The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on 17 July amended its India travel advisory, adding two items that corporate travel managers should note. First, all inbound passengers must now complete an online health self-declaration up to 24 hours before arrival, part of India’s AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 response to Ebola outbreaks in central Africa. Second, British nationals of Indian origin holding the new electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) card may present the digital document instead of the phased-out booklet at immigration. Travellers who fail to file the health form risk being sent to secondary screening and possible quarantine if symptomatic. Airlines have started integrating a ‘form-check’ into their web check-in flows, but anecdotal reports suggest ground staff are still adjusting. Mobility teams should send automated reminders with the form link and advise assignees to keep a PDF copy of the submission confirmation. The advisory does not change the U.K.’s own entry rules but may affect itinerary planning for executives shuttling between London and Indian metros. The Ebola requirement applies even to fully vaccinated passengers and regardless of prior travel history, though the form specifically asks about visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. In parallel, India’s Bureau of Immigration is expected to phase out manual verification of physical OCI booklets by year-end, making the e-OCI indispensable for diaspora travellers who wish to use automated e-gates.
