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Status of travel bans in different countries in the light of COVID-19 Pandemic  

Country  Travel Restrictions 
India Still active and limited non-scheduled commercial flights may be allowed as per the SOP provided in the web link below

(i)   https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/Updation_of_

Guidelines.pdf – Ministry of Civil Aviation

(ii)  https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/MHAOrder_Unlock4_

29082020.pdf – Ministry of Home Affairs 

(iii) https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/RevisedguidelinesforInternationalArrivals02082020.pdf – Ministry of Health

Flight restrictions shall not apply to all international cargo flights and those approved by DGCA.

Bhutan has an air travel bubble arrangement with India and please refer https://www.mfa.gov.bt/?p=8389  for further information.

Thailand Active till further notice and please refer https://www.mfa.gov.bt/?p=8628 for more information. 

Additional travel restrictions:

Travellers who obtain their Certificate of Entry (CoE) from 1 May 2021 onward will have to undergo no less than 14 days quarantine, regardless of their countries of origin or vaccination status. 

Travellers who have obtained their COE prior to 1 May 2021 and arrive before 6 May 2021 will have to undergo no less than 7, 10, 0r 14 days quarantine, depending on their vaccination status.

Travellers who have obtained their COE prior to 1 May 2021 and arrive in Thailand from 6 May 2021 onward will have to undergo no less than 14 days quarantine.

For those who have already obtained a COE, their quarantine period will be changed to 14 days automatically. The hotel in which they choose to undergo quarantine will contact them to revise their quarantine package before their arrival in Thailand.

Australia  Travel restrictions are still active and following provides more information:

  1. Australia’s international border is still closed. There are strict border measures in place. There are, however, exemptions for the following:
  • Permanent Residents and their dependents with valid visas (subclass 100, 309, 801, 820, 101, 102 and 445)
  • Diplomats accredited to Australia.
  • Students in the final two years of study of a medical, dental, nursing or allied health profession university degree with evidence of confirmed placement. 
  • Spouses can visit their spouses already studying in Australia. They can apply for visa sub-class 600 (visitor visa). This visa is to visit Australia as a tourist, to see family and friends or for purposes other than business or medical treatment. They can stay up to 12 months. However, approval will be on a case-by-case basis.
  1. Those who already have a visa have to apply for entry approval.
  2. For those beyond the exempted category, entry into Australia can only be approved on compelling grounds. They must process a separate entry exemption with the Department of Home Affairs. Further, States have their own restrictions, and additional exemption must be processed from the respective State Government as well. 
  3. Applications for exemptions from Department of Home Affairs must be submitted at least two weeks, but not more than two months before travel at the following link: https://travel-exemptions.homeaffairs.gov.au/tep 
  4. Exemptions are only granted on compelling and compassionate grounds. 
  5. From 22 January 2021, travelers are required to produce a Negative Covid-19 PCR test taken 72 hours before departure.
  6. Travelers must also complete the mandatory Australian Travel Declaration form at least 72 hours before departure. It collects contact details in Australia, flight details, quarantine requirements and health status.
  7. Travelers must also undertake mandatory 14 day quarantine at their own cost. 
  8. Australian Government maintains an updated and reliable website on immigration related issues including travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. All information can be found at
    www.covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au 
    https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions
Nepal Land borders continue to remain closed for Foreigners. All foreigners should obtain a tourist entry visa from Nepali Diplomatic /missions abroad or should have a pre approval/recommendation letter from the concerned Ministries for ensuring their on-arrival visa.    
Singapore Travel restrictions are still Active except for those coming under Green/Fast Lane Arrangements, Air Travel Pass and special prior approval. All travelers will have to take PCR test (effective 25.1.2021) when they arrive in Singapore. Stay home notice (SHN) and PCR test at the end of the SHN will continue. Visitors will also be required to have travel insurance to cover the medical treatment in Singapore.   

Additional Travel restrictions 

All new travellers arriving from higher-risk countries and regions must serve a 21-day stay-home notice — up from 14 days — at a dedicated facility from 11.59pm on Friday (May 7). 

Higher-risk countries and regions refer to all countries or regions except Australia, Brunei, China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. 

