Dubai: Are you planning to travel to India and Kerala specifically? With India announcing a relaxation in COVID-19 travel restrictions, it is important to note that while there are guidelines announced by India's Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), each state announces specific guidelines that apply to passengers travelling to that particular state, too.
So, not only do you need to be aware of the national guidelines, but also any particular guidelines announced by the state to which you will be travelling. For example, if you are travelling to Kerala, you will need to register for an ‘epass’ on Kerela’s official COVID-19 portal.
Here is all you need to know about travelling to Kerala, from PCR testing requirements to filling out self – declaration forms.
Step 1: Take a PCR test 72 hours before your flight
If you have received your COID-19 vaccine in the UAE, you will be required to take a PCR test 72 hours before your flight. However, if you have received both doses of your vaccine in India, you are exempt from the PCR test requirement, as per the latest guidelines announced by the Indian government (ADD LINK).
Step 2: Fill out the Air Suvidha form
Also referred to as the Self Declaration Form, Air Suvidha is a portal that allows passengers to fill out details of their health, travel history, as well as contact details, allowing the authorities to conduct contact tracing, to minimise the spread of the virus. To complete the form, follow these steps:
1. Visit the following link: https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration
2. Fill out the following details:
• Full name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Flight number
• Seat number (If you do not. have an assigned seat number at the time of filling out the form, the website allows you to enter "00" instead. However, you are expected to edit the form once you do receive the seat number before boarding the aircraft. This step is necessary for contact tracing purposes.)
• PNR Number
• Nationality
• Passport number
• Date of arrival
• Country of departure (origin)
• City of departure
• Address details of the final destination
• Mobile number
• Email address
• Health details, including any COVID-19 symptoms
• Travel history for the last 14 days
1. Upload the following documents:
o Passport copy
o Vaccine certificate
o Negative PCR test report
2. Check the boxes that confirm that you have information you have provided is accurate and that you agree to follow the guidelines as laid down by the health authorities.
· Fill out the Air Suvidha Self Declaration form, which includes details of the last 14 days of travel and your COVID-19 related health details. The form can be accessed here: https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration
· Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) report, with the test taken within 72 hours of your flight departure time (This requirement does not include children under the age of five years, who are exempt from pre- and post-arrival testing).
· You must also upload your COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
Step 3: Register for the e-pass
The Emergency Travel Registration pass or e-pass is issued by the Kerala government to passengers coming in to the state, for travel within the state. To register for the Emergency Pass, the government has set up the Jagratha portal. To receive the e-pass, follow these steps:
1. Visit: https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/home/addMedicalEmergencyPass
2. You will be asked to enter a valid India mobile number. Once you enter the mobile number, you will be asked to enter a verification code sent as a one-time password to the number.
3. Fill out the form by providing the following details:
a. District name
b. Ward Number
c. Local body name
d. Your full name
e. Complete address
f. Government Issued ID card - You can provide details of your Voter ID card, Aadhar card, Ration card or even your passport for this section.
g. Purpose of travel
h. Vehicle number (depending on mode of transportation used)
i. Traveling date and time
j. Quarantined - select yes or no
k. Details of your travel within the state - this includes the route you will be taking, starting and ending location, total number of passengers and details of the accompanying passengers like their name and address.
Once you fill out the form and hit the ‘save’ button, you will receive a Unique ID. At the airport, once you land in Kerala, you will need to provide the Unique ID or your mobile number to the airport staff, for them to check the details on the Jagratha system.
Quarantine
As of Februrary 8, 2022 Kerala has removed mandatory quarantine for all international passengers, except for those who are symptomatic.
On Arrival
You will need to present the filled out Self-Declaration form to the airport health staff after landing.
Airports will conduct thermal screening of all passengers and those found to be symptomatic will be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility as per the health protocol. If they test positive, their contacts will be identified and managed, as per protocol.
Also, two per cent of the total passengers in the flight will undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport. This does not include children under the age of five years, who are exempt from pre- and post-arrival testing.
