Dated the 7
th January 2022
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.
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
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.