The Government of India announced on Monday, November 21, 2022, that international travellers will no longer have to fill out the Air Suvidha Form anymore. The changes will be applicable from midnight on November 22, 2022. Here’s everything to know.
India removes the mandate of filling Air Suvidha Form
As all the nations around the world are doing away with the travel rules and regulations put in place due to the pandemic, India has also taken another step in the same direction.
According to a recent statement released by the Civil Aviation Ministry, it is no longer a mandate for international travellers to fill out the Air Suvidha Form. The form was a self-declaration to be filled by incoming international travellers proving that they had taken COVID-19 vaccinations and mentioning their current health status. Up till now, this form was mandatory for all international passengers.
The statement read, “Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’ in context of COVID-19 pandemic and updated the same from time to time. The present guidelines are being revised in light of sustained declining COVID-19 trajectory and significant advances being made in COVID-19 vaccination coverage both globally as well as in India (sic).”
Even though the mandate of filling the form is being discontinued, the statement also had a statutory warning saying that if the need arises, the discontinuation of the forms will be reviewed again.
The statement also talked about COVID-19-related regulations that are still in place. It said, “In-flight announcement about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including precautionary measures to be followed (preferable use of masks and following physical distancing) shall be made in flights/travel and at all points of entry.”
It also read, “Any passenger having symptoms of COVID-19 during travel shall be isolated as per standard protocol i.e. the said passenger should be wearing mask, isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow up treatment.”
This story first appeared on Travel+Leisure India and South Asia
Main and Feature Image Credit: John McArthur/Unsplash
Most Popular
