As part of the Centre’s Vande Bharat mission, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has commenced flight operations to select countries for the month of August.
These new flight operations or ‘travel bubbles come under bilateral agreements between India and several other countries that wish to reopen their borders and re-establish connections with each other.
This is an exclusive partnership considered between countries that have either largely eliminated the virus or trust the testing numbers.
India has already established travel bubbles with the United States and France. It recently also established agreements with Canada, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Singapore, UK, Frankfurt, Paris, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, New Zealand, and Philippines.
The following are the travel restrictions and quarantine guidelines when it comes to travelling to Singapore, Qatar and Oman:
Singapore:
1) Indian nationals belonging only to certain category or status are permitted to enter Singapore
2) Transfer or transit passes for Indian passengers are not accepted
Qatar:
1) Only Permanent Residency Holders of Qatar can travel to the country from 1 August after obtaining an exceptional entry permit to return from the Qatar government portal
2) Passengers who are permitted to travel must install “Ehteraz” app on their phone. Passengers are also required to book a room in a quarantine hotel for one week through Discover Qatar portal before arriving in the country
3) Passengers are required to carry a negative COVID-19 PCR test which was taken not less than 48 hours prior to the departure from an accredited medical centre in India
Oman:
1) All Omani nationals are allowed to enter the country and are subject to a 14-day domestic quarantine period
2) Passengers who are not Omani nationals are required to possess a special permission letter by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Oman government through the embassy or a sponsor
3) All incoming passengers are required to download the Tarassud+ application on their phones before their arrival
4) All incoming passengers are required to obtain a bracelet from authorities to wear during the quarantine
5) All incoming passengers are required to have valid health insurance for the full duration of their stay in Oman
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