With the huge influx of NRIs returning to India as an effect of the ongoing pandemic, it becomes necessary to understand about the rules and regulations and have knowledge of the protocol associated with the state wise quarantine rules for NRIs. Already under its sixth phase, the Vande Bharat Mission has done a splendid job in reaching out to and bringing back every stranded & distressed Indian citizen around the world. What becomes essential here is understanding the next step and preparing to stay safe. In this article, let’s explore the state wise quarantine rules for NRIs as well as Resident Indians returning to India during this period.
State Wise Quarantine Rules for COVID-19
In this segment, we will address the following details:
- Institutional Quarantine: Whether there is a facility of institutional quarantine or not. If yes, then for how many days is it mandatory. You can choose between a free quarantine at a government facility or a paid one at a designated hotel. There are certain individuals who are exempt from institutional quarantine. They are:
- Pregnant women,
- Elderly person above 75 years,
- Person due to attend funeral of immediate relation,
- Children below 10 years,
- Divyang,
- Immediate relative of hospitalized patients,
- People pre-existing health conditions.
- Home Quarantine: How many days of home/self-quarantine is required after returning to India
- COVID Test: Is there any facility of COVID Testing on arrival
- Obligations: Are there any obligations put up for the passengers by the following entities: the government, the airlines and the airport.
| State | Institutional Quarantine | Home Quarantine | COVID Test | Obligations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 7 days | 14 days | Done | – All arriving passengers should enroll on website – spandana.ap.gov.in before buying the ticket – Permit bookings only when clearance from spandana is available. – Airlines must not allow to board any passengers without the clearance – Do a COVID test for passengers coming from MAA, BOM, DEL, Gujarat, Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh |
| Assam | 7 days | 7 days (after institutional quarantine) | Done | – Health Declaration form prescribed by state to be filled by passengers at arrival. – Distribute health declaration form to passengers at arrival. – Forms to be distributed at the boarding gate of origin station if made available by the state government. – Airlines are required to furnish the passenger manifest to the State government Health Authorities – Thermal scanning for all arriving passengers at exit point |
| Bihar | No Quarantine | No Quarantine | N.A. | – Thermal screening for arriving passengers |
| Chhattisgarh | No Quarantine | 14 days | N.A. | – Passenger to do registration for E-pass before their journey on the below link – Link : http://epass.cgcovid19.in – If passengers are symptomatic upon arrival, the airline will guide customers along with their bags to the dedicated medical room. – Thermal screening of passengers. – Register arriving passenger. |
| Goa | Post COVID Test Results | 14 days | Mandatory for passengers without COVID test certificate | – Passenger to choose one of the following option 1. Produce a COVID-19 negative certificate issued within 48hrs by ICMR recognized lab. 2. Mandatory – If point 1 is not valid then all passengers must get the test done at the airport by paying 2000 and be in paid institutional quarantine till the result is out OR passenger can opt for 14 days home quarantine with stamp. 3. Declaration form to be filed before or on arrival into Goa – If the form is made available, same to be handed on departure to save time on arrival. – Temperature check on arrival by state. – Self-declaration form to be filled and submitted at the entry point & to give consent for COVID testing – charges (INR 2,000) |
| Gujarat | N.A. | 14 Days | N.A. | – Passengers need to register before landing in Surat. – For android users there is an app as well both links as below: https://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/EServices/Covid19SelfReporting https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.smc.covidout |
| Haryana | No Quarantine | 14 days | N.A.. | – All passengers need to download Aarogya Setu app – Passenger flying to Chandigarh must fill Self-declaration form – To provide a passenger manifest to State Health Authority on following email addresses: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] – Suitable COVID 19 precautionary measures announcements to be made at airport – Thermal screening of all passengers on arrival |
| Himachal Pradesh | 14 days (if coming from Red Zones) | 14 days , if passenger carrying COVID 19 negative test report from LAB authorized from ICM within 02 days of departure. | N.A. | – All passengers to download Aarogya Setu app – Thermal screening – Entry/Exit from State borders will be allowed only from 6 A.M.– 8 P.M. |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 14 days | Defense personnel – No quarantine State domicile – Swab test & home quarantine if results negative | Done | – To fill up ICMR Health form on arrival – Inform passengers that there will be mandatory tests on arrival and institutional quarantine if found negative. – Deplane passenger from rear of aircraft – Passengers will be tested at the Airport. – Post that they will be kept in Institutional quarantine until results are negative for Test (4 days for test results). |
