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Over the past six months, the world’s bucket-list travel destinations have been slowly reopening. Places like Bali and Vietnam have been open to international travellers for a little while now. Others, including the US and Australia, have finally started letting in foreign visitors. But then there’s India.
Travel to and from India has been suspended since the pandemic began, when the country implemented a strict lockdown. In October, chartered flights began landing in the country, but most leisure travellers couldn’t visit until now.
However, as of November 2021, the country will allow in fully-vaccinated travellers from 99 countries, including both the UK and USA. The Indian government will issue half a million tourist visas from now until March 2022.
It’s the first time travel has been allowed since March 2020. Social distancing is still mandatory, with fines in some states, while masks are required on public transport. And the pandemic is far from over, as only 27 percent of the population are fully jabbed.
You should note that each of the country’s 28 states is allowed to set different rules for international arrivals, so restrictions may vary depending which airport you fly into. See here for a state-by-state breakdown.
Also: you’ll have to check that flights are running from your country, as some operators are yet to resume full service. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has strict guidelines on who can book a flight.
That’s no reason not to keep planning that trip, of course. Check out our essential travel guide to the best of India, and start creating that itinerary.