The U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pushed out an India travel-advice update late on 18 July, flagging two changes that international travellers—and the global mobility teams that guide them—must factor into trip planning. First, all passengers arriving in India must now complete an online health self-declaration within 24 hours of departure specifically addressing exposure to Ebola virus disease. The form, accessible via the Air Suvidha portal, will generate a QR code that airlines are instructed to check at boarding and that immigration officials may scan on arrival. Airlines that board non-compliant travellers can be fined under the new Public Health Contingency Regulations. Second, the notice confirms that India’s new electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) card is fully accepted at immigration checkpoints. Existing OCI booklet holders can continue to travel on the physical document, but all new issuances from 8 July are digital only. The e-OCI must be downloaded to a mobile device or printed as a PDF; no fees apply. British nationals of Indian origin who previously queued at FRROs to update passport numbers can now do so online in minutes, eliminating a frequent administrative pain-point for U.K. companies that rotate senior managers to India. The advisory retains long-standing warnings against travel within 10 km of the international border with Pakistan and to parts of Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir, areas where corporate travel insurers may exclude cover. Mobility managers should therefore continue to vet itineraries against those exclusions. Action items: update pre-departure checklists to include the Ebola form, brief assignees on the e-OCI download process, and reconfirm that travel insurance remains valid for red-zone regions before approving trips.
Source: GOV.UK – Foreign Travel Advice
