Indian airport passengers. The picture is for illustrative purposes only.
Photo credit: PTI

Highlights

  • The Indian Aviation and Health Authorities have issued guidelines for all arrivals, with specific guidelines for flights from the UK, Europe and the Middle East. This includes direct flights and transit flights.
  • Mandatory COVID-19 RT-PCR test performed 72 hours before departure. Another test must be done upon arrival in India. This is paid for by the passenger.
  • The testing requirements for passengers from the UK, Brazil and South Africa are different. The ministry has asked the airlines to warn passengers that they will be six to eight hours late when connecting to another domestic airport (within India).

Dubai: If you are planning to travel to India from the United Arab Emirates, or if you are traveling to India via the United Arab Emirates, there are new guidelines that need to be implemented by the Indian health and aviation authorities.

On February 17, India’s Department of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) issued detailed guidelines for international arrivals, including procedures for people from the UK, Europe and the Middle East and general guidelines for all other arrivals. The guidelines come into effect on February 23.

So if you are traveling from or through the UAE you need to follow these steps.

1. Complete the Air Suvidha Self-Declaration Form (SDF).

The form is available on www.newdelhiairport.in and should be submitted prior to the planned trip.

Passengers must provide their travel history for the last 14 days.

While completing the SDF, in addition to providing all other information required in the SDF, passengers must select:

on. Whether you plan to disembark at the arrival airport or take additional flights to reach your final destination in India.

b. Based on this selection, the receipt of SDF (sent online to transit travelers) will display ‘T’ for the transit.

c. Passengers must present this receipt to state authority or government officials at the airport for separation.

2. Bearing in mind that the testing requirements for passengers from the UK, Brazil and South Africa who are required to take connecting flights are different, airlines should keep passengers informed of the need for a minimum transit time six to eight hours at the entry airport in India while booking the tickets for connecting flights.

3. All UK, European and Middle Eastern passengers are required to provide a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test report, which should have been tested within 72 hours of travel. The same must also be uploaded on the online portal (www.newdelhiairport.in).

4. Airlines have been asked to allow boarding only for passengers who have completed the SDF on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report.

5. Affected airlines must ensure that the new policies and operating procedures are explained to the traveler prior to check-in, in particular the need to have a molecular test carried out upon arrival. which would be paid for by the passenger.

6. The airlines were also asked to identify the international travelers who traveled through the UK from the UK, Brazil and South Africa in the past 14 days Disconnect them during the flight or when disembarking to make it easier for authorities to comply with the protocol applicable to these travelers.

At the arrival

As per the guidelines issued, all travelers arriving on or passing through flights originating in the UK, Europe or the Middle East are required to be mandatory Self-paid confirmatory molecular tests upon arrival at relevant Indian airports. The entry in the SDF with regard to telephone number and address will be confirmed again by the airport authorities.

These are the procedures outlined by MOHFW for the international arrival of flights originating in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. The procedure depends on two factors:

1. Whether to take a connecting flight to another airport and

2. If you came from the UK, Brazil or South Africa.

Arrival guidelines for international travelers to India.
Photo credit: India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare – www.mohfw.gov.in.

These are the procedures established by MOHFW:

1. Non-transit passengers arriving from Brazil, South Africa and the UK

Put the test sample in the designated place and leave it. If your test result is

on. Negative – Quarantine at home for seven days. After that, you need to do another test. If your test result is still negative, you will need to self-monitor your health for an additional seven days. Report to a medical facility if symptoms occur.

If your second test result is positive, you will need to do separate isolation and treatment. They will also be tested for the variant strain of COVID-19 by genomic sequencing.

If your test result for the variant is negative, you must follow the treatment protocol for the circulating strain (SARS CoV-2).

If your test result is positive for the variant, continue isolation and treatment separately and be discharged after a negative test report.

b. Positive – They would have to be isolated and treated separately. They will also be tested for the variant strain of COVID-19 by genomic sequencing.

If your test result for the variant is negative, you must follow the treatment protocol for the circulating strain (SARS CoV-2).

If your test result is positive for the variant, continue isolation and treatment separately and be discharged after a negative test report.

2. Non-flying passengers from other countries

Give a sample at a designated location and exit the airport. If your test result is:

on. Negative – Monitor your health yourself for 14 days. Report to a medical facility if symptoms occur.

b. Positive – Treatment according to health protocol.

3. Transit passengers (with a ‘T’ in the SDF) traveling from Brazil, South Africa or the UK.

Drop off the sample at a designated location and do not take the connecting flight until the approved negative test report has been confirmed. If your test result is:

on. Negative – Quarantine at home for seven days. After that, you need to do another test. If your test result is still negative, you will need to self-monitor your health for an additional seven days. Report to a medical facility if symptoms occur.

If your second test result is positive, you will need to do separate isolation and treatment. They will also be tested for the variant strain of COVID-19 by genomic sequencing.

If your test result for the variant is negative, you must follow the treatment protocol for the circulating strain (SARS CoV-2).

If your test result is positive for the variant, continue isolation and treatment separately and be discharged after a negative test report.

b. Positive – They would have to be isolated and treated separately. They will also be tested for the variant strain of COVID-19 by genomic sequencing.

If your test is negative for the variant, you must follow the treatment protocol for the circulating strain (SARS CoV-2).

If your test result is positive for the variant, continue isolation and treatment separately and be discharged after a negative test report.

4. Transit passengers (with a ‘T’ in the SDF) traveling from other countries.

Give a sample at a designated location and move on to the connecting flight. If your test result is:

on. Negative – Monitor your health yourself for 14 days. Report to a medical facility if symptoms occur.

b. Positive – Treatment according to health protocol.

Who is exempt from the new guidelines?

The allowable exceptions to the mandatory pre-arrival RT-PCR tests are:

• Those who travel to India in the event of family death.

• Travelers would have to apply for an exemption online via the Air Suvidha portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) prior to arrival and should have received an exemption permit.

You would then have to hand in samples in the designated area of ​​the arrival airport and drive home.

1. Self-monitor your health for 14 days. If symptoms occur, get tested.

If the test result (either from the first test at the airport or from a later test based on symptoms) …

on. Negative – Self-monitoring of health for seven days. Report to a medical facility if symptoms occur.

b. Positive – Treatment according to the health protocol for all but those from Brazil, South Africa and Great Britain who must follow the previously prescribed protocol.

It is important to note that MOHFW guidelines are applied across India. However, each state may issue specific guidelines regarding quarantine and testing. It’s important to check these guidelines out too, depending on your itinerary.