United Arab Emirates(U.A.E) is to resume inbound flights from India, South Africa and Nigeria from June 23 subject to strict new travel protocol.
Emirates resume flights from India to (United Arab Emirate) 23 June 2021
Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai United Arab Emirates, headed by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced updates to Dubai’s travel protocols for inbound passengers travelling from South Africa, Nigeria and India, effective from Wednesday 23 June 2021.
Updates are part of the Committee’s keenness to protect the passengers and ease hassles for them without compromising on maintaining COVID-19 precautionary measures put in place to safeguard everyone’s health and wellbeing.
The new protocols allow travelers from South Africa, who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine to enter Dubai. Passengers must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure to Dubai; UAE nationals are exempted from this PