If You're Travelling to India, You Need to Fill Out This Form
India mandates Air Suvidha health declaration for international arrivals amid Ebola outbreak.
All international travelers arriving in India must now complete a mandatory health self-declaration form prior to landing, as the country's civil aviation authority rolls out new screening measures in response to a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.
The Air Suvidha 2.0 portal was launched on Thursday, June 25, following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17.
Mandatory Pre-Arrival Declaration
Under the new protocol, every passenger arriving from abroad is required to fill out the online Airsuvidha Self Declaration Form (SDF). The digital form mandates disclosure of:
- Travel history for the past 21 days.
- Exposure history to infected individuals or areas.
- Symptoms, if any, related to the virus.
The form must be completed within 24 hours of starting the journey to India, ideally during web check-in before boarding. Travelers are required to download the completed SDF and present it at the International Travel Health Desk or the Immigration counter upon arrival.
"This enables real-time data sharing with the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, IDSP, and State Surveillance Officers," stated a joint release by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The system allows authorities to swiftly identify and refer at-risk travelers while ensuring the arrival experience remains contactless, eliminating the need to fill out physical paperwork on the ground.
A Serious Threat
The measure comes as the current outbreak, confirmed as the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola (BVD), continues to spread in northeastern DR Congo and Uganda. Countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, including South Sudan, have been assessed as high-risk zones for transmission.
Unlike other strains of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo virus. The disease, transmitted through close contact and bodily fluids, has historically killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years. Authorities warn that the virus may have spread "under the radar" for some time before its detection earlier this month.
Global Response and Urgent Warning
The WHO and the African CDC have announced a $518 million plan to combat the outbreak over the next six months, focusing on bolstering surveillance, laboratory testing, and infection prevention.
"The outbreak is moving fast, and we are still playing catch-up," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He emphasized the critical nature of early detection, stating, "We need to stop the outbreak where it is, support countries that are responding today, and ensure that neighbouring countries are ready to detect and act quickly if cases appear."
Indian authorities have urged all international travelers to complete their self-declarations accurately and in advance. Failure to provide a valid SDF could result in delays at immigration or denial of entry until health status can be verified.
As the virus spreads, nations across the region are tightening borders and enhancing screening protocols to prevent the pathogen from crossing into populations outside the immediate outbreak zone.