Travel to India from USA amid Coronavirus: Frequently Asked Questions

 Coronavirus and Travel between USA - India

 Frequently Asked Questions

Travelling during pandemic is overwhelming and is giving most people jitters. On this page, we have addressed the most frequently asked questions from our customers about traveling from the USA to India and booking a trip at this time.

1. What are the latest quarantine rules for International travelers arriving in India?

According to the recent guidelines Only asymptomatic travelers who have submitted self-declaration and a valid Negative RT-PCR report online will be allowed to board the international flight to India and will be exempted from quarantine. They will be allowed to exit the airport or take the transit flights as well. The test must have been conducted within 72 hrs of boarding the flight.

Passengers traveling to India due to death in the family and not being able to get the negative test results in time can seek exemption from this mandatory requirement by applying online on the Air Suvidha portal. Those who are granted exemption will be allowed to proceed home after taking samples for testing at the designated area of first entry airport.

2. Who are exempted from mandatory requirement of applying online at the portal and what documents are required to seek special exemption?

Copy of the Passport in JPEG or PDF format 1. Pregnant woman - Attach doctors recommendation letter 2. Parents accompanied by children below 10 years - Attach passport copy 3. Suffering from serious illness - By updating medical certificate online at airsuvidha portal 4. Suffered a death in the family - By updating death certificate online at airsuvidha portal

Exemption Request form can be filled and submitted online with supporting documents 72 hrs. before boarding flight. Exemption Requests will be approved or rejected online by respective state authorities.

3. What kind of test will I need, and when? What happens if I don’t have my results?

 Airlines can accept both PCR and rapid antigen tests.  U.S bound air travelers must get tested no more than three days before flying and carry a written negative test certificate to board the flight. 

To organize the verification process, American Airlines Group Inc. is expanding access to a health passport app where travelers can upload documents such as negative Covid-19 test results. Starting Jan. 23, the VeriFly app will be available for American customers traveling from all international destinations.

4. What if I have been vaccinated?

Even if you have been vaccinated for Covid-19, you still will need to show proof of a negative test.

5. What if I recently had Covid-19 and got better?

If you have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past three months but no longer have symptoms, the CDC doesn’t recommend getting tested again. If you are in this group and have met the criteria to end isolation, the CDC says you can travel as long as you have written permission from a health-care provider or public-health official. Bring your positive test result and the doctor’s letter to show the airline in lieu of a negative test result.

7. What are the documents and forms requirements for travelling to India?

1. It is mandatory for all arriving passengers to submit a self-declaration form on the onlineportal – https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration at least 72 hours prior to their travel
2. Exemption from institutional quarantine can be sought if they have applied for it online https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger,at least 72 hours prior to their flight.
3. All passengers are advised to download the Arogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
4. Travelers are required to show the online self-declaration to the airport health staff on arrival.

8. Who are allowed to travel to India?

All foreign nationals including those of Indian origin can book flights to India for any purpose, except tourism. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced plans to restore all existing visas to India, barring tourist visas, with immediate effect. Reportedly, foreign nationals can apply for a medical visa and can travel to India for medical treatment/emergency only. 

9. Are there any airlines restrictions for various types of passport holders? 

US passport holders (with OCI and PIO) have a choice of Air India, United airlines, Lufthansa, British airways and Qatar. However Indian passport holders/Indian citizens can travel only on Air India, United Airlines & Qatar airlines as per current updates. 

10. Are there any special quarantine restrictions for transiting through the UK, Europe and Middle East?

Passengers from UK, Europe and the Middle East shall be mandatory subjected to self-paid confirmatory molecular tests on arrival at the Indian airports concerned.(port of entry). After the testing who are found to be negative shall be allowed to exit the airport and/or take their connecting flights and would be advised home quarantine for 7 days.

11. Are there any specific quarantine requirements of various states in India for domestic travel?

Yes, There are Quarantine requirements of various state as per recent guidelines. 

They can be found here : quarantine_requirements_08-04-2021.pdf (civilaviation.gov.in)

We are happy to answer any questions you have about our updated policies during the coronavirus pandemic.

For more details visit us at www.travelopod.com or call 1-844-548-6549