India: Authorities indefinitely extend the ban on international commercial passenger flights as of Feb. 28 /update 58

Event

Officials have indefinitely extended the suspension of inbound and outbound international commercial flights as of Feb. 28. The ban began in March 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns. Cargo, pre-approved, and approved commercial flights under bilateral "air bubble" agreements in and out of India can continue operating. Flight availability is subject to change at short notice due to travel restrictions affecting air carriers and travelers.

Domestic Measures
Largely relaxed domestic COVID-19 measures remain in effect across India, with regional variations. Businesses and transport services are operational. Facemask mandates for public places, capacity limits for public venues and transport, as well as a ban on large gatherings, are underway in almost all states. Officials in some states continue to impose overnight curfews, as well as limit operations of educational institutions, sports facilities, recreational venues, religious sites, and tourist spots. Multiple states also allow only those with proof of vaccination to enter nonessential public venues and use public transport. Several states are mandating fines for violators of social distancing rules, though poor adherence and enforcement levels are reported.

Most states require domestic and international travelers to register on the national Aarogya Setu mobile application and/or state-specific online portals for contact tracing purposes. Most interstate passengers must carry negative results of a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure or proof of completing vaccination at least 15 days prior to travel; some regions require such documents only for arrivals from designated high-risk domestic locations or allow partially vaccinated individuals to enter. The enforcement level of the measures varies across states.

International Travel Restrictions
Authorities are issuing visas to international tourists on chartered flights. All international passengers must register on the Air Suvidha portal. Unvaccinated arrivals must also upload negative results of an RT-PCR test for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours before departure. Fully vaccinated arrivals from select locations may submit a vaccine certificate instead of a negative test. The complete list is available here. Air carriers may bar individuals exhibiting symptoms during pre-departure thermal screening to board flights to India.

International passengers will undergo thermal screening on arrival; isolation and testing are mandatory for symptomatic passengers. All entrants must self-monitor their health up to 14 days of arrival; authorities may conduct random free-of-cost testing of passengers at airports for surveillance. Officials may impose fresh restrictions for countries with increased disease activity or new variants at short notice.

International passengers traveling for emergency reasons need prior approval to enter without negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test and must undergo on-arrival testing. Entrants requiring on-arrival paid testing facilities - available at several airports, including Bengaluru (BLR), Cochin (COK), Delhi (DEL), Hyderabad (HYD), and Mumbai (BOM) - must pre-book tests via the Air Suvidha portal and wait 1-6 hours for negative test results before boarding a connecting flight or exiting the airport.

States may impose varying quarantine and testing requirements; those seeking exemptions and waivers must do so from authorities in all intended destination and transit states before arrival. Citizens, residents, and long-term visa holders of foreign countries looking to exit India must confirm entry eligibility with the intended destination country's embassy and book their tickets through air carriers' websites.

Advice

Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm business appointments, deliveries, work, and travel arrangements. Do not check out of accommodation without confirming onward travel. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Carry proper identification documents, heed all security advisories.

Resources

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Help Page
Bureau of Immigration
World Health Organization (WHO)
Air India
Air Suvidha Portal