If you are located outside Goa, Gujurat, or Pune, you are responsible for getting to the Consulate on your own, but transportation from the Consulate to the airport will be provided and charged as part of the promissory note (DS-5528) process.  We recognize that, in these extraordinary circumstance, public and private transportation options are limited.  To facilitate your search, we will provide a letter of safe passage in a subsequent email that should help you secure transportation and that you can show to police if you are stopped en route to the Consulate.  We encourage travelers to start making plans early for how they plan to get to the Consulate on the day of the flight.

The promissory note (DS-5528) serves as a loan repayment agreement with the Department of State for your evacuation loan/repatriation flight and includes information about repayment options that should be completed within thirty days of arrival in the United States.  U.S. law requires that departure assistance to private U.S. citizens or third country nationals be provided “on a reimbursable basis to the maximum extent practicable.”  By taking a U.S. government coordinated transport, evacuees are obligated to repay the cost of their transportation.  The amount billed to evacuees is based on the cost of a full fare economy flight, or comparable alternate transportation, to the designated destination(s) that would have been charged immediately prior to the events giving rise to the evacuation.  Because different repatriation charter flights may go to different destinations, the cost of one may be different than another. Visit travel.state.gov at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/for-evacuated-citizens.html for additional information on evacuation loan repayments, and other useful information on the role of the U.S. Government in a crisis.

Per the Indian Government, you will be able to depart India on an expired visa with no penalty.  However, travelers should contact the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) before travel to ensure they have the appropriate exit permission.  Visas may be extended until midnight on April 15, 2020 by making an application online through the FRRO website.

Only individuals holding a currently valid U.S. travel document will be permitted to board.

If you have already received an email inviting you to confirm your seat, carefully follow the instructions provided and respond by the requested deadline.  If you have not received an email offering you a seat on a repatriation flight, please continue to monitor your email to learn if seats become available.  We will inform you via e-mail if we are able to accommodate you (and any other travel companions) on a repatriation flight.  The email will contain detailed instructions on next steps.

Space is limited on repatriation flights being arranged by the U.S. Government.  We will likely not be able to accommodate everyone who would like to return to the United States.  Seats on U.S. government repatriation flights are allocated based on established evacuation guidelines that prioritize passengers using a variety of criteria, including age, medical conditions, susceptibility to infection, and other special circumstances.  Anyone who would still like to travel, but has not received notification of their high priority status, should register their interest if they haven’t already done so by filling out the form at https://tinyurl.com/uscit-india, then check their email regularly to learn if seats become available.

As of this writing U.S. federal authorities are not implementing mandatory quarantines.  However, the CDC has recommended all international travelers self-isolate for a period of 14 days following international travel.  Quarantine mandates could change by the time you arrive in Atlanta.

As of this writing, the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport is operating U.S. domestic flights.  Passengers are responsible for making onward travel arrangements from Atlanta.  Airport ticketing offices, ground transportation, and other services are open.  You may consider checking http://www.atl.com/ before your flight.

You will pass through two checkpoints—customs and immigration checks, and a health screening.  You may experience longer than normal lines at each of these steps of the U.S. arrival process.

Due to the global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide demand for repatriation assistance, we cannot guarantee any additional U.S. State Department-chartered flights will be available for U.S. citizens wishing to depart India.

The nationwide lockdown in India is in effect through April 14, 2020 in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  As a result, all commercial flights have been suspended until mid-April at the earliest.  We are unable to predict if the suspension will continue past April 15.

The U.S. Consulate will provide each passenger one surgical mask.  You may bring additional personal protective equipment (PPE) if you have it.

The airline operating the charters, Delta Airlines, will provide limited meals.  However, we cannot guarantee what type of meal(s) will be served on the flight.  We recommend travelers with dietary restrictions plan accordingly.

No.  To ensure the maximum number of U.S. citizens can be offered flights, we must assign your departure date.

A limited number of vital service animals may be permitted to board the flight, provided they meet vaccination and other animal transport requirements.  Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy animals are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA and will not be permitted to board the flight.  Please respond to this notification email immediately at MumbaiEvac@state.gov if you require a service animal.

Families with a child younger than five who require a stroller may bring one.

Symptomatic individuals will be denied boarding.  If you are experiencing symptoms, please let us know immediately by emailing MumbaiEvac@state.gov so that we may offer your ticket to another passenger.  Call the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 24/7 coronavirus hotline: +91-11-23978046 or toll free: 1075 if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Immediate family members (minor children and spouses) holding valid U.S. travel documents such as green cards or visas may be able to accompany a U.S. citizen traveler if space becomes available.  To register your interest in traveling on a repatriation flight, please out the form at https://tinyurl.com/uscit-india.  You will be notified by email if you and/or your family members have been placed on a high priority list for a repatriation flight.

Only immediate family members (spouses and minor children) with valid U.S. travel documents may accompany a U.S. citizen traveler.  Household staff and nannies are also not considered immediate family members and are not eligible for U.S. Government-sponsored evacuation.