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A Complete Vaccination Guide for Indian Students Going to Study Abroad

A Complete Vaccination Guide for Indian Students Going to Study Abroad

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Know everything about the vaccination rules and facilities for Indian students going abroad for higher education. Read the latest COVID-19 vaccination updates here.

Study abroad coronavirus
GyanDhan
Rahul Srivastava
Updated on:  11 Sep 2023  | Reviewed By: 
Aman 
| 16.2K | 9  min read

Indian students have started planning the travel to their study destination abroad as the Fall 2021 academic year is all set to begin. With the new COVID-19 virus variants cropping up and the pandemic still being far over, countries around the world are adopting a cautious approach in permitting overseas students. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario, students traveling to foreign countries for their higher studies have to tackle vaccine-related rules and regulations. Also, students need to have valid copies of the vaccination certificate attached during the visa application.

As the course sessions are going to commence soon, time is of the essence here. In this blog, we will take you through the vaccine norms of different countries, update you on Indian government rules for vaccination of Indian students going to study abroad, quarantine rules of different countries, and the special vaccination sites for students.

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Which vaccine should students take?

Indian students should have the Oxford AstraZeneca make Covishield as currently, that is the only internationally accepted and WHO recognized vaccine available in India. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is still awaiting approval from the WHO. Unless it is approved, the universities abroad will not accept it. Sputnik V is being deployed across India but the current rules of study abroad state that ‘two’ or ‘both’ vaccines should have been inoculated with the prescribed gap. The doses of Sputnik V are not in adequate quantity to meet the needs. 

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What are the country-wise rules for international student travel from India?

In almost every country, vaccination is a must-have criterion for international students to attend physical lectures on campuses. Apart from this, a slew of norms and criteria have been formed across countries for the entry of overseas students. Here’s a lowdown on the rules in major destinations:

The United States

Institutes in the United States are allowing international students' entry into the campus for the Fall session. The vaccine is mandatory for entry. This exception of entry permission is only given to the students as otherwise, travelers can not travel to the US at present. In the case of student travelers, there is a significant caveat that the entry will be provided on a case-to-case basis. It is recommended to apply for a visa in advance as a 'blanket approval' process is not being followed currently. Each and every visa request is being properly scrutinized to check if the physical presence is required on campus or not. Students who were COVID positive in the past 1-2 months may also have to wait for 3-4 months before travel. 

The US CDC has also warned travelers that apart from their two-shot COVID vaccines, students must ensure that their routine vaccines are also in order.

The United Kingdom

The UK has reviewed its three-tier international travel restrictions with a color-coded list of countries (red, amber & green). From  8th August 2021, India will move to the Amber list, from the Red list. Now, Indians reaching the UK after that time can finish the 10-day quarantine at home or in the place they are staying. It is no more mandatory for them to quarantine in a government-managed hotel. In addition, under the UK's voluntary Test to Release scheme, they can select to pay for a private Covid-19 test on day 5 of the quarantine. In case the result is negative, they can end their quarantine. However, before arrival in the UK, Indians have to take a COVID-19 test in the 3 days before they travel and ensure a negative result. They also need to book and pay for the COVID-19 test that is taken after arrival in the UK.

Canada

Just like America, Canada is also offering visas to Indian students on a case-to-case basis. Getting vaccinated from the WHO-approved vaccine list is also a pre-condition for students.

Australia

As the travel restrictions for Indians continue, Australia has proposed to allow students from India with a monthly cap. A few Australian locations are pondering on allowing overseas students at a rate of 800 students per month. This rule is likely to be implemented from the last week of July 2021. Universities in Australia are also planning to let the students enter after one vaccination dose, followed by a health check-up on landing. Formal rules on this are yet to be notified.

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Germany

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, students should be fully vaccinated before flying to Germany. A vaccine certificate is mandatory for Indian students to enter Germany.

France

France has a list of "Green countries" having fewer cases of coronavirus. India does not figure in that list and therefore, Indian students have to fulfill certain criteria. Entry to the students is granted on a case-to-case basis and for this, students have to be fully vaccinated and must travel only after two weeks of the second dose. Also, only those who are inoculated with WHO-approved vaccines are eligible for entry. Students who were COVID positive in the past 14 days prior to the visa application, would have a 4-6 week waiting period before the travel.

Important Note: One thing that is compulsory in all countries is a negative RT-PCR test certificate.

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What are the quarantine rules for international students in different countries?

In the US, s of today's date, students will need to quarantine for 14 days upon the arrival. Even if US Customs does not say that international travelers must quarantine, students must follow the guidance of UCSF's Occupational Health Services (OHS), the unit that maintains the campus-wide policy on quarantining when arriving from overseas. One can contact OHS for more specific questions. 
Students landing in Canada will have to quarantine in a government-authorized hotel. This 3-night hotel stopover is where the student will wait for the COVID-19 arrival test result. If the result is negative, the student will then be able to continue on to the originally planned quarantine location to fulfill the remainder of his/her 14-day quarantine requirements. If the result is positive, the student will be relocated to a designated government quarantine facility for the remainder of his/her 14 days of isolation. In August 2021, the United Kingdom has scrapped the strict 10-day institutional quarantine that had been in force in the past.

