India Launches Air Suvidha 2.0: What Every International Traveller Needs To Know

Add as a preferred source on Google

When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak a global health emergency on 17 May 2026, India moved quickly. Within weeks, the government had relaunched a digital surveillance tool that many travellers had not thought about since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo Credit: Canva

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) launched Air Suvidha 2.0 on 25 June 2026 - an upgraded, contactless Passenger Health Self-Declaration Portal, designed to strengthen disease surveillance at India's international airports. For every passenger arriving in India from abroad, this form is now mandatory.

What Triggered The Move

Photo Credit: Canva

The initiative follows the WHO's declaration of the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 17 May 2026, under the International Health Regulations. The strain at the centre of this outbreak - Bundibugyo virus disease, or BVD - is a type of Ebola-related viral haemorrhagic fever. It is a serious and often deadly disease, with no approved vaccines or specific treatments currently available.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda announced on 17 June 2026 that India pledged USD 10 million for Ebola preparedness, response, and recovery, and has already delivered 45 tonnes of medical supplies to Africa. The Air Suvidha relaunch is part of that broader response framework.

What The Form Asks - And Why It Matters

All arriving international passengers are required to fill the Health Self Declaration Form. It helps assess potential Ebola virus exposure through your 21-day travel history, exposure details, and any related symptoms—enabling timely monitoring and intervention when needed.… pic.twitter.com/Yq6tJAx6Fi

— Bureau of Immigration, Government of India (@BOIndiaOfficial) June 26, 2026

Developed in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the portal requires international passengers to submit a mandatory online Health Self-Declaration covering their 21-day travel history, exposure history, and any related symptoms, prior to immigration clearance.

The Self Declaration Form can be completed up to 24 hours before arriving in India. Passengers are advised to submit it before boarding their flights, preferably during web check-in, to facilitate faster processing and clearance on landing. Once submitted, the form - along with its QR code acknowledgement - is all passengers need to show at the International Travel Health Desk or immigration counter.

The form is not just a bureaucratic checkpoint. The portal enables real-time data sharing with the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, and State Surveillance Officers - allowing swift identification and referral of travellers who may be at risk. BW Health

Who Needs To Fill It

All international arrivals to India are required to complete the form - regardless of whether they have travelled to Ebola-affected regions. While the primary purpose is to identify and segregate travellers with recent travel history to Ebola-affected countries, the declaration is mandatory for every incoming international passenger.

Those who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days face the highest level of scrutiny. Travellers with fever or other symptoms that could indicate Ebola receive additional evaluation by public health officers. If an assessment suggests a traveller may be sick, they are transferred to a hospital for medical evaluation, isolation, and care.

What Happens If You Skip It

Incomplete declarations will slow down your immigration clearance. For travellers coming from high-risk regions, the stakes are higher - non-compliance could lead to enhanced screening, extended assessment, or referral for medical evaluation. The form is not optional, and the system is live.

Bottomline

Ebola is not on Indian soil - and that, in part, is because systems like Air Suvidha exist. The Health Self-Declaration Form takes minutes to complete and can be filled out on your phone before you even board. The 21-day travel history it asks for is not bureaucratic overreach; it is the window within which Ebola symptoms typically appear. Filling the form is the simplest thing a traveller can do to protect not just themselves, but everyone they come into contact with after landing.