Bangladesh Due to the increasing COVID infections in Bangladesh, the “visa on arrival” facility has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Hence, all Bhutanese travelling to Bangladesh will have to obtain prior visas. However, visas on arrival for foreign investors and business persons will be issued as per past practice. 

With effect from 0001 BST on 04 June 2021 until further notice, schedule passenger flights between Dhaka and some selected countries shall resume operation as per their approved time slots under Summer-2021 schedule. Air bubble flights will remain suspended until further notice. 

Restrictions of travellers to/from different countries:

No incoming (as point of origin) or outgoing passengers are allowed to/from Countries under Group A. 

Travellers from Countries under Group B are permitted to travel to Dhaka. They will have to complete a mandatory 14 days institutional quarantine at government nominated hotels on passenger’s own expenses. Proof of Hotel Booking shall be produced during check-in and the Airlines representative shall verify it before issuing the boarding pass. There is no restriction on the outgoing travellers. Travellers under this group can have transit via the countries of Group A provided travellers remain confined within the airport under the close supervision

of the Airlines.  As an exception, incoming passengers originating from Kuwait and Qatar shall have to complete a mandatory 3 days institutional quarantine at government nominated facilities or at hotels on passengers own expenses. Airlines will confirm seats are available at the government institutional quarantine facilities or the passengers have the proof of hotel reservation for institutional quarantine. After 3 days of institutional quarantine, a medical test will be carried out and the passenger will be released to complete a total of 11 days home quarantine if the medical test is satisfactory. In case of unsatisfactory medical test result, the passenger shall have to go for isolation at government nominated facilities at own expenses or with the institutional quarantine.

Travellers from Countries under Group C (all other countries except Group – A & B) are allowed to/from these countries to Bangladesh. Incoming travellers from these countries of origin will have to complete 14 days of strict home quarantine. However, if any COVID-19 symptoms are detected/observed on arrival, he/she shall be sent to Government Authorized Hospital for further checkup or depending on the nature/intensity of the symptoms, will be sent to isolation at

government nominated facilities or Hotel at travellers own expenses. Travellers originating from these groups of countries (Group-C) can have transit via the countries of Group A&B provided that the travellers remain confined within the airport under the close supervision of the airlines. 

All incoming/outgoing travellers, except the children below 10 years old, shall mandatorily possess PCR based COVID-19 negative certificate. The PCR test shall be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time.      

Countries under different Groups are as specified in the attachment.    

USA The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an Order requiring: 

1) proof of a negative viral test for COVID-19 taken within three calendar days prior to boarding the initial flight to travel to the United States, or; 

2) evidence of a prior positive test and documentation from a healthcare provider of having recovered from COVID-19 within the preceding 90 days

The above applies to all air passengers, including U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), two years and older arriving in the United States from any foreign country or jurisdiction.  Airlines and other aircraft operators must also collect attestations from passengers verifying testing or recovery from a prior exposure and keep them electronically for two years.  The CDC Order is w.e.f. 26 January, 2021.

Japan All travelers, including Japanese nationals arriving in Japan would be required to carry COVID-19 negative certificates 
United Kingdom  Travelers are allowed to enter UK. Bhutan has been registered to the list of countries that will be exempted from the requirement to self-isolate for two weeks on arrival in the UK effective from 28 November 2020. However, it may be noted that this exemption is only valid for travel to England and not in other regions. Further, the above remains subject to change depending on the epidemiological situation in UK.
Canada  Starting January 7, 2021, air travellers 5 years of age or older will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result to the airline prior to boarding international flights bound for Canada. Documentation of a negative laboratory test result must be presented to the airline prior to boarding a flight to Canada. The test must be performed using a COVID-19 molecular polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) test and must be taken within 72 hours prior to the traveller’s scheduled departure to Canada. Anyone who receives a negative test result and is authorized to enter Canada must still complete the full, mandatory 14-day quarantine (unless specifically exempted from the mandatory requirement to quarantine). 

With limited exceptions, air travellers will also be required to reserve, prior to departure to Canada, a 3-night stay in a government-authorized hotel. Travellers will be able to book their government-authorized stay starting February 18, 2021. These new measures are in addition to existing mandatory pre-boarding and health requirements for air travellers.