| Jharkhand | N.A. | 14 days | N.A. | N.A. |
| Karnataka | 7 days Passengers coming from Maharashtra should be kept in institutional Quarantine followed by 14 days home quarantine. Business travelers from Maharashtra having a confirmed return ticket within 7 days from arrival are exempted from 7 days of institutional quarantine provided they have COVID negative certificate issued not more than 2 days before the date of arrival. If not, the passengers will be kept in 2 days of institutional quarantine where they will be tested (charges to be paid by passenger). Upon negative results the passengers will be allowed to proceed. | 14 days | N.A. | – Passengers need to have Seva-Sindhu portal pass. – https://sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in/Sevasindhu/English – Passengers cannot travel without the pass. – Passenger should fill self-declaration form provided by govt. of Karnataka at Departing/Origin station – Mandatory verification at origin that passenger has E-pass & registered in Seva-Sindhu portal |
| Kerala | N.A. | 14 days (Business travelers with stay less than a week are exempted) | N.A. | – After obtaining the flight tickets, passengers shall register their details in https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/ – Below are the following instructions: (covid19 jagratha portal –Public Services-Domestic Returnees Pass – new registration – enter details –submit). One has to select the airport of arrival. – Arrival passengers need to carry an e-pass after registering their details. In state’s COVID jagratha portal. – CCJ – No counters, e pass mandate from origin. – TRV – if pax don’t have an e pass – intuitional quarantine till you get the pass. Pax will not be sent back. – COK – Need to fill from at origin. Incase of a miss, pax can fill a manual form on arrival. However the health officer will not entertain large numbers. – On arrival, passengers show their e-pass to the health department at the airport and undergo home quarantine for 14 days. – Passenger should fill self-declaration form provided by govt. of Kerala at departing/Origin station. – Passengers must have the entry pass for Kerala plus any other state or UT to which the traveler is finally deciding to go after alighting from flights. – Mandatory verification at origin that passenger has E-pass & registered in Kerala portal at Origin. – Airlines must ensure that any passenger boarding the flight to any airport in Kerala MUST have either an entry pass for either Kerala OR any other state or UT to which such traveler is finally deciding to go after alighting from flights. |
| Madhya Pradesh | 10 days, if symptomatic on arrival and tested positive. if symptomatic institutional quarantine till test result | 7 days | N.A. | – Thermal screening and health profiling on arrival. If symptomatic, COVID test to be performed and institutional quarantine till test result. |
| Maharashtra | 7 days (for international arrival passengers followed by 7 days home quarantine) | 14 days and if returning within 7 days then no quarantine | N.A. | – All passengers to download the Aarogya Setu app and furnish self-declaration on arrival. Passengers visiting BOM for short duration (<= 7 days) need to share the details of onward journey – Detailed list of arriving passengers with arrival flight, time, mobile number & residential address to be shared with Nodal officer. – Thermal check at arrivals. – Stamping of passengers on left hand. |
| Manipur | N.A. | 14 days | N.A. | – Install & register QuarMon App https://quarmonmanipur.nic.in – Currently only available for android users. Soon the app will be available for IOS. – Instruction in the app to be followed by all arriving passengers. |
| Meghalaya | 48 hours | N.A. | N.A. | – Arriving passengers should register on the state portal – Web link : http://meghalayaonline.gov.in/covid/registerall.htm – Passenger to confirm itinerary post registration on below numbers between 10 AM – 08 PM – Asst Commissioner of Transport -7005629354 – DGM MTC – 8974254116 / 9863064839 – Pool officer Transport Dept – 943610338 |
| Mizoram | 14 days (to be opted by passenger) | 21 days (to be opted by passenger) | Done | – Health status to be certified on Aarogya Setu App before departure. Passengers need to register themselves on the state website (link below) for the quarantine options. Passenger can choose either: – 14 days of Institutional quarantine OR – 21 days of home quarantine. – Website link : https://mcovid19.mizoram.gov.in/ – Self- declaration form to be taken from arriving passenger |
| Nagaland | 14 days (all passengers) | 14 days (post institutional quarantine of 14days) 28 days with active surveillance for: – Person above the age of 60 years, – Children & parents of children 10 years & below & – Pregnant women & accompanying spouse | N.A. | – Necessary documentation & mobile app download shall be done during institutional quarantine. |
| Odisha | No quarantine | 14 days; Exception if exiting Odisha within 72 Hours. | N.A. | N.A. |
