Having travelled myself recently from Dubai to India amongst all the confusions about the travel rules and finally making it to my home without running into any major problems , I thought of writing it down in simple words for the fellow friends so that it becomes a little more easy for them to travel.
Step 1: Get a RT - PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test done. RT - PCR is a Swab test which detects the active Corona Virus in the body.
There is generally a fear that the test would be painful. I would rather say that it is not painful but causes a little discomfort like how it feels when water gets up your nose and the discomfort also doesn't last for more than 10-15 minutes whereas the test itself takes around 5-6 seconds only.
Per the rules, the test is valid only for 96 hours. This is the maximum time limit within which you have to reach your final destination and this time starts getting counted from the very minute your sample is taken and not the time after getting the report. It usually takes around 24-48 hours for the report to come. So, if you are confident that the result will be negative, its advisable to book the tickets before the test to avoid the expensive ticket prices.
Step 2: Fill the Air-Suvidha forms online for Self Reporting and Institutional Quarantine Exemption. These forms are asked to be filled at least 72 hours before the travel but its not mandatory. I filled them just one day before the travel and nobody questioned about it. And as a matter of fact, its not even possible to fill the forms before 72 hours because you need to upload your test results also in the form which you usually receive a day before your travel.
Self Reporting Form: This is the mandatory form where you fill in all your personal details to let know the Indian government about your travel plans.
Exemption Request Form: This is the form where you can request for the Institutional Quarantine Exemption from the Indian Government. There are multiple categories like a Pregnant woman travelling or someone having critical illness or RT-PCR test negative report under which you can request for the exemption.
Here you can upload the soft copy of your RT-PCR test to request for the exemption. You won't get any confirmation message whether your request got approved or not but can expect a home quarantine based on this form because only people with Corona Virus symptoms are being sent to the Hotel Quarantine now a days.
Step 3: Download the Aarogya Setu app and register yourself so that if you come across any person during your travel who is carrying the virus, you would be notified and accordingly Government can isolate you from others. Again, this is not mandatory. No one is even checking it but as a responsible citizen, you should download the app so that you are not putting your loved ones' life in danger along with your own life.
Lastly, carry the hardcopy of all these forms and test results. Many airport authorities are not accepting the soft copies.
As on date, these are the bare minimum rules which need to be strictly followed but they are certainly getting reduced day by day. Hoping to get back to the normal very soon.
Note for Indigo Travellers: Indigo provides Masks, Hand Sanitizer to everybody, Face Shields for the Aisle and Window seats and the PPE kit for the middle seat. So, there is no need to carry any of these of your own.
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