Travel to India during Covid 19

Since I recently traveled to India and I have been asked by a couple of people around the rules and regulations of flying to India from Germany, I am trying to share all the information that I had gathered before my flight.

Note: I have also made a youtube video explaining how I planned my travel via Air France. Most of those procedures apply to other airline carriers as well.

You can skip reading this blog and directly watch the youtube video here

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xHtBpe9SKjA

Air France

Rules: https://www.airfrance.in/IN/en/local/resainfovol/meilleuresoffres/travelrestrictions.htm

• Purchase tickets from official website.

• Register with the Indian embassy in Paris(even if you are flying from Germany, the original leg of the flight to India will begin from Paris and that is the reason why we need to register with the Embassy of India in Paris. https://forms.gle/ddKHqae5cVrstXbu8
  Passengers will be required to produce a copy of the registration confirmation at boarding in Paris — CDG.

• Wait for an approval from the embassy. It usually takes a day to get an approval.

• Submit “Undertaking cum Indemnity Bond”. You are required to print & prefill and submit to Air France staff before boarding at CDG.
  Form will also be available at boarding gate CDG.

• All passengers must submit a self-declaration via **https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration** at least 72 hours prior departure(This is not a hard deadline — I know people who submitted this a day before as well)
  DESTINATION DELHI & MUMBAI :

• All passengers would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. (7 days compulsory hotel at own expense + 7 days home).

• If the passengers wishes to quarantine for the entire duration at home (14 days) they can seek EXEMPTION FROM INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE by submitting a negative RT-PCR Test report on arrival.

• RT-PCR Test. This test should have been conducted within 9672 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The test Report should be uploaded here https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger. This approval takes around maximum of a day. In some case it has also been approved in few hours. Please do not upload test receipt as these days they are rejecting exemption if a covid negative report ain't uploaded.

• In case of institutional quarantine is required, passengers are recommended to pre-book hotels before departure.

• Hard copy of RT-PCR Report.

• RT-PCR booking clinic in Berlin
  1) https://www.doctolib.de/privatpraxis/berlin/berliner-centrum-fur-reise-und-tropenmedizin-bcrt-jelinek - 123 euros cost
  2) https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/testing/about-the-sars-cov-2-test.html - 60 euros cost

British Airways

Rules: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/incident/coronavirus/entry-requirements

• Purchase tickets from official website.

• Passenger information declaration form. https://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/pdfs/information/entry-requirements/passenger-information-declaration-form-v23oct.pdf.

• All passengers must submit a self-declaration via **https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration** at least 72 hours prior departure(This is not a hard deadline — I know people who submitted this a day before as well)
  DESTINATION DELHI & MUMBAI :

• All passengers would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. (7 days compulsory hotel at own expense + 7 days home).

• If the passengers wishes to quarantine for the entire duration at home (14 days) they can seek EXEMPTION FROM INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE by submitting a negative RT-PCR Test report on arrival.

• RT-PCR Test. This test should have been conducted within 9672 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The test Report should be uploaded here https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger. This approval takes around maximum of a day. In some case it has also been approved in few hours. Please do not upload test receipt as these days they are rejecting exemption if a covid negative report ain't uploaded.

• In case of institutional quarantine is required, passengers are recommended to pre-book hotels before departure.

• Hard copy of RT-PCR Report.

• RT-PCR booking clinic in Berlin
  1) https://www.doctolib.de/privatpraxis/berlin/berliner-centrum-fur-reise-und-tropenmedizin-bcrt-jelinek - 123 euros cost
  2) https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/testing/about-the-sars-cov-2-test.html - 60 euros cost

KLM Airlines

Rules: https://www.klm.com/travel/in_en/campaigns/travelrestrictions.htm

• Purchase tickets from official website.

• Register with the Indian embassy **https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-Sev_hUZhFX3gyd_5kmABGKMLWQkTvgFzNrV9AP7KBM/viewform?gxids=7757&edit_requested=true. **Passengers will be required to produce a copy of the registration confirmation at boarding in AMS.

• Wait for an approval from the embassy. It usually takes a day to get an approval.

• Submit “Undertaking cum Indemnity Bond”. You are required to print & prefill and submit to Staff before boarding at AMS.
  Form will also be available at boarding gate AMS.

• All passengers must submit a self-declaration via **https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration** at least 72 hours prior departure(This is not a hard deadline — I know people who submitted this a day before as well)
  DESTINATION DELHI & MUMBAI :

• All passengers would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. (7 days compulsory hotel at own expense + 7 days home).

• If the passengers wishes to quarantine for the entire duration at home (14 days) they can seek EXEMPTION FROM INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE by submitting a negative RT-PCR Test report on arrival.

• RT-PCR Test. This test should have been conducted within 9672 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The test Report should be uploaded here https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger. This approval takes around maximum of a day. In some case it has also been approved in few hours. Please do not upload test receipt as these days they are rejecting exemption if a covid negative report ain't uploaded.

• In case of institutional quarantine is required, passengers are recommended to pre-book hotels before departure.

• Hard copy of RT-PCR Report.

• RT-PCR booking clinic in Berlin
  1) https://www.doctolib.de/privatpraxis/berlin/berliner-centrum-fur-reise-und-tropenmedizin-bcrt-jelinek - 123 euros cost
  2) https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/testing/about-the-sars-cov-2-test.html - 60 euros cost

Lufthansa

Rules: https://www.lufthansa.com/in/en/flight-information

• Purchase tickets from official website.

• Register with the Indian embassy **https://repat.videshapps.gov.in/user_registrationPg
  This is a **mandatory requirement for travel on these flights. Passengers are required to produce a confirmation of the same at check-in

• Wait for an approval from the embassy. It usually takes a day to get an approval.

• All passengers must submit a self-declaration via **https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration** at least 72 hours prior departure(This is not a hard deadline — I know people who submitted this a day before as well)
  DESTINATION DELHI & MUMBAI :

• All passengers would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. (7 days compulsory hotel at own expense + 7 days home).

• If the passengers wishes to quarantine for the entire duration at home (14 days) they can seek EXEMPTION FROM INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE by submitting a negative RT-PCR Test report on arrival.

• RT-PCR Test. This test should have been conducted within 9672 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The test Report should be uploaded here https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger. This approval takes around maximum of a day. In some case it has also been approved in few hours. Please do not upload test receipt as these days they are rejecting exemption if a covid negative report ain't uploaded.

• In case of institutional quarantine is required, passengers are recommended to pre-book hotels before departure.

• Hard copy of RT-PCR Report.

• RT-PCR booking clinic in Berlin
  1) https://www.doctolib.de/privatpraxis/berlin/berliner-centrum-fur-reise-und-tropenmedizin-bcrt-jelinek - 123 euros cost
  2) https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/testing/about-the-sars-cov-2-test.html - 60 euros cost

UPDATE: 5th November 2020

• All such passengers opting for exemption from institutional quarantine shall undertake self-monitoring of their health and will be exempted from quarantine. This basically means no home quarantine is needed for passengers who have exemption from institutional quarantine.

More info here https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/05112020Guidelinesforinternationalarrivals.pdf

You can follow me on twitter @VivekNayyar09 for more updates.

Also please don't forget to like, share and subscribe the youtube channel local lo baat.

Maintain social distance to prevent the virus from spreading and wash your hands regularly. Stay safe and stay at home.