Travel Advisory

MFA website: https://www.mfa.gov.bt/?p=11725

DrukAir:https://drukair.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/cms/travel-advisory/GuidelinesforInternationalarrivalsdated30thNovember2021%20%281%29.pdf

All international passengers arriving from at-risk countries (Countries at-risk) will be required to take COVID-19 Test at any Indian airport/landport/seaport. International passengers arriving from destinations other than at-risk countries including Bhutan will be subject to random post arrival testing. This is regardless of the passengers’ vaccination status and negative Test result from the origin country. 2% of the total flight passengers in every flight shall be randomly tested at their own cost.  

COVID-19 PCR Test, which has a wait time of about 6 – 8 hours at the airport will be charged or will be available at Nu. 500 per test. Alternatively COVID-19 Rapid Test with the wait time of 30 minutes to 1 hour at the airport will be available at Nu. 4,000 per test. 

Travellers who test positive will be managed at the isolation facility and treated as per the SOP laid down in the guidelines. All expenses related to the treatment and isolation facility have to be borne by the travellers themselves. 

The above travel restrictions and guidelines shall be applicable to all travelers travelling via air or land. 

1. Australia’s international border is still closed. There are strict border measures in place. There are, however, exemptions for the following:

• Permanent Residents and their dependents with valid visas (subclass 100, 309, 801, 820, 101, 102 and 445)
• Diplomats accredited to Australia.
• Students in the final two years of study of a medical, dental, nursing or allied health profession university degree with evidence of confirmed placement. 
• Spouses can visit their spouses already studying in Australia. They can apply for visa sub-class 600 (visitor visa). This visa is to visit Australia as a tourist, to see family and friends or for purposes other than business or medical treatment. They can stay up to 12 months. However, approval will be on a case-by-case basis.

2. Those who already have a visa have to apply for entry approval.
3. For those beyond the exempted category, entry into Australia can only be approved on compelling grounds. They must process a separate entry exemption with the Department of Home Affairs. Further, States have their own restrictions, and additional exemption must be processed from the respective State Government as well. 
4. Applications for exemptions from Department of Home Affairs must be submitted at least two weeks, but not more than two months before travel at the following link: https://travel-exemptions.homeaffairs.gov.au/tep 
5. Exemptions are only granted on compelling and compassionate grounds. 
6. From 22 January 2021, travelers are required to produce a Negative Covid-19 PCR test taken 72 hours before departure.
7. Travelers must also complete the mandatory Australian Travel Declaration form at least 72 hours before departure. It collects contact details in Australia, flight details, quarantine requirements and health status.
8. Travelers must also undertake mandatory 14 day quarantine at their own cost. 
9. Australian Government maintains an updated and reliable website on immigration related issues including travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. All information can be found at www.covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au  https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions

 India and Australia signed an air bubble arrangement whereby designated airlines (Qantas and Indian Airlines) of both countries are allowed to operate a limited number of direct flights between the respective countries. This arrangement will also allow Bhutanese citizens to travel through India provided the passenger is eligible to enter Australia as per the regulations issued by the Australian Government.

Bhutan has now been upgraded to Category II with effect from 12th October 2021. With the upward revision, travelers from the Bhutan who have been approved for entry to Singapore will be required to do a Pre-Departure PCR Test within 48 hours and an on-arrival PCR Test. However, Stay Home Notice (SHN) will be reduced from 10 days to seven days at either a dedicated SHN facility/self-sourced hotel/residence. PCR tests will be conducted on arrival and on the 7^th day of the SHN. While short-term visitors are not allowed under this category, entry to Singapore on an application and approval basis for Work Permit holders, Residents, Students, and medical cases will continue to be processed.

The new updates on the border opening measures can be assessed through the following link:

https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/wphl/shn-and-swab-summary

Transportation of passengers, please visit the link provided below for the group of countries. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fs-CswyN4xZX5YsRlS5BTt0LHX1dV4pK/view

Travelers are allowed to enter UK. Bhutan has been registered to the list of countries that will be exempted from the requirement to self-isolate for two weeks on arrival in the UK effective from 28 November 2020. However, it may be noted that this exemption is only valid for travel to England and not in other regions. Further, the above remains subject to change depending on the epidemiological situation in UK.

All air travellers 5 years of age or older will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result to the airline prior to boarding international flights bound for Canada. Documentation of a negative laboratory test result must be presented to the airline prior to boarding a flight to Canada. The test must be performed using a COVID-19 molecular polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) test and must be taken within 72 hours prior to the traveller’s scheduled departure to Canada. Anyone who receives a negative test result and is authorized to enter Canada must still complete the full, mandatory 14-day quarantine (unless specifically exempted from the mandatory requirement to quarantine). 

With limited exceptions, air travellers will also be required to reserve, prior to departure to Canada, a 3-night stay in a government-authorized hotel. Travellers will be able to book their government-authorized stay starting February 18, 2021. These new measures are in addition to existing mandatory pre-boarding and health requirements for air travellers.

All travelers whether arriving by land or air will be required to submit their travel and contact information, including a suitable quarantine plan, electronically via ArriveCAN before crossing the border or boarding a flight.

For more updated information refer the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/11/government-of-canada-introduces-additional-measures-to-address-covid-19-omicron-variant-of-concern.html

2. Further, the limit of 35 passengers on each flight or 1000

passengers per day travelling to Kuwait International Airport ending on

February 6 has been extended till the end of February 2021.  

3. Impose one-week institutional quarantine on all arrivals to

Kuwait at their own expenses at a hotel as of 21 February 2021 and another week quarantine at home. 

Visitors spending more than 48 hours in Greater Male will have to take another PCR test and there will be health checks on arrival at the airport.      

2. Qatari nationals and Resident Permit holders are allowed to enter

3. Departure is allowed for all passengers

Besides, passengers arriving from Countries other than Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Iran, Egypt and Singapore, will not be required to submit a negative PCR test result if they submit a document issued by the relevant country’s official authorities stating that they have been vaccinated at least 14 days before entrance to Turkey and/or have had the disease and cured within the last 6 months. Quarantine measures will not be applied for these passengers. If passengers departing from these countries cannot submit a vaccine certificate or the documents providing that they have had the disease according to the stated rules, submission of a PCR negative test result made maximum 72 hours before the entrance to Turkey or negative rapid antigen test result made maximum 48 hours before the entrance to Turkey will be deemed sufficient.

•         Inbound air traffic will operate at 20% of total current quantum.

•         Air travellers would have to undergo a negative RT-PCR Test before travel to Pakistan, which should not be more than 72 hours old.

•         Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) will be undertaken at the airports; negative cases will undergo ten days of self-quarantine at home and positive cases will be shifted to self-paid quarantine facilities for ten days. Second RT-PCR test for positive passengers will be conducted on the 8th day of quarantine.

•         All inbound travellers will be required to register on Passtrack App. (www.passtrack.nitb.gov.pk)

•         Following passengers shall be exempted from both RT-PCR testing and Passtrack App uploading requirement:

a.  Children below 12 years.

b.  Disabled passengers.

c.  High-level international delegations.

d.  Pakistani deportees

e.      Crew shall only be exempted from PakPass Track App; however, RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen Test shall be mandatory.

Therefore, travellers from Bhutan can travel to Germany if they have been doubly vaccinated with COVISHIELD. All categories of visa can be accepted in Thimphu, including business trip and tourism. The list of recognized vaccines can be consulted at https://www.pei.de/impfstoffe/cpvid-19

https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/covid-19-entry-requirements