Covid-19 Travel Updates

Last updated on 28 September 2021.

Disclaimer: The information provided is obtained from various sources. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we cannot guarantee the correctness, completeness, and currentness of our content. Please do check with the concerned embassies or government portals for more accurate & updated information.

While we give you the general updates pertaining to the destinations reopening to tourists, it is your responsibility to personally check with the local embassy or consulate on your eligibility to enter the destination & also to check on any restrictions for you to re-enter your home country after your trip.

THAILAND - PHUKET REOPENED

Current Status	On 18 June 2021, The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed Thailand’s readiness to reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists without quarantine requirements, starting with the “Phuket Sandbox” model from 1 July, Surat Thani – Samui Plus from 15 July, followed by other destinations, including Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Buri Ram in the following months. On 24 Sep 2021, The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed that Phuket is opened to vaccinated Indian Tourists (only Covishield) & started taking in the Tourist visa applications. For more details on this reopening, please click on the below link https://www.tatnews.org/2021/09/initial-information-phuket-sandbox/
Entry Requirements to Phuket	Double dose vaccination with WHO Approved Covid -19 Vaccine (only Covishield approved) RT PCR negative report issued 72 hours within the date of Arriva in Phuket Health insurance policy with coverage of US$100,000, that covers healthcare and treatment expenses for COVID-19 For more info on Phuket Sandbox mode, please refer to this link For more FAQ's, please refer to this link
Documents Required for Thailand Visa	Valid Passport & photos To & fro Confirmed flight ticket (it should be a direct flight into Phuket only) 06 months Bank Statement with funds not less than 5, 00,000/- INR maintained throughout 06 months International Health Insurance for USD 100,000 Confirmed hotel reservation in an SHA Plus certified hotel Certificate of entry (COE) - This needs to be applied at this link once the visa is approved.
Where to Apply for the Visa	VFS Centers in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Kolkata are accepting Tourist visa applications for Thailand. Pls, refer to their website for more details website https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/tha/?
International Flights	Phuket International Airport is preparing to reopen for Tourists. Airlines are looking at re-establishing direct flights to Phuket.
Other Details	The following vaccines are accepted (as of 31 March 2021): ARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CoronaVac) by Sinovac (2 doses needed); AZD1222 by AstraZeneca/Oxford (2 doses needed); AZD1222 by SK BIOSCIENCE – AstraZeneca/Oxford (2 doses needed); BNT162b2/CORMIRNATY – Tozinameran (INN) by Pfizer/BioNTech (2 doses needed); Covishield (ChAdOx1_nCoV19) by the Serum Institute of India (2 doses needed); Ad26.COV2.S by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (1 dose needed), and mRNA-1273 by Moderna (2 doses needed).
Activities & Golf Courses Status	Activities: Phuket Province has issued Order Number 3373/2564 on the relaxation of the closure of business and activities, as the island prepares to reopen to fully vaccinated foreign tourists under the “Phuket Sandbox” program from 1 July 2021. For more info, please click on the below link https://www.tatnews.org/2021/06/phuket-relaxes-more-covid-19-restrictions-from-21-june-2021/ Golf Courses: All the golf courses are currently open to visitors under COVID-specific guidelines.

DUBAI

Current Status	Open to visitors of all Nationalities.
Entry Requirements for Dubai	Double Dose Vaccination with WHO Approved Covid -19 Vaccine (only Covishield approved) RT PCR negative report issued 48 hours within the date of Arriva in UAE International Health Insurance valid for a duration of the visa validity that must cover COVID 19 examination & treatment costs. Health declaration form - link Quarantine undertaking form - link?
Documents Required for Dubai Visa	Dubai will need to be applied online & one needs to upload the below-stated documents: Scanned color copy of first and last page of your Passport Scanned color copy of your passport size photograph with white background Scanned PAN copy?Dubai will need to be applied online & one needs to upload the below-stated documents:
Where to apply for the Visa	You can apply for a Dubai visa online either through an OTA (Online Travel Agency) or through the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC) or you can also apply for an online visa at the Emirate website after booking your flight tickets.
International Flights	Most of the International hubs have resumed flights to Dubai, with more tourists flight flying in from European cities.
Other Details	Travel India to Abu Dhabi is not permitted for Tourist Visa Holder at present due to Covid-19
Golf Courses Status	All the golf courses are open to visitors under COVID specific guidelines

KENYA

Current Status	Open to visitors of all Nationalities.
Entry Requirements to Kenya	?Passengers entering Kenya must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 96 hours before departure from the first embarkation point. The test result must be in English. The test results must be required even if the traveler is fully vaccinated? Passengers must complete the "Travelers Health Surveillance Form" online at https://ears.health.go.ke/airline_registration/. Passengers upon arriving in Kenya might be subjected to Covid screening again & could be quarantined if found positive.?
Kenya Visa Details	Visitors to the Republic of Kenya can now apply for their eVisa services. Please visit the site https://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html The processing time for the eVisa upon successful application is 48 hrs For any phone assistance, you can Call eVISA Customer Care @ +254 202 222 022 / +254 110 922 063 / +254 110 922 064 or email them @ evisa@immigration.go.ke Requirements for eVisa: Air Tickets, Hotel Booking, Travel Itinerary, Valid Passport, Passport size photo, Visa fees: 51 USD (non-refundable). Visa issued will be valid until 3 months from the date of issuance
State of affairs in Kenya	Covid Situation: The number of new infections is slowly coming down & the current situation is stable. The average number of new infections reported each day in Kenya falls by more than 590 over the last 3 weeks, 44% of its previous peak. (This is always subject to change) Local restrictions: There is no lockdown in Kenya right now (this is subject to change based on the cases). However, there is a nationally imposed curfew that starts from 10 pm & ends at 4 am Vaccination drive in Kenya: More than 2 million Kenyans have received their first dose while 800 thousand have received their Second Jab representing 3% of the entire adult population?
Other Details	Yellow Fever Vaccination: Though the yellow fever vaccination is not mandatory unless entering Kenya from a high-risk country, it is generally advised to get one for your own protection.?
Golf Courses Status	Golf Courses are open to visitors

