1st June 2020
- While the central has announced the first of a three-phase plan to lift lockdown restrictions in a graded manner, lockdown 5.0 is being extended until June 30 in some states and containment zones. These containment zones will be demarcated by states, depending upon the severity of the situation.
- International flights will not start operating now and will likely resume in the 3rd phase of unlock.
- The Indian railways will begin operating 200 non-AC special passenger trains per day from June 1 onward, in a step aimed at gradually restoring normal services.
- Most states have allowed the resumption of public transport and inter-state travel from June 1st
- The ministry of Health and Family welfare will issue standard operating procedures for all new openings.
18th May 2020
- The Prime Minister has announced the 4th phase of lockdown, which will be extended till 31st May 2020
- Following this, Indian aviation regulator DGCA announced that all scheduled commercial passenger flights will be suspended till May 31 midnight. This restriction would not be applicable to domestic and international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA
- In the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, states and Union Territories (UTs) have been given powers to delineate the Red, Green and Orange Zones as the coronavirus situation demands. Furthermore, inter-state movement of passenger vehicles, buses have been allowed with mutual consent of states
- Globally, almost 4.7 million people have been infected, while over 3.15 lakh casualties have been reported until now
14th April 2020
- The Prime Minister has announced that the nationwide lockdown will be extended until 3 May 2020. However, starting 20 April, the government will start to relax rules after reviewing the situation in different states and regions.
- In the light of extended lockdown, all domestic and international airline operations will also remain suspended until 3 May 2020.
8th April 2020
- The Ministry of Tourism launched a 'Stranded in India' portal to identify, assist and facilitate foreign tourists who are stranded in various parts of India due to the lockdown situation. This portal will help foreigners stranded in the country to get in touch with concerned authorities. Visit http://strandedinindia.com/ or reach the tourist helpline at 1800-11-1363.
- GoAir is likely to resume bookings from April 15 for its domestic flights, which is when the lockdown period is scheduled to end.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is regularly providing information on Behavioural Health for people to take better care of their mental well being. Their psycho-social toll free helpline number can be reached at 080-4611-0007
25th March 2020
- India joins global lockdown in the wake of increasing health and safety concerns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, starting from Wednesday 25 March and lasting up to 21 days. Only essential services will be operational during this period and all essential commodities and medicines would be available. Banks, ATMs, petrol pumps, hospitals and grocery shops will continue to function.
- All transport services including air, rail and roadways will remain suspended until April 14.
23rd March 2020
- All domestic flight operations will be suspended with effect from midnight 24 March 2020.
- No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft will be taking off from any foreign airport for any airport in India with effect from March 22 until March 29, 2020.
- The operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in the capital New Delhi, which handles all international flights, will remain suspended till March 29 as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic.
- Increasing number of states and as many as 80+ district are under lockdown, including the National Capital Region and the city of Mumbai.
- All interstate bus services and train services in the country including sub-urban rail services and metros have been suspended till March 31.
- Only shipping services are required to continue to be operational so that vital goods and essential commodities like fuel, medical supplies, food grains etc. are delivered.
18th March 2020
- Travel of passengers from Afghanistan, Philippines, Malaysia to India is prohibited with immediate effect by the Indian government with no flight taking off from these countries to India.
- Compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from/transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait will come into effect from 18th March 2020 at the port of first departure.
- Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from 18th March 2020. No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 18th March 2020.
These are all temporary measures which will be in effect until 31st March 2020 and will be reviewed subsequently.
12th March 2020
Your health and wellbeing while travelling is important to us, so our priority is to ensure you are kept up-to-date on the latest information regarding the current novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
Latest Updates and Impact to Travel
- India has extended the flight ban to Iran. Air India has announced the temporary suspension of its flight services to Rome, Milan and Seoul. Indigo and Air India have already suspended flights to China and Hong Kong & SpiceJet has cancelled flights to Hong Kong. Vistara has also cancelled some flights to Thailand and Singapore.
- The Government of India has announced that all existing visas granted on or before March 11, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended with effect from 13th March until 15th April 2020.
- A 14-day quarantine is mandatory for all travellers arriving from/having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany after February 15. Indian nationals have also been advised to avoid all non-essential overseas travel.
- All international travellers from China, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Iran, Malaysia, France, Spain and Germany will have to produce health certificates showing them free of the virus. People traveling from/having visited Italy or Korea who are entering India will need a certificate of having tested negative for coronavirus.
- All passengers entering India are required to submit a self-declaration form about their travel history to health officials and immigration officials and undergo universal health screening at all points of entry.
We're here to support you
Due to the size of this outbreak, information is moving at a fast pace. We will continue to communicate with you through regular updates and also encourage you to contact your Travel Manager for any questions you may have. We also suggest you to follow Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website and trusted sources like Economic Times, Times of India and The Hindu for regular updates.
For more real time information on your travel, please get in touch with your FCM representative.
Contact the Government of India's COVID-19 helpdesk through WhatsApp on +91 9013151515
Contact the Bureau of Immigration at 011-24300666 or support.covid19-boi@gov.in
Contact the Tourist Helpline at 1363 or 1800-11-1363