Mumbai’s RT-PCR requirement for arrival: things to know for transit travellers

Earlier this week, Maharashtra’s Government had implemented a new requirement, asking for people flying in from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa to carry an RT-PCR negative test report (sample taken within 72 hours of scheduled arrival at Maharashtra airport). This caused a lot of confusion since the rules were not clearly drafted, and posted at very short notice (the notification came 30 hours out for a rule which needed 72 hours notice, at least) and hence there was no clarity in the interpretation. For instance, there was no news about if people travelling from another point in North India via Delhi to Mumbai on a flight would need to do this certification or not.

Delhi Mumbai Flight Group

Now, there seems to be some clarity setting in, as airports, clueless before, make their interpretations, which may or may not be correct, but are going to be the norm for now. I’m writing this article based on what I hear from Mumbai Airport. Here is the official statement sent to me by CSMIA Mumbai last evening:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has created a dedicated zone for domestic passengers arriving from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan who are required to undergo the RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport. Passengers will be directed to the test zone located near the baggage carousel to undertake the test before exiting the airport.

In keeping with the latest edict from the State of Maharashtra, passengers arriving at CSMIA from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan are required to provide proof of a negative RT-PCR test prior to boarding their flight or undertake the test upon arrival at Mumbai. Since the implementation of the new directive on 25th November 2020, CSMIA has tested over 200 passengers who have arrived from these earmarked regions, of which none have tested positive for COVID-19.

If you can’t get tested outside Mumbai per the norms, you will be asked to get tested once at Mumbai Airport, before being let go. The cost of the test is INR 1,400.

There was considerable confusion on the rules for transit passengers. Here is some clarity from Mumbai Airport again.

  • Travelling from one of the airports above, such as Delhi Airport as a transit passenger: Let’s say you are travelling Lucknow-Delhi-Mumbai or Kullu-Delhi-Pune or some such routing where you used Delhi Airport only as a transit point, and not exiting the airport. In this case, you would not need to be carrying a test report. However, you will need to share both your boarding passes for verification to be able to exit the airport.

  • Travelling via Mumbai Airport as a transit passenger: Let’s say you are travelling Lucknow-Mumbai-Goa some such routing where you used Mumbai Airport only as a transit point, and not exiting the airport. In this case, you would not need to be carrying a test report.

Bottomline

If you are travelling to Mumbai via a hub airport such as Delhi, you are not going to need a test report as long as you do not exit the airport. Similarly, if you are using the Mumbai airport to transit to another city, you won’t need a test report as well, as long as you are not exiting the city.

Have you travelled through Mumbai Airport recently and needed to share a CoVid-19 test report? 


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About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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  1. i will be arriving om 30 jul from DMM via DOH-MUM and traveling by domestic flight 6 hrs. later MUM-IXE, will the negative RT-PCR test of Saudi be valid as it issued 72 hrs, before or I have to again take RT-PCR test at Mumbai

  2. If I am travelling by road from Dadra Nagar Haveli to Mumbai airport to catch flight to Bangalore whether I need to covid test report

  3. I am traveling from toronto to mumbai via delhi and i am getting my test done here 72 hrs before i board here, by the time i reach mumbai it will be more than 72 hrs do i need to test again in mumbai? Please help. Note: i am not exciting delhi airport.

    • @Siddharth, as long as you are not leaving the DEL airport, and you already have the exemption sanctioned to not have to do institutional quarantine, you won’t need a separate test.

      • Thanks Ajay. I was so confused as i heard rumors that one still needs to get test done at the airport as he /she is coming from delhi.

      • Hii Ajay.
        I am traveling from Doha to Delhi transiting to Mumbai on 30th dec. do I have to pass quarantine in Mumbai.? Pls help me

  4. Hello, I am travelling from Raipur to Bahrain via Mumbai. Since i have to layover one day in Mumbai due to flight connectivity, Whether i have to undergo for COVID PCR Test prior to travelling from Raipur.

  5. We are planning to visit delhi for 2 days. If I get my reports from Mumbai before I leave for Delhi, then do I still need to go through this tests the time I return back to Mumbai.
    N how do I follow the quarantine rule as we will be visiting delhi for 2 days

    Plz help

  6. Implementation at Mumbai airport is pathetic. People were easily able to bypass the requirement and simply walk out of the airport. First hand news from people I know returning from one of these locations.

  7. I am travelling from mumbai to goa for less than 72hrs, so can i get myself tested in mumbai itself as report takes 2 days and will be within 72 hrs of boarding.

    Please help

  8. My resident is not in Delhi, I am from Bareilly Uttar pradesh but I need to take off from Delhi to pune. Did I require RT Pcr test report.

  9. I have given my Covid 19 test sample on 28 November 2020 I have got one report today. They said you will get Rt pcr report in 2/3days. My train is on 2nd December 2020 from New Delhi to bandra terminus.
    Can I come with that report?

  10. I will be travellng from Mumbai to Delhi on 15 feb. And will be travelling to Rampur UP by car which is a 4 hour journey. And will be back to Mumbai on 8 March via Delhi. Do i need to get RT-PCR test done before i take Mumbai flight from Delhi.

  11. I am staying in Mumbai , and will be boarding Mumbai Goa flight in the Morning and will be returning back from Goa to Mumbai on the same day in the evening , in that case whether the new protocol of COVID test will be applicable.

  12. I am traveling from Goa to Mumbai via flight, so I would need to get tested at Goa Airport or at Mumbai airport

    • Going by the interpretation, passengers with such routing will need to carry a -ve covid test before boarding or get themselves tested at Mumbai before exiting the airport.

    • I am going to trevel from mumbai to Lucknow and i live in vapi gujrat, in this case RT PCR is required, I will go mumbai with train, please guide me

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