Travel during this time is not going to be as it was before, and this is why India’s airlines Indigo has now put out guidelines for travellers travelling between India and UAE. A lot more changes are expected with the passage of time as the world is trying to live with the virus, and people are adapting a whole new lifestyle.
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PPushp Dant2043 days ago
I travelled from New Delhi (India) to Dubai (UAE) on 2nd October 2020 and returned on 16th October 2020 both by Vistara Airlines. I hold Indian passport and travelled to meet my brother and family on tourist visa. Here's my experience:For DEL-DXB, the Visa document as well as airline advised me get RT-PCR test done within 96 hours of departure, get medical insurance and fill up some declarations. At the airport the airline officials thoroughly checked the RT-PCR report, insurance, declarations and other documents, and also asked me furnish details of residence in Dubai (Note that this was not mentioned in the visa or the ticket). I got hold of my brother's UAE resident's card, and showed that my visa was on his invitation. For other passengers they asked proof of hotel booking etc, and I saw several passengers struggling with this piece of documentation. The airline also asked for an additional declaration as it clearly didn't want to bear the burden of having to bring the traveller back on its expense if the UAE authorities denied entry. Although no one had told earlier, I also carried a dummy return ticket to satisfy the immigration authorities. I learnt later that without a confirmed return ticket some people were denied entry.For DXB-DEL, it was a bit more complicated. One needs to apply online for quarantine exemption to various state governments in India by using Air-Suvidha page on New Delhi airport website. Also, a self-reporting form needs to be filled along with declarations. The catch is this - while the the RT-PCR sample needs to be within 96 hours of departure, and results usually come between 24-48 hours, the exemption needs to be applied 72 hours before departure. There's no way one can get valid results 72 hours before departure. The Air-Suvidha portal therefore asks the travellers to submit proof of having tested, and carry the test results with them to show before the health authorities at delhi airport. But this is problematic because (I saw later that) the queue for people not carrying exemption was much longer and process much tedious than those with exemption. Here's what I did. I filled an exemption request as soon as I booked a test (72 hours before departure) and uploaded screenshot of the confirmation SMS. Withing 5-6 hours (of working day) I got an email saying that the exemption is rejected and I need to submit the test results at the airport. Having an idea that request turnaround is 5-6 hours, I ignored the 72-hour criteria and filled another exemption request as soon as I got my test results. This was just about 24 hours before departure, but as I hoped I got my exemption approved within 5-6 hours. I carried a printout of the exemption with me, and was out of the Delhi airport in no time! The process is smooth and free of hinderance for those carrying an exemption letter. The exemption also states that one declares to home-quarantine oneself for 14 days though I don't think authorities will monitor thatRead More
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