Agreements signed with 11 nations for mutual recognition of Covid vaccines

The health ministry on Wednesday said India has signed agreements for mutual recognition of nationally or WHO recognised COVID-19 vaccines with 11 countries including the UK, France and Germany and fully vaccinated travellers coming from these countries shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine and testing.

Revised guidelines for international arrivals were released on Wednesday. These fresh rules supersede all guidelines issued on the subject on and after February 17, 2021, the ministry said.

The list of countries with which the government has agreement for mutual recognition vaccination certificate for individuals fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO recognised COVID-19 vaccine and those exempting Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally or WHO recognised vaccines are the UK, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia.

If travellers fully vaccinated and coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine and testing, according to the revised guidelines. They will, however, need to produce a negative RT-PCR report.

They shall self monitor their health for 14 days post arrival, according to the revised guidelines.

If partially or not vaccinated, the travellers need to undertake measures which includes submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further selfmonitor of their health for next seven days.

The list of countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing (countries at-risk) are South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and countries in Europe including the UK.