On Friday, April 30, 2021, US President Joe Biden confirmed that there will be new travel restrictions from India. Specifically, the United States will begin restricting travel from India starting Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. ET. This travel ban was implemented on the advice of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in response to the current increase in coronavirus cases and variants in India.

The administration is issuing an order restricting entry to the United States for all foreigners who have been in India within the last 14 days. The airlines have been informed of the decision and are preparing to comply. The policy does not apply to US citizens, lawful permanent residents, or others with certain exceptions. However, as with all international travelers, individuals who meet the exemption criteria entering from India must test negative before leaving the country, be quarantined if they have not been vaccinated, and re-entered upon re-entry into the United States from India test negative. These restrictions do not apply to humanitarian workers.

In January, President Biden issued a similar travel ban that applies to most non-US citizens who have recently visited South Africa. It also reinstated an entry ban on almost all non-US travelers who have visited Brazil, the UK, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders. This new arrangement extends the travel ban to non-US citizens who have visited India in addition to the other previously restricted countries. Other countries have imposed similar travel bans on India, including the UK, Germany, Italy and Singapore. In addition, places like Canada, Hong Kong, and New Zealand have all suspended commercial travel with India.