| Punjab | 7 days (for international passengers only) | 14 days | Random (20%) | – Before boarding, passengers register on COVA Punjab app. – Registration to be checked for each passenger |
| Rajasthan | No quarantine | 14 days | N.A. | – Self-Health declaration to be given by passengers and go through screening process – Symptomatic passengers will be isolated and taken to the nearest health facility. – All airlines must submit passenger’s details with mobile numbers in advance: [email protected] |
| Tamil Nadu | 14 days (if home quarantine not available) | 14 days | ALL passengers coming from the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat & Delhi will be tested for COVID upon arrival. | – All passengers travelling to Tamil Nadu need to register on the state website and apply for TN e-pass. – Link https://tnepass.tnega.org/ – Mandatory verification at origin that passenger has TN e-pass & registered in portal at Origin. – Once a customer lands, in case he/she does not have a pass, they have counters at the arrival to support customers at MAA, IXM. – ALL passengers coming from the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat & Delhi will be tested for COVID upon arrival. – For passengers coming from other states, only symptomatic passengers will be tested for Covid. |
| Telangana | No quarantine | No quarantine | N.A. | N.A. |
| Tripura | Passengers with foreign travel history in the last 28 days to be kept in institutional quarantine till the results are declared. | 14 days | Random sample collection (every 5th passenger) | – Passengers going to Bangladesh will be via Akhaura check-post and will be transported via special transport on payment basis. – Thermal screening on arrival. – Collect details of passengers coming to Tripura for more than 72 hours & advise for home quarantine & self-monitor health. – Passengers coming for stay less than 72 hours will be permitted to go on the condition that they shall self-monitor the heath. |
| Uttar Pradesh | 7 days (for international passengers only) | 14 days | N.A. | – Passenger will need to register state website before they exit the arrival hall – Web Link : https://reg.upcovid.in or call 1800-180-5145 – Passengers coming for short duration (< 7days) & travelling to some other destination will have to submit their travelling details & will be exempted from quarantine measures. – Passenger will be allowed to exit after successful registration & display of the message |
| Uttarakhand | 7 days (for pax arriving from high load COVID-19 infected cities(31 Districts)) Government facility at no charge, alternatively paid quarantine at designated hotels | 14 days | Random | – All passengers travelling to Uttarakhand need to register on the state website. – Web link : https://dsclservices.in/uttarakhand-migrantregistration.php – Institutional quarantine accommodation options to be opted by passengers. Government facility is at no charge, alternatively paid quarantine at designated hotels is offered to the passengers. List of high load COVID-19 infected cities can be viewed from the state website. |
| West Bengal | N.A. | 14 days | N.A. | – Fill up and submit the declaration form using Sandhane App developed by H&FW Department West Bengal. Link http://74.50.58.66/systems/Sandhane/1.2/Sandhane_Gen.apk – Digital self-declaration form which is to be submitted by airlines to the State Health Authority on a daily basis. – Thermal screening on arrival – All passengers are to submit self-declaration form at the time of arrival to state health officials |
| Union Territories | ||||
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | N.A. | 14 days | Random | N.A. |
| Chandigarh | No quarantine | 14 days | Random | – All arriving customer will have to fill the Health declaration form – Customers to be informed about COVID 19 arrival process before boarding – Airlines to ensure that all other arriving passengers (not belonging to Punjab) names, address & mobile numbers to be provided to the State – Station managers to provide arriving passenger list to Nodal officer in advance – All residents of Punjab should undergo COVID 19 test (free of cost) |
| Delhi | 07 days for international passengers. Government facility at no charge, alternatively paid quarantine at designated hotels | 07 days for international passengers (post institutional quarantine of 07 days) Asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with an advice for self monitoring | N.A. | – All passenger to download Aarogya Setu app – Suitable COVID 19 precautionary measures announcements to be made at airport – Thermal screening of all passengers on arrival |
It is essential that every returning NRI follows these guidelines established by the respective state governments of India. Every Indian Citizen returning to India during the ongoing circumstances must take every precaution and safety measure.
It is all for our safety. We, at SBNRI urge you to stay safe and follow the above mentioned state wise quarantine rules for ensuring maximum safety and minimum transmission of COVID-19. For more details and information on how to travel safely back to India, contact us using the button below and mention your query.