All travelers whether arriving by land or air will be required to submit their travel and contact information, including a suitable quarantine plan, electronically via ArriveCAN before crossing the border or boarding a flight.

Netherlands  All passenger flights from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela and the United Kingdom are cancelled and there are no exemptions. There will be mandatory rapid tests for all travelers by plane/ferry from high-risk areas.     
Kuwait  1. Non-Kuwaitis are not allowed to enter the State of Kuwait as of 7 February 2021 for a period of two weeks with exception of the first-degree relatives of Kuwaitis and their companions from domestic workers. Governmental and private medical staff and diplomats and family members of diplomatic missions are also exempted

2. Further, the limit of 35 passengers on each flight or 1000

passengers per day travelling to Kuwait International Airport ending on

February 6 has been extended till the end of February 2021.  

3. Impose one-week institutional quarantine on all arrivals to

Kuwait at their own expenses at a hotel as of 21 February 2021 and another week quarantine at home. 

Kingdom of Bahrain  Travel restrictions are Active
Oman Travel restrictions are Active
Maldives  All travelers will have to present a certificate of negative PCR test carried out within 96 hours prior to departure with the name and address of the Laboratory. The certificate will have to be submitted online within 24 hours prior to arrival. 

Visitors spending more than 48 hours in Greater Male will have to take another PCR test and there will be health checks on arrival at the airport.      

UAE Travel restrictions are inactive
Qatar 1. Airport is operational

2. Qatari nationals and Resident Permit holders are allowed to enter

3. Departure is allowed for all passengers

Turkey  With effect from 1 June 2021, passengers arriving from certain countries including India and Nepal, and those who have been in the mentioned countries for the last 14 days must submit a negative PCR test result taken at most 72 hours prior to arrival. These passengers are subject to quarantine for 14 days at places determined by the governorships. If the PCR test result to be made at the end of 14th day of the quarantine is negative, the quarantine measure will be terminated. Passengers whose PCR test result is positive will be taken into isolation and the measure will be terminated with a negative PCR test result which will be made at the end of the 14th day.

Besides, passengers arriving from Countries other than Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Iran, Egypt and Singapore, will not be required to submit a negative PCR test result if they submit a document issued by the relevant country’s official authorities stating that they have been vaccinated at least 14 days before entrance to Turkey and/or have had the disease and cured within the last 6 months. Quarantine measures will not be applied for these passengers. If passengers departing from these countries cannot submit a vaccine certificate or the documents providing that they have had the disease according to the stated rules, submission of a PCR negative test result made maximum 72 hours before the entrance to Turkey or negative rapid antigen test result made maximum 48 hours before the entrance to Turkey will be deemed sufficient.

Pakistan The Government of Pakistan has decided to significantly reduce inbound international air travel with effect from 5-20 May 2021 and the normal flight operations are expected to resume once the situation improves. The main features of the new policy are as under:

•         Inbound air traffic will operate at 20% of total current quantum.

•         Air travellers would have to undergo a negative RT-PCR Test before travel to Pakistan, which should not be more than 72 hours old.

•         Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) will be undertaken at the airports; negative cases will undergo ten days of self-quarantine at home and positive cases will be shifted to self-paid quarantine facilities for ten days. Second RT-PCR test for positive passengers will be conducted on the 8th day of quarantine.

•         All inbound travellers will be required to register on Passtrack App. (www.passtrack.nitb.gov.pk)

•         Following passengers shall be exempted from both RT-PCR testing and Passtrack App uploading requirement:

a.  Children below 12 years.

b.  Disabled passengers.

c.  High-level international delegations.

d.  Pakistani deportees

e.      Crew shall only be exempted from PakPass Track App; however, RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen Test shall be mandatory.

Germany The Federal Republic of Germany has fully recognized the double shot of the vaccine COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1_nCoV-19) of the Serum Institute of India as equivalent to the AstraZeneca vaccine as valid proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

Therefore, travellers from Bhutan can travel to Germany if they have been doubly vaccinated with COVISHIELD. All categories of visa can be accepted in Thimphu, including business trip and tourism. The list of recognized vaccines can be consulted at https://www.pei.de/impfstoffe/cpvid-19

 

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