SRI LANKA

Current Status	Open to visitors.
Entry Requirements to Sri Lanka	Original Vaccination Certificate. Both Covishield and Covaxin are permitted. A negative PCR test report for Covid-19. The test should be conducted 72 hours prior to arrival. On the arrival day, there will be another PCR test performed at the hotel. For the first two days, one has to only stay at a 'Level 1 or Level 2 Certified Hotel'. Once the test result is negative (the result might take 24-48 hrs), the traveler is free to explore the country. For level 1 & 2 certified hotels, please refer to these links: Level 1 & Level 2 Please refer to this link for other certified hotels The travelers are required to continue the rest of their stay at 3 stars or above-category hotels. For more details, please visit this link?
Sri Lanka Visa Details	There is no visa on arrival scheme currently. Travelers can apply for an Online Tourist Visa @ https://eta.gov.lk/slvisa/ While applying for the online visa, along with the visa fees, one has to pay for PCR Tests (40 USD) and for insurance (12 USD) with one month's cover of 50,000 USD Documents required for the online eVisa: A passport that is valid for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival. A confirmed round trip ticket Evidence of sufficient funds to cover your expenses in Sri Lanka. Confirmed hotel reservation at Level 1 / 2 Safe & Secure Certified hotel (compulsory for the first 2 nights) & for the rest of the nights, it can be any 3-star or above hotel.
State of affairs in Sri Lanka	Covid Scenario: COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Sri Lanka, with 2,700 + new infections reported on average each day. Vaccination Drive in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has had a significant vaccination drive in the last few months & has one of the highest vaccination rates in Asia. More than 6.4 million of the 21 million population have received two vaccine doses
Golf Courses Status	Golf Courses are open to visitors

SPAIN

Current Status	Open to visitors.
Entry Requirements to Spain	Vaccine Certificate - Full vaccination at least 14 days prior to your departure (Only Covishield is accepted not Covaxin) Short-term Tourist Visa (Schengen visa) to visit Spain Travelers have to fill in an online 'Health Control Form' before boarding the flight. The form can be found at this link. Once the form is filled in, the person concerned will receive a QR code, which you will have to show upon arrival in Spain.
Spain Visa Details	Indian travelers will require a short-term Tourist Visa (Schengen visa) to visit Spain Indian travelers must have a Schengen visa or apply for a Spanish visa through the online visa application center, BLS, international. At present, only the Mumbai & Delhi center is processing visa applications. You do not require a confirmed flight ticket for the visa. You can just give the blocked flight itinerary for the visa application You will require a confirmed hotel reservation for the visa application. If the flight gets canceled or persons are unable to travel during the visa period, they are permitted to change the trip dates. In these cases, the new sticker will be issued by the Embassy or Consulate free of charge. However, travelers are required to make a new application. https://india.blsspainvisa.com/index.php is the official website for the Spain visa. Please check the website for more details. The list of documents required for the visa can be found at this link The visa application form can be found at this link BLS Spain has application centers in all the major cities in India. Please visit this link for the contact information of the centers. BLS Spain is also offering a doorstep service for visa processing. Please check this link for more info. The minimum processing time for a Spain visa is 15 working days
Other Details	While you are planning your trip dates, please give yourself ample time as the visa might take a longer time than expected. We suggest at least 3/4 weeks from the date of enquiry.?
Golf Courses Status	Golf Courses are open to visitors

TURKEY

Current Status	Open to visitors of all Nationalities.
Tentative Opening	Opened from 12th June 2020.
COVID-19 Status	Many countries like UK, Ukraine, Hungary & Germany have listed Turkey as a safe destination. Turkey has a detailed certification program for hotels for the Covid-19 pandemic. It must be noted however that Turkey is still registering around 1000 cases every day & there is a recent spike in cases
International Flights	Flights resumed between major European Airports. Turkish Airlines is also flying to a few North American destinations. More destinations are expected to be added once other countries ease restrictions
Other Details	Golf courses, restaurants, cafes, bazars & tourist attractions have been granted permission to open from 1 July
Golf Courses Status	All the golf courses are open to visitors under COVID specific guidelines

INDONESIA

Current Status	Currently closed to all International Tourists.
Tentative Opening	There is no announcement on the date of opening to international tourists. Indonesia is keen on opening Bali, Bintan & Batam intitally.
COVID-19 Status	More than 80,000 cases with deaths topping 3,600. More cases being registered every day. Source says, Coronavirus cases to peak this month in Indonesia.
International Flights	Commercial flights are yet to be resumed.
Other Details	Bali planned to reopen from October but canceled its plans & might not open until 2021.
Golf Courses Status	Golf Courses are open to locals