110 countries recognise India's Covishield, Covaxin: Source

New Delhi: In what would ease travel for education, business and tourism purposes, 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates with India, said official sources in the Union Health Ministry.

A source with the Ministry said that at present, 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and those who recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield or World Health Organisation(WHO)-approved Covid vaccines.

As per the new travel guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, if a fully vaccinated traveller is coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines, they will be allowed to leave the airport and must self-monitor their health for 14 days' post-arrival.

If partially or not vaccinated travellers visit India, they will have to submit their sample for post-arrival Covid-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport. They will have to undergo home quarantine for seven days and undertake a re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if found negative, further self-monitor their health for the next seven days.

"Travellers arriving from countries excluding those at risk will be allowed to leave the airport and must self-monitor their health for 14 days' post-arrival. This is applicable to travellers from all countries, including with which reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines also exist," said the new international arrival guidelines.

Of eight WHO-approved vaccines against Covid-19 in emergency use listing, two vaccines -- Covaxin and Covishield -- are from India.