Flights to Dubai: Covid vaccination certificate not required for residents to return

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Dubai - The airline's support team confirmed the development on Twitter.

By Team KT

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Published: Wed 11 Aug 2021, 2:08 AM

A Covid-19 vaccination certificate is no longer a requirement for those travelling to Dubai from countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

This is specific to travel to Dubai and not other emirates.


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Citing the “latest update”, Emirates Airline support team confirmed this on Twitter in response to a query posed by a resident. He had asked the airline if residents vaccinated with Covishield could return to Dubai.


On its website, Emirates said all passengers with a valid UAE residence visa are allowed to travel to and through Dubai from the restricted countries, subject to the below conditions:

> Dubai visa holders must apply for pre entry approval through General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

> Passengers must have a valid Covid-19 test certificate issued within 48 hours between the time of sample collection and scheduled flight departure. Only Covid-19 PCR test reports from certified labs that issue a QR code linked to the original report will be accepted.

> Passengers must complete a Covid-19 PCR rapid test four hours before the departure of their flight. Rapid antigen test will not be accepted.

> Passengers must complete a Covid-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

As Khaleej Times reported yesterday (August 9), Dubai residence visa holders can travel from India to Dubai as long as they have an approval from the GDRFA, in addition to negative Covid test results.

Airline representatives at check-in counters would be checking for these two requirements, and not travellers’ Covid vaccination status.

A top Air India official in the UAE confirmed to Khaleej Times: “As per instructions issued by civil aviation authorities in Dubai, for passengers to disembark in Dubai, only three documents are required. They need to have a GDRFA approval, negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours before departure, and a rapid PCR test result from the airport.”

Flights to Abu Dhabi

According to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, passengers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh must have a valid residency and proof of having received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine within the UAE no less than 14 days before travel.

“Unvaccinated people in certain categories eligible to return include medical workers, UAE-based teachers, students, residents with extenuating circumstances, patients undergoing medical treatment in the UAE and employees who work for federal or local government agencies," Etihad said on its website.

"These latest categories are in addition to previously exempt categories of UAE nationals, diplomatic missions, official delegations and Golden residence holders."


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