India Travel Ban 2022: Countries That Are Banned & Are ‘At-Risk’
Posted on Monday, December 27th, 2021 by Navneet Kaur 2 comments
The new coronavirus variant – Omicron – is being said to be highly transmissible and most worrying since the outbreak of the Delta virus. Concerns regarding India travel ban have risen and countries around the world have begun imposing restrictions following the discovery of a new coronavirus disease in southern Africa. The United States, Russia, Canada, other European unions and India have restricted travel for visitors to the affected area, where Omicron’s version b.1.1.1.529 brought a new surge of infections.
As cases continue to decline in India, a new variant of the COVID-19 virus has prompted the Indian government to halt all international travel. In an effort to prevent another wave of infections in the country, Indian authorities have imposed a number of new restrictions and Indian travel bans to curb infection. While India has not imposed sanctions on any specific country, following Omicron’s discovery, India has released a list of countries ‘at risk’.
- Countries in Europe including The United Kingdom
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Botswana
- China
- Ghana
- Mauritius
- New Zealand
- Zimbabwe
- Tanzania
- Hong Kong
- Israel
Latest Guidelines For Passengers Arriving From ‘At-Risk’ Countries: India Travel Ban
Entry to India: All commercial flights are suspended till 31st January 2022. However, flights through Vande Bharat Mission and Air Bubble Agreements continue to operate as they have been since 2020.
Pre-boarding: All travellers should submit a self-declaration form on the “Air Suvidha” portal online before the scheduled journey.
All international passengers must submit 14 days’ travel history and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. This test should have been done within 72 hours before starting the journey. Every passenger shall also submit a declaration regarding the authenticity of the report and shall be liable to criminal prosecution if found otherwise.
All passengers arriving in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru from ‘at risk’ countries (including the UK) with effect from 20 December 2021 will have to pre-book their COVID-19 test as per the latest Civil Ministry guidelines.
On arrival: This announcement was made by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on November 28, 2021. The announcement stated that with effect from December 1, those travelling to India from the United Kingdom would need a special entry permit. This decision had been made after WHO classified Omicron – a new variant of COVID-19.
Thermal Screening: Thermal screening of passengers will be done by the health authorities at the airport.
All passengers arriving in India from At-Risk countries must present a self-paid COVID-19 test upon arrival.
Passengers who have travelled to India are required to wait at the destination airport for test results before departing. If the COVID-19 test is negative, they must remain in-home quarantine for 7 days.
The COVID-19 test is required for all passengers on the 8th day of arrival in India. If the 8th-day test is negative, the passengers should monitor their health condition for the next 7 days.
Any passenger who tests positive for COVID-19 will undergo treatment and further monitoring in a separate isolation facility.
While the entry requirements for international air travel remain the same, requirements for domestic air travel can vary from state to state and may include mandatory quarantine for international travellers.
Important Note: India travel bans and requirements are subject to change at any time. Get in touch with us, at Travanya, and we’ll run you through the latest updates.
In East and North East India, all borders with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar are close to the movement of people, except for Indian nationals.
Highlights of India Travel Restrictions
- Screening on Arrival: Thermal screening will be done on arrival by health officials. You must follow all instructions and screening requirements at the airport.
- Data collection: Passengers may be asked to provide their contact details and download the Aarogya Setu app.
- Test on departure: If you have certain symptoms of coronavirus, you may need to self-isolate and travel later. Additional health screening measures may be taken by authorities prior to your departure.
Well, if you are planning to travel to India, you must be aware of the current entry requirements. As India has imposed restrictions for many countries that are ‘at-risk’, there are specific entry restrictions and requirements for India as well. These restrictions can be changed at any time so keep checking for updates. Or you can contact us at +91 800 023 5865 to learn about the India travel ban before booking your flight to India, travelling within the country, or travelling from India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Omicron a COVID-19 variant of Concern?
Answer: On November 26, the World Health Organization designated a new virus as a variant of concern. The virus is known as SARS-CoV-2 lineage B. 1.1. 529 has 32 mutations in its spike protein and was named Omicron.
Q: Is a variant of Concern Omicron more severe than the Delta variant?
Answer: As per Dr Anthony Fauci statement, Omicron could be just as severe as Delta, or it could be milder. Scientists are still waiting on data to know how antibodies will hold up against Omicron.
Q: What is the US travel ban due to Omicron?
Answer: The US government has restricted travel from South Africa, as well as seven other nearby countries, after the discovery of a new variant.
Q: What are the latest rules for India to USA travel ban?
Answer: In order to prevent the spread of Omicron, people travelling to the US from India will be required to show evidence of a negative test for the virus within one day of boarding their plane.
Q: What is the UAE travel ban due to Omicron?
Answer: The UAE has banned travellers from South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe over concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Q: Has Hong Kong pulled back travel bans placed on India?
Answer: Hong Kong has not yet lifted the travel ban it imposed on India during the outbreak of the second wave. However, as part of the air travel agreement, Air India announced that it will fly additional flights between Delhi and Hong Kong under the Vande Bharat Mission. The flights should start operation on 2 January 2022.
Navneet Kaur is a Professional Content Writer with 5+ years of experience, she started her career as a Content Writer. Apart from having good knowledge of marketing and business, she firmly believes in dreaming big and making them come true. She lives with a passion to explore and learn about adventure, destinations, history and live events happening around. Including her travel writing skills, she has also written about places, arts and entertainment, personal experiences, nature and its beauty, etc.