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What are the Indian Government's vaccination rules for students going abroad for education?

The Government of India, in June 2021, issued new guidelines for students who are planning to travel abroad for education.
The details of the SOPs for vaccination are:

  • list items Students who need to undertake international travel can get the second dose of the vaccine early- after 28 days of the first shot.
  • list items CoWin certificates of such students will be linked to their passports.
  • list items It is advised that such students should avail of the vaccination through passport, which is a permissible identification document as per the current guidelines. The passport number will be printed on the vaccination certificate as proof of vaccination.
  • list items If the student has not used a passport as a photo ID to administer the first dose, he/she can apply for a separate certificate to link both.
  • list items States and UTs will designate competent authorities to issue another certificate linking the vaccination certificate with the passport.
  • list items Covishield is approved by the WHO for international travel. The simple mention of the type of vaccine as “Covishield” is sufficient and “no other qualifying entries are required”.

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Are there any special vaccination sites for Indian students going to study abroad?

Several states in India have started special vaccination camps for students who are going for abroad studies. These states are:

Delhi: Delhi government has started a special vaccination center for students scheduled to travel abroad. This center us at Navyug School at Mandir Marg. It is important to note that there are 200 slots available on the daily basis and these shots are administered on a first come first serve basis. One must arrive at the center as early as possible as people start coming there as early as 7 AM. The entry starts at 9:30 AM. The first 200 students are given the tokens and they are called in 20 batches. Dependents on F-1 visas are not eligible. Once the number comes, the student is asked for the document mentioning the date of class commencement. Please note that the class commencement date should be before 31st August 2021. An admission letter is also asked for (i20 is accepted) along with the passport. After the document verification, the student is asked to fill the form to register for Covishield second dose. After the inoculation, the student is asked to wait in the room for 30 minutes to check for SMS and any symptoms.

Maharashtra: In the aim to aide students, the Maharashtra government had started a six-day walk-in vaccination drive at various centers in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. In Pune, the vaccination center is at Kamala Nehru Hospital. Mumbai has allotted seven centers as special vaccination sites. These sites are at:

  • list items Kasturba Hospital (Chichpokhli)
  • list items KEM Hospital (Parel)
  • list items 7 Hills Hospital (Andheri East)
  • list items Cooper Hospital (Juhu)
  • list items Centenary Govandi Hospital (Govandi)
  • list items Dahisar Jumbo (Dahisar West)
  • list items Rajawadi Hospital (Ghatkopar East)

In Thane, the special center is located at Majiwada.

Haryana: In a relief for those planning to travel abroad before 31st August 2021 for studies or work, a dedicated vaccination facility is functional at Gurgaon's Sector 31 Polyclinic. Students planning to travel abroad can walk in carrying their university admission letter and passport at the separate counter set up for them. A total number of 100 slots are available daily for three categories- students, sports participants of Tokyo Olympic, and employees going to work abroad.

Karnataka: Karnataka has also started a vaccination drive for students and employees who are set to go abroad for studies or work abroad, and sportspersons who will be going to Tokyo for the Olympics at Bangalore's Central College premises. The second dose will be administered to such students who have completed 28 days after the first dose.

Telangana: The state government launched a special vaccination drive for people traveling abroad for jobs and studies. All the eligible persons can walk into Government Covid Vaccination Centers (GCVC) in nine districts. Students have to bring their passport and visa along with the admission letter at the time of vaccination. Covishield will be administered to every student and the second dose can be taken only after 28 days. The centers are:

  • list items Adilabad (RIMS)
  • list items Nizamabad (Vinayaknagar)
  • list items Karimnagar (Buttarajaram Colony)
  • list items Warangal (Laskar Singaram)
  • list items Khammam (Venkateshwara Nagar)
  • list items Medak
  • list items Mahabubnagar (Ramaiahbowly)
  • list items Nalgonda (Panagal)
  • list items Rangareddy (Saroornagar) 
  • list items Hyderabad at RFPTC, Koti, and Taramaidan in Hussainialam

 

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Gujarat: Students going abroad for studies can go to the special vaccination camp at Community Centre in Surat for priority vaccination. In other cities too, students can contact the district collector with their I-20 or DS-160 form or admission letter and can get the priority vaccination. Students from Rajkot, Surat, Junagadh, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, and Bhavnagar need to contact the respective municipal commissioner of the city for priority vaccination.

Research well before traveling and get both the vaccinations well in time to ensure there’s no obstacle in your journey to the campus of your university! 

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