The UAE had suspended flights from India, and several other countries following the spike in cases during the second wave, in April 2021. Travel for those who held valid residence permits was disallowed too leaving several residents stranded in India. On August 5th, UAE relaxed some of the norms for pre-registered Indians travelling to and through Dubai. It also approved vaccines administered outside the UAE from its earlier list. This includes Covishield.
The registrations opened on August 15th and here are all the details you need to know before you travel to the UAE.
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Who can travel to the UAE?
Indians who are UAE residents with a valid permit can fly to and through Dubai as per the updated travel guidelines. Those without valid permits are not permitted to fly to the Emirates. Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan Sri Lanka and Uganda are the other countries for which travel curbs have been relaxed.
Registrations for travellers from India have begun on UAE's Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship portal (ICA) starting August 15th. For entry in to Dubai, an approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDFRA) is required.
As such, if you are a tourist planning to visit the Emirates, you may not yet be permitted to fly to the country. This includes vaccinated travellers.
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Where can you travel?
Travel for all and to all destinations in the UAE is not yet possible. Passengers with residence permits are, however, can both arrive and transit through Dubai. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers can fly to Dubai.
Other UAE cities like Sharjah, Abu Dhabi are open to travellers who have received both doses of a UAE-approved vaccine and completed 14 days, only. In the case of Indians, only the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is recognised.
What do you need?
(For travel to Abu Dhabi)
- Completed ICA registration.
- A fully-vaccinated status with the second dose administered at least 14 days earlier.
- An RT-PCR test conducted a maximum of 48 hours before departure.
- The test has to be taken at a government approved lab. No laboratories are listed in the India section and the ICMR list needs to be referred.
- Only children under 12 with disabilities (moderate to severe) are exempted from the RT-PCR test.
- A quarantine period of 10 days will need to be observed. A medically-approved wrist-band that will monitor your status will be issued.
- An RT-PCR test on arrival.
- You need to download the Al Hosn app and display your Green Pass status after your negative RT-PCR test results arrive.
- Transit passengers also need to display negative RT-PCR test reports issued within a 48-hour timeframe.
- An additional Rapid PCR test, conducted four hours before departure. As such airlines require check-in six hours in prior.
(For travel to Dubai)
- Pre-entry approval from GDFRA.
- A negative RT-PCR test report issued a maximum of 48 hours before departure. Only those with QR codes from certified labs are accepted.
- A Rapid PCR test conducted at the airport 4 hours before departure.
- RT-PCR test on arrival.
- Transit passengers need to produce a negative RT-PCR test report generated 72 hours before arrival.
- Travellers below the age of 12 and those with severe disabilities are exempted.
- You need to download the COVID-19 DXB Smart App.
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