India has enforced guidelines for all air and water route passengers from Bangladesh with effect from Thursday.
All Bangladesh nationals and their dependents can apply for all categories of visas, except tourist visa, for travel to India ‘by air/water routes only,’ Indian high commission in Dhaka said in an announcement.
All existing visas, except tourist and medical visa, which remained suspended since 12 March 2020, are restored for travel to India ‘by air/water routes’ only.
All diplomatic and official passport holders of Bangladesh, as per an existing bilateral agreement, are exempted from the requirement of a visa for travel to India.
Passengers will require submitting a self-reporting form on the online portal Air Suvidha (www.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel date. All international arriving passengers are mandatorily required to fill the self-reporting form, anytime before boarding.
They should also give an undertaking on the portal that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days i.e. seven days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health.
Passengers willing to seek exemption under certain categories should apply to the Air Suvidha portal at least 72 hours before boarding.
The decision taken by the Indian government as communicated on the online portal will be final. The categories for exemption are: pregnant women, suffered a death in the family, suffering from serious illness (description to be provided), parents accompanied by children below 10 years, COVID-19 negative certificate (attach RT PCR test only).
COVID-19 negative certificate collected through RT PCR test conducted within 96 hours of departure from the port of origin is valid on arrival in India. If the final report is not available 72 hours before the flight, passengers can carry the report and can show it on arrival at the airport.
Such passengers can apply for an exemption online at Air Suvidha and upload proof of test mentioning that they are waiting for the result to arrive.
Passengers exempted from institutional quarantine can travel in public transport including domestic flights to reach their final destinations.
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