110 nations have agreed to mutual recognition of Covid vax certificates with India

New Delhi, Nov 18: So far 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates with India, official sources said on Thursday.

The Union government continues to be in communication with the rest of the world so that beneficiaries of the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination program are accepted and recognised, thereby easing travel for education, business and tourism purposes.

At present, 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and also those who recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/nationally approved COVID vaccines, the official sources said.

There are countries which have agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines. Similarly, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines, according to the Health Ministry guidelines.

On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from all such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians are allowed certain relaxations on arrival (Category A countries), the guidelines read. If a traveller is fully vaccinated and coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine.

They shall self monitor their health for 14 days' post arrival. If partially or not vaccinated, the travellers need to undertake measures which include submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor of their health for next 7 days.

"Fifteen days must have elapsed since completion of COVID-19 vaccination schedule," the guidelines said. Travellers from countries excluding those countries at risk, will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days' post arrival. This is applicable to travellers from all countries including Countries with which reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines also exist.