The Union Home Ministry on Sunday issued revised guidelines for the international arrivals and persons stranded in India for travelling to their country or having visa to a particular country. Indians having visa to a foreign country would also be allowed to travel.

The new guidelines are basically issued for those stranded in other countries and wanted to visit India in medical emergencies or death of the family members.

The circular issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the expenses should be borne by the travellers and the travel list will be prepared by the concerned Indian missions.

The passengers must consent to being subjected to the quarantine norms on arrival, it said adding that the travellers’ list must be finalized two days in advance.

“Priority will be given to compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers/ labourers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with expiry visas, persons with medical emergencies/pregnant women/ elderly, those required to return India due to death of family member, and students,” the MHA said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will have nodal officers to oversee the arrival of stranded persons to India.

Based on the registrations received, MEA will prepare flight/ship wise database of all such travellers and their full details. MEA’s digital platform will display the details of selected persons in two days advance. “All travellers will also be required to give an undertaking that they are making the journey at their own risk. Passengers arriving through land borders will also have to undergo the same protocol and only those who are asymptomatic will be enabled to cross the border into India,” said the new guidelines.

MHA said that those persons who wanted to go abroad have to get in touch with Civil Aviation Ministry’s designated agency. “Only those persons shall be allowed to travel to the destination countries, who are citizens of that country or who hold visa of at least one year duration of that country or green card holder of that country or OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card holder. In cases of medical emergency or death in the family, Indian Nationals holding six months visa can also be allowed,” said the MHA’s new guidelines allowing people to travel abroad.

Indian seafarers and crew working in foreign firms would also be allowed to travel.