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Travellers from Singapore and five other countries will require a negative Covid-19 test to enter India, effective from Jan. 1, India's Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Mandaviya tweeted this new information on Dec. 29, stating that travellers must upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

It was previously reported that travellers from Singapore would not need to present a negative Covid-19 test in order to visit India.

CNA reported earlier in the day that travellers from Singapore to India will not need to go through mandatory Covid-19 tests to enter the country, citing the High Commission of India (HCI) Singapore.

This came after news outlets, such as the Hindustan Times and Business Standard, reported that travellers from Singapore must present a negative Covid-19 test result to enter India.

Those reports cited India's Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stating that reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests will be mandatory for passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

According to CNA, reports also stated that passengers from the five countries listed above will undergo thermal screening at airports and be placed under quarantine if they display any Covid-19 symptoms or test positive.

Other sources cited incorrect information

A spokesperson from HCI Singapore told CNA that in a video of Mandaviya speaking to a media agency about Covid-19 measures for travellers to India, only China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Bangkok were mentioned.

"Any other source you refer to may have erroneously cited incorrect information," said the spokesperson, CNA reported.

The spokesperson referenced the guidelines that India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued on Dec. 22, which stated that all travellers should "preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against Covid-19 in their country".

For official and verified updates on travel guidelines, it would be safer for people to refer to the Health Ministry's website, added the spokesperson.

The Indian government is looking for new variants of Covid-19 and urged people to wear masks in crowded areas, CNA said, citing an increase in Covid-19 cases globally.

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