India makes online health declaration mandatory for all international arrivals

The Air Suvidha 2.0 portal collects travel history, symptom data, and risk exposure information, and shares it in real time with health and immigration agencies

Every international passenger arriving in India must now complete a mandatory online health declaration before going through immigration. The requirement is being enforced through Air Suvidha 2.0, a digital health form that collects travel history, symptom information, and risk exposure data from incoming travelers, according to a press release from the Indian government.

The system was launched by India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) in partnership with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Many travelers will recognize the Air Suvidha name from the COVID-19 years, but this version has been rebuilt around a different threat: the Ebola/Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, which the WHO declared a global public health emergency on May 17, 2026.

How to complete the declaration

The form is available at airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in and can be filled in up to 24 hours before landing in India. Authorities are encouraging passengers to take care of it during online check-in to keep things moving at the airport.

Before opening the form, travelers should have the passport page they'll be traveling on, their flight booking details, where they're staying in India, and a reachable email and mobile number to hand.

The declaration asks travelers to provide who they are, what passport they hold, how they're getting to India, which airport they land at first, any countries they passed through on the way, and everywhere they have been in the three weeks prior. There is also a section covering potential risk exposure and any symptoms the traveler may be experiencing.

The process involves several stages: filling in biographical and trip data, providing and validating contact details through a one-time password, answering the health screening questions, and doing a final check of everything before hitting submit. After that, the system issues a registration number, and the traveler must download the completed Self Declaration Form (SDF). It should be kept on a phone or printed out, as officials at the International Travel Health Desk or the immigration counter may ask to see it.

What happens if you have symptoms or have been exposed

Anyone who is suspected of or confirmed to have Ebola-related risk factors must go straight to the health screening station or Airport Health Officer at the terminal and complete a check before joining the immigration queue.

If symptoms consistent with Ebola develop within 21 days of arriving in India, travelers should see a doctor without delay and make sure they mention where they have been traveling. The government has also directed people to India's national helpline at 1075 and the email address [email protected] for further guidance.

How traveler data flows through the system

A central feature of Air Suvidha 2.0 is its ability to push the information passengers submit to multiple Indian agencies simultaneously. These include the Airport Health Officer, the Bureau of Immigration, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), and State Surveillance Officers. The real-time sharing is designed to help authorities identify high-risk passengers quickly and pull them into health assessments before they leave the airport.

This is separate from the eArrival Card

Travelers need to understand that the health declaration and India's eArrival Card are two different requirements that exist for different reasons.

The eArrival Card is an immigration formality with a 72-hour submission window before arrival. Air Suvidha 2.0 is a health-specific declaration with a 24-hour window. Both must be completed before reaching India, and one does not replace the other.

Neither form serves as a substitute for a visa or eVisa either. Travelers whose nationality requires an Indian visa must still obtain one through the appropriate channel. The health declaration and the eArrival Card sit on top of whatever entry authorization already applies to the individual traveler.