Most of the countries have either put new travel ban or extended the existing ban on Indian travellers due to the massive spread of the disease during the ‘second wave’
The hot news among Indian expatriates and those Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are stuck in India due to travel restrictions is an update on flight operations and the decision of the respective governments whether they are extending the travel norms or relaxing them.
Some countries have relaxed the travel ban on Indian travellers after improvement in Covid-19 cases in India. Most of the countries had either put a new travel ban or extended the existing ban on Indian travellers due to the massive spread of the disease during the ‘second wave’.
India witnessed a severe second wave in April and May 2021.
Countries like France, Germany, Qatar and the US are relaxing travel restrictions for India after improvement in the Covid-19 situation
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RELAXED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS:
Countries like France, Germany, Qatar and the US have relaxed travel norms for India after improvement in the Covid-19 situation.
The countries which have eased travel restrictions for Indian students include US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Georgia have also eased restrictions for Indian students.
According to Indian Union External Affairs Minister for State, V Muraleedharan, more countries are to relax travel norms for India.
France: Some countries are allowing fully vaccinated travellers from India. France is one among them. It recently removed India from the red list and allowed fully vaccinated Indians for inbound travel.
Germany: Germany has also eased travel restrictions for India with conditions of vaccination and other Covid protocols.
Canada: Canada is providing access to inbound travellers from India through the third-country entry. That means one cannot fly directly to Canada from India. He has to take some transit route, may have to follow transit country’s quarantine norms, and then enter into Canada. (Quarantine rules need to be confirmed before travel).
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE PUT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
Delta variant is the primary source of concern for most of the countries which are in favour of a ban on Travellers from India. The transmissibility of the variant is very high and it had created havoc in India during the second wave, which the whole world watched and extended assistance as much as possible.
Thus it is the Delta that is prohibiting countries from allowing travellers from India.
Due to Delta concerns, there is a travel ban on Indians in countries like Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait, New Zealand, Singapore etc.
Following are the countries which also have an inbound ban on travellers from India.
Saudi Arab: In a rare decision, the Kingdom of Saudi Arab (KSA) has decided to impose a three-year travel ban on citizens who visited ‘red list’ countries, which come under list of banned countries under KSA’s Covid management protocol. It has put a travel ban on direct or indirect (to or transit) on many countries, including United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, and Vietnam.
The United Arab Emirates also has the same reason – Delta – behind the ban. Its national carrier Etihad Airways, is not sure when would the travel ban be relaxed.
Oman has banned travellers from India until further decision. Cargo flights and some positions approved by the country’s civil aviation regulator do not come under the ban. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, all scheduled international flights to and from India are suspended from March 23, 2020. However, some air bubble flights are operational.
The Philippines: To prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the Philippines decided to extend the ongoing ban for all inbound travellers from India and nine other countries from August 1 to 15.