(preferably from different countries).

c. Laboratories shall prioritize testing of samples from such travellers.

d. All travellers (including those 2% who were selected for random testing on arrival and

were found negative) will undergo home quarantine for 7 days and shall undertake

RT-PCR test on the 8th day of arrival in India*.

e. Travelers shall also be required to upload results of repeat RT-PCR test for COVID-19

done on 8th day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs).

f. If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days.

g. However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent

for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network.

h. They shall be managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard

protocol including contact tracing mentioned in para (xvii).

xix. If travellers under home quarantine or self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms

suggestive of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 on re-testing, they will immediately self-

isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075)/ State

Helpline Number.

International travellers arriving at seaports/land ports

xx. International travellers arriving through seaports/land ports will also have to undergo the

same protocol as above, except that facility for online registration is not available for such

passengers currently.

xxi. Such travellers shall submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of

Government of India at seaports/land ports on arrival.

* Children under 5 years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if

found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during home quarantine period, they shall undergo

testing and treated as per laid down protocol.

# Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, 3 rows in front and 3

rows behind along with identified Cabin Crew. Also, all the community contacts of those travellers

who have tested positive (during home quarantine period) would be subjected to quarantine for 14

days and tested as per ICMR protocol.

List of Countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures onarrival in India, including post-arrival testing (Countries at-risk)

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