Traveller121

On Lufthansas website this is the info regarding flying to India, not sure if everything is applicable to you.


FOR ALL PASSENGERS TRAVELLING TO MUMBAI* (ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS):

Please go through the detailed guidelines on the following link. You can also find the exemption criteria to the below requirements on this link ​HERE

a. All passengers, even if fully vaccinated need the negative RT-PCR report before boarding the flight.

b. All passengers (except those listed ​here) arriving/transiting from Europe will be subjected to mandatory institutional (hotel) quarantine at their own cost for 07 days. On day 7, the passengers will be subjected to a self-paid RT-PCR test.

c. If the passengers are found positive/symptomatic on arrival or on day 7, they will be shifted to designated isolation facilities/ hospitals as per the local government’s directives.

d. If passengers are found negative on day 7, they will be discharged from institutional quarantine and sent for mandatory home quarantine of 07 days.

satish_ny

It appears that India has changed the Self Declaration Procedure? Now the exemption form is only in case of "Death in a Family".

Air Suvidha Exemption Request Form For International Arriving Passengers To India
(Applications are being accepted on behalf of the state Govt.
w.e.f 23:59 hours of 22nd Feb 2021, international arriving passengers can only apply for exemption, in case of 'Death in a Family'. It is mandatory for all international arriving passengers to upload negative RT PCR certificate while filling the self declaration form. To view latest guidelines for international arriving passengers click here.)

For all other passengers, the self declaration form can be completed before their departure. However, it can only be completed when one has their negative RT-PCR test results.

All international arriving passengers must upload RT-PCR negative certificate while filling the Self Declaration Form. Passengers arriving from UK, Europe and Middle East will have to also undergo self-paid RT PCR test on arrival at the first port of entry.

For passengers flying from the US, it might need to completed very close to the departure time as the test reports are available approximately 48 hours after the test is completed.

oliver2002

Yes, the two forms have been merged. You need to provide the RT-PCR test report at the time of filing up the form.

infoguy

Hello,
2 questions:
1. For travel to India, does the RT-PCR test need to be have a QR code?
2. Can a fully vaccinated Danish citizen travel DEL-LHR and they stay in the UK for 10 days (after 01OCT21) for example, or to they have to be a UK or Indian citizen? They will be arriving on the UA nonstop EWR-DEL.

Thank you!

SamirD

1. I didn't have a qr code on my RT-PCR as they looked at it by hand. Having a printout will make things go much smoother as I had one at the onward flight and didn't for the return and lost almost 20 minutes at checkin messing with emailing.

Keyser

its hit & miss regarding the qr codes....a friend was denied boarding a couple of weeks ago because her test result did not have a qr code....but most of the time they don't check....

not sure what the entry requirements are in the uk for danish citizens but you don't have to be either an indian or uk citizen to travel this route....

GMOChicken

The QR codes are just silly bureaucratic arcana and not some high tech & secure validation of the test result. They are just a url to a web accessible or downloadable version of the test report (you can scan yours with an app like Google Lens if you need to download a copy of your report). I haven't seen anyone every check the code anyway, they just look to make sure the report has a code & never bother to load it.

If I had a test result with no QR code & was in a hurry and did not have time to get another test, I would.
1. Find the public URL to the report (usually sent to you in the results email), if there was no url, then I would upload a publicly accessible version of the report to Google Drive and use that url.
2. Use a website like https://qr-creator.com/url.php to generate the QR code
3. Paste that QR code in a blank spot on the report and reprint it. Or if I was feeling some qualms about altering the report, print the QR code on a separate sheet of paper with an official looking caption and title. something like "Scan to validate covid test report dated....."

Mr Bean

One of the wife's family members is sick and she might have to travel to an inland city in Maharashtra. We've never traveled in last 2 years, so havent bothered with any of the COVID travel rules, so please pardon my ignorance.

The travel will from Toronto to Mumbai, may have a transit depending on what flights we get. We're double vaxxed.

1) At Mumbai airport, is a negative RT PCR done in Canada before travel a must to avoid institutional quarantine? It wasnt clear on the FAQ page. The test is upwards of $250, so trying to determine if I can get away.
2) On reading the FAQ, I believe the RT PCR at Mumbai airport is mandatory. That Rs 4.5K for quick 1 hour test.
3) Her hometown is 10-hours away from Mumbai airport. So the plan is to pre-rent a vehicle and have it waiting at the airport. That should be allowed, right?

She is ready to self-quaratine in her home for 14 days. Anything else I need to know about?

SamirD

From the US, RT-PCR was needed to just get on the plane to BLR a few months back.

I would be more concerned about your return--my sister and brother-in-law couldn't get back home to Canada when they came the same time we did in April. They finally had to route via Mexico 2.5 months later.

JO_YUL

Flying into Chennai (MAA) via DXB next week. Indian Covid protocol requires travellers that transit via the Middle East to be tested on arrival, but they do not have to wait for the results. By chance does any one know what the wait times are to get tested, and if they test before or after the baggage claim? Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks

ft4lyf

From people who i know who traveled Middle East (Dubai, Doha) to MAA :
1. Land at MAA; Keep all paperwork in hand (Air Suvidha, TN E-registration; Negative RTPCR from origin, etc);
2. Clear Immigration, collect luggage; clear customs
3. It seems RTPCR Testing is done after you get outside customs (not sure of exact location...someone said "parking lot")
4. Very important: Keep 900 rupees per person ready in hand for RTPCR test fees.
5. Wait times - nothing of significance.
6. Give sample and you are good to go wherever you want. These passengers were never called back, etc (They never got the test reports !!)

Good luck.

Maxwell Smart

Wait, you had to have your negative PCR test in hand at time of departure from the US? Was that an airline rule or India rule?
My experience when I flew Air India JFK-DEL back in January was that AI didn't require me to show test results at departure (although I did have them with me), only needed to show upon arrival in DEL. Has something changed?

My parents are scheduled to fly on Qatar Airways IAD-DOH-AMD this coming Tuesday evening (5 Oct), so they have a PCR test scheduled for Saturday 2 Oct per the 72-hour rule. However, with the standard "2-4 day" turnaround that all testing sites quote, plus there being a weekend, there is no absolute guarantee they'll have the results in hand before departure, it's possible they will arrive while they're en route, I was going to email the results so they'd have them upon arrival.

So per this post I'm now worried that they could be denied boarding at IAD if tests results haven't been received. Any thoughts on if my fears are founded or unfounded?

ft4lyf

you have to upload the PCR test results on Air Suvidha before starting the trip to India. So, they will want the results at IAD during check-in .
Check Air Suvidha website.

JO_YUL

Thanks, was just curios on wait times and procedure so I can book my driver

xobile

The Air Suvidha website only mentions a negative test is acceptable to enter India. Is there any allowance for people who have tested positive in the past few months, and thus cannot get a negative test currently, but can provide a doctor's note attesting to the same? US and Canada allow this but India's requirements are more blunt.