New Delhi: To ensure the smooth passage of international travellers arriving in India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have mandated contactless self-declaration at Air Suvidha Portal. The Air Suvidha portal was launched in August last year and now has been strengthened to accommodate travel guidelines issued on 30 November 2021.

Air Suvidha is first of its kind digital portal for easing international passenger arrival in India. This portal developed by MoCA aids passengers in providing their details of travel and final stay along with RT PCR, Vaccination status, etc. In today’s time, this helps state officials in contact tracing. The implementation of the Air Suvidha intends to provide hassle-free, queue free, and convenient air travel to all international passengers arriving in India. Air Suvidha portal has already assisted 251210 passengers from December 1, 2021 to December 5, 2021 since the updating of the new travel guidelines on November 30, 2021.

To ensure the necessary prevention of the omicron variant of Covid-19 virus, the exemption forms from the Air Suvidha portal have been discontinued, and filling of the details have been made compulsory for all international passengers arriving in India. All international passengers arriving in India are mandated to declare their current health status prior to boarding on the Air Suvidha Portal along with the required documents: Copy of Passport, PCR Negative Certificate from a test conducted within 72 hours of departure and the vaccination certificate. For immigration, the copy received in e-mail is essential on arrival in India and has to be verified at the APHO counter.

The countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India are the European nations including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana,  China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Tanzania, Hong Kong, and  Israel. /BI/