The New Delhi airport has launched an online portal named 'Air Suvidha' to make the procedures during arrival easier for international passengers. Facilities available in the portal include self-declaration and the option to apply for exemption from mandatory institutional quarantine. Passengers using Air Suvidha would be able to complete their formalities on arrival in a totally contactless manner.
Five categories of passengers have been exempted from the mandatory institutional quarantine. They are, pregnant women, people who are bereaved, patients suffering from serious illnesses, parents accompanying children aged below 10 years and passengers who produce a negative certificate for COVID-19 in a test done within 96 hours of departure. But all these passengers have to remain in home quarantine for 14 days.
Applications for availing the exemption and other facilities could be submitted along with the necessary documents to the website www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before the journey.
All other international passengers arriving at Delhi airport must stay in institutional quarantine for seven days, followed by another seven days in home quarantine.
According to the rules, all passengers arriving from abroad have to submit a self-declaration form stating that they had not tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks before the trip. Applications for exemption from institutional quarantine would be processed and their acceptance or rejection conveyed to the respective passengers by e-mail. Travellers whose receive the exemption can show the e-mail at the airport and leave for their homes.
Air Suvidha, which can be accessed from the official website of the New Delhi airport, is available since last Saturday for all international passengers travelling to India. The online forms in the portal have been developed with the support of the Civil Aviation Ministry, Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs and various state governments.
