Amid fears of a new, more virulent strain of COVID emerging out of India, many countries are blocking off travel from India. Here’s an update list:

AUSTRALIA

All direct passenger flights from India have been suspended until 15 May. Flights between the two countries were limited already and travel was restricted to a very small group of people—mostly resident Australians. But now, all flights have been pulled.

SWITZERLAND

All travellers from India will now have to spend 10 days in quarantine on entering the country. Even a negative RT-PCR test won’t help. There are currently no scheduled flights between India and Switzerland, though travellers can enter via other countries. One such traveller tested positive recently.

GERMANY

Germany has blocked nearly all travel from India for now. It will only allow German nationals or passengers holding German residency permits to enter the country. Even these persons will have to produce a negative COVID report before departure and undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival. While this rule also applies to those travelling to Schengen destinations via Germany, transit to non-Schengen destinations is allowed for all nationalities.

ITALY

Like German, only Italian residents are allowed entry to Italy from India, that too after clearing a COVID test before departure. They will have quarantine on arrival. All other foreign travellers who have been in India in the preceding 14 days are banned from entering Italy.

BANGLADESH

No passengers travelling from India via land will be allowed to enter Bangladesh from April 26 for the next 14 days. Air travel to Bangladesh has been suspended since 14 April.

FRANCE

France has imposed a mandatory 10-day quarantine for passengers arriving from India. The air bubble between India and France connects Paris to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi.

UK

The United Kingdom has banned most travel from India starting Friday, 23 April. The UK has placed India on its Red List, which means travellers will be denied entry if they have been in India in the past 10 days. Exceptions will be made for British and Irish passport-holders and UK residents. Flights have not officially been suspended—and technically, you can fly into India. But Air India has cancelled all ops between India and the UK till 30 April.

OMAN

Oman is currently not accepting any passengers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Anyone who has been in these countries in the preceding 14 days won’t be permitted to enter till further notice.

UAE

UAE has also restricted travel from India till Monday, 3 May. Indians won’t be allowed to enter through any other country either. However, flights from Dubai to India will be permitted, while on the way back, there may be concessions for UAE nationals.

Even those countries that have very restricted flight connections with India are being cautious. New Zealand is not letting anyone into their country if they have been in India recently—not even their own citizens.

MALDIVES

Contrary to reports, most of the Maldives is still open to Indian travellers. The country’s Health Protection Agency has only restricted travel to “inhabited” local islands starting 27 April, which means isles that have a local Maldivian population. Tourists from India are still welcome at the many island resorts in the country.

Per the set of rules issued on Monday, tourists arriving to the Maldives from India (including those exceeding transit stays of 24 hours) who have completed the prescribed dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, clear the RT-PCR test prior to entry. The sample must be taken not more than 96 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure from the first port of embarkation en-route to the Maldives. They will also have to take another RT-PCR test for COVID- l9 within a maximum of 72 hours prior to their departure from the Maldives.

However, tourists won’t be allowed at guesthouses and hotels in “Inhabited Islands”. But even this rule does not apply to hotels and guesthouses in secluded areas of these islands.