NEW DELHI: In fresh guidelines for international arrivals, India eased the screening process for countries with which it has reciprocal recognition of vaccination certificates. The new norms kick in from October 25 and supersede all previous advisories. Fully vaccinated passengers from 11 countries with which India has a mutual recognition deal will not be required to undergo RT-PCR tests on arrival. All others will have to take that test on arrival.
The 11 nations are France, the UK, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia. Travellers from these countries, if fully vaccinated (at least 15 days before the day of travel), will be allowed to leave the airport and self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival. However, before boarding, they will need to upload a negative RT-PCR test report and vaccination certificates on Air Suvidha portal.
Each of them will also have to submit a declaration on the authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise. Those partially or not vaccinated from the 11 countries will need to submit themselves for Covid test at the port of arrival and undergo home quarantine for seven days.
They need to take a re-test on the eighth day of arrival, and if the result is negative, self-monitor their health for the next seven days. These measures will apply to all passengers coming from the rest of the world irrespective of their vaccination status, as India does not have a reciprocal arrangement with them.