India’s New Travel Advisory for Int’l Arrivals Baffles European Nations, But Govt Unlikely to Budge

India’s latest travel advisory issued last week mandating additional measures for all international travellers has left some European nations puzzled. The advisory, which came into effect from Monday (October 25), requires countries such as the UK to follow certain additional steps upon arrival in India, including not just undergoing a coronavirus test, but also a 7-day home quarantine unless exempted.

The exemption, as per the Health Ministry, is only for countries with which “the Government of India has an agreement for mutual recognition vaccination certificate for individuals fully vaccinated with a nationally recognised or WHO-recognised Covid-19 vaccine and those exempting Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO-recognised vaccine”.

Diplomatic sources pointed out that they were under the impression that if the European countries individually recognise Covishield even though it doesn’t have EMA approval, they would be granted reciprocity.

Some European countries, including Poland and also the EU delegation, are believed to have raised this issue with the Ministry of External Affairs. However, government sources say that many European countries recognised Covishield, but not the Indian vaccination certificate issued via CoWIN. The countries in the exempted list also called the ‘A list’ by the Health Ministry, includes the 11 countries that have recognised India’s vaccine certificate.

Over a dozen European countries have recognised Covishield individually on a request by the Government of India. When the Green passport issue came up in June this year, government sources had said that India had requested EU member-states to individually consider extending a similar exemption to those individuals, who have taken Covid-19 vaccines in India, and accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal. Sources said that India would institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of EU digital Covid certificate.

For instance, Austria doesn’t figure in the list of exempted countries. However, in August, Austrian authorities had announced that fully vaccinated travellers arriving from India would no longer be required to undergo quarantine.

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