Travelling to Mumbai? Know the new rules
MOST PASSENGERS WILL NEED TO GO ON 7-DAY INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE
Not all passengers flying from the UAE to Mumbai in the western Indian state of Maharashtra will have to undergo a Covid-19 test on arrival and a few categories of passengers can also get exemption from the mandatory institutional quarantine stipulated by the state government, Gulf News can reveal.
Passengers from the UAE and other countries in the Middle East flying to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, have to follow a set of new rules that are entirely different from those currently being implemented in other Indian cities.
Gulf News reached out to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai to get clarifications about the travel rules applicable to passengers flying from the UAE after the Indian government announced a new Standard Operating Procedure for international passengers arriving in India from February 23 onwards.
The following are the latest rules related to Covid-19 tests, quarantine and exemptions for passengers from the Middle East, flying to Mumbai, as explained by MCGM and CSMIA.
Who should get a predeparture Covid-19 negative test report?
All international passengers to Mumbai must upload a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test report issued within 72 hours of departure on the Air Suvidha portal. They should also carry the printed report with them.
What else should they submit?
All passengers must submit an undertaking form on the Air Suvidha portal, agreeing to undergo mandatory seven days of institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days of home quarantine with self-monitoring of health.
Should all passengers get tested on arrival?
No. Passengers arriving from the Middle East or Europe do not have to undergo the on-arrival confirmatory molecular RT-PCR test if their final destination is within the state of Maharashtra.
Who should get tested on arrival in Mumbai?
Passengers arriving in Mumbai from the Middle East or Europe with onward journey outside Maharashtra will have mandatory test at airport.
Do they have to wait at the airport for the test result?
No. They can take the connecting flight by showing the receipt of the test taken.
Who else should be tested
on arrival?
Passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have to undergo a test irrespective of their final destination. Transiting passengers arriving from the UK, South Africa and Brazil have to undergo a test and can board a connecting flight out of Maharashtra only when test results are negative.
Who should undergo mandatory quarantine?
It is mandatory for passengers arriving in Mumbai from the UK, Europe, Middle East and South Africa with a destination within Maharashtra to undergo seven days’ institutional quarantine in a hotel or at an MCGM quarantine centre. They will have to undergo a self-paid test on the seventh day of quarantine. If the result is negative, they can proceed for seven days of home quarantine. There is no need for a repeat test after the home quarantine period unless the passenger develops symptoms.