Countries are Open for Indian Travellers

Travelling Post COVID-19

The pandemic has changed everything, including travelling and going abroad. While most countries are opening their borders slowly, there are still some requirements to be taken care of.

Travellers are subjected to some conditions which they should fulfil in order to legally enter a country. These can include mandatory RT PCR test reports, vaccination proof, quarantine, self-declaration forms, mandatory travel health insurance plans, mobile apps and more. There are some countries that allow uninhibited travel too but are limited in number.

Now, several countries that have started accepting Visas for non-essential travel. The availability of options makes decision-making very easy for travellers. In this article, let’s briefly take a look at various countries India has established a transport or ‘air’ bubble with.

What is an Air Bubble?

You must have heard about this term or 'Transport Bubbles' if you've kept in touch with daily news. An Air Bubble is a temporary arrangement between two nations allowing commercial passenger services. Also known as Corona corridors, these travel bridges let citizens travel to other countries while keeping their borders closed to other countries. This allows people some freedom to move without increasing any risk.

As of now, India has established an air bubble with 30 countries. The general travel requirements have been given below:

Disclaimer: *The above guidelines are subject to change, please check with the respective local government before booking your air tickets.

Other than these, the following countries have recently opened their borders to Indian passengers:

• Singapore: Negative RT PCR required, not older than 72 hours. RT PCR test upon arrival required
• Panama: Proof of complete vaccination endorsed by WHO/FDA/EMA, Negative COVID-19 test if unvaccinated.

Countries Yet to Open Borders to Indians

There are some nations still exercising strict restrictions on travellers from high-risk countries. A few of these countries are yet to open their borders to Indians:

New Zealand

The country requires every traveller coming from a high-risk country to transit in another country and observe strict 14 days’ quarantine before entering New Zealand from there, irrespective of vaccination.

Australia

Australia is set to allow entry of fully vaccinated students, provisional family visa holders, and working holidaymakers from December. However, the travellers must comply with strict quarantine requirements. They must fulfil the following requirements:

• Be completely vaccinated by an authorized vaccine
• Provide negative COVID-19 PCR test not older than 3 days from their departure

Italy

Italy is set to allow Indians to travel for essential purposes along with other List E countries. Those entering for work, health, study, or absolutely urgent purposes no longer need authorization from the Ministry of Health.

The passengers will need to submit a passenger locator form and undergo an antigenic swab 72 hours before entering Italy. Other than this, 10-days of fiduciary isolation is also required.

However, Indian tourists are still exempted from entering Italy.

Who Can Book Tickets to Travel Internationally?

After around two years of restrictions, the world is opening up and tourism is again an option for many. Thanks to active vaccination drives, many countries are inviting Indian travellers once again given that they follow the prescribed COVID-19 protocol.

According to your purpose of travel, your visa requirements, stay duration, the need for COVID-19 related documents will vary. Some countries have also specified mandatory travel health insurance plans covering COVID-19 related expenses as an additional safeguard. So make sure that you carefully confirm these requirements before booking your flight tickets.