Name of the Pass | Universal Travel Pass |
Travel Category Level | 5 Levels |
Launched by | Maharashtra Government |
Adopted by | Central Government |
Applicable | Across the country |
Official Website | |
E-Pass User Manual |
What is Universal Pass?
Maharashtra’s state government had launched an online e-pass called Universal pass that will authenticate and allow fully vaccinated citizens to travel hassle-free during the Covid-19 restriction. This pass is a certificate that you have been fully vaccinated with both doses and have completed 14 days after taking the second dose.
It was launched by the Maharashtra state disaster management authority to allow fully-vaccinated people against Covid-19 to travel easily in local trains, metros, buses, and monorails in Mumbai. However, the pass was later adopted by Central Government for all citizens of India.
The disaster management authority of Maharashtra has planned five levels of restrictions that a city or district will have based on the severity of the spread. Each Universal Pass will have a level mentioned on the pass. If the state has been imposed with a level 3 restriction, then a person with a travel pass with level 3 or more can easily travel without any restriction. However, if states have been imposed level 5 restrictions, only a person with Universal Pass level 5 can travel without restriction.
To travel in suburban trains, it is mandatory that you should have Universal Travel Pass. You need to show your e-pass at the ticket window of the suburban station to book your train ticket. Even booking the ticket through UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) app, ask for Universal Pass ID, which was removed after 1st April 2022.
On 2nd April 2022, Maharashtra State Government decided to lift all covid restrictions. Currently, Universal Pass is not mandatory to travel in Maharashtra.
Who can apply for the Universal Travel Pass?
1. The person should have taken two doses of Covid Vaccine and completed 14 days from their second dose of COVID-19 vaccination
2. Only an adult is eligible to apply for e-pass having an age above 18 years.
What are the Five Levels of Restriction Plan?
Maharashtra Disaster Management Authority has come up with five levels restriction plan that shall be enforced based on the covid positivity rate and severity. As per the order, the cities and districts falling under Level 1 will have the least restriction, and those under Level 5 will have the maximum curb.
Level 1 are the districts and cities with less than 5 percent positivity rate and less than 25 percent oxygen bed occupancy. Level 2 are those with less than a 5 percent positivity rate, and oxygen bed occupancy is between 25 to 40 percent. Districts and cities with more than 20 percent positivity rate and more than 75 percent oxygen bed occupancy will fall under level-5. – Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
For level 1, there are no restrictions on the movement. In Level 2, five or more people are not allowed to come together without a valid reason; however, movement of individuals are allowed. Similarly, in Level 3, no gathering of more than five people are allowed till evening 5 PM, after which a complete curfew will be imposed till morning. For levels 4 and 5, a complete curfew will be enforced except for the persons involved in emergency and essential services. Inter-district travel is allowed for levels 1 to 4, but for level 5, you will need an e-pass mandatory for travel.
Why Universal Travel Pass Required?
The QR-based Universal Travel Pass is mandatory for a person to travel within the city, district, or state when a certain level of restriction has been imposed. It is also convenient for the traveller to show the e-pass while travelling across the country.
Can the e-pass be used all across India?
Yes, this pass is valid in all states of India. As mentioned above, the e-pass was initially launched by Maharashtra Government but was later adopted by the Central Government for all citizens of India.
How to apply for Universal Travel Pass Online
To apply for e-Pass online, please follow the below-given steps:
1. Go to epassmsdma.mahait.org (Official Site).
2. Click on “Universal Pass For Double Vaccinated Citizens” under the “Citizen” category.
3. Enter your mobile number used during CoWIN registration.
4. Enter the OTP that you have received on your mobile phone.
5. The page will show all your vaccination details. Click on the “Generate Pass” button.
6. The page will show all your details. Click on the “Upload Photo” link and select your picture.
Please note: Image size should be less than 3MB.
7. Select the declaration and click on the “Apply” button
The page will show a message that “Universal Pass will be sent to you in 24 Hrs on SMS”
Once you get an SMS confirmation that your Universal Travel Pass is approved, you can go to epassmsdma.mahait.org. Click on “Universal Pass For Double Vaccinated Citizens” under the “Citizen” category. Enter your Mobile number and OTP to login.
Click on the “View Pass” link.
You will see a new page opened showing your pass. Click on the “Download” button to download your Universal Travel Pass.
Click here to apply for the travel pass through the official Telegram Bot or search @MahaGovUniversalPassBot on your telegram.
However, recently we observed that the Telegram bot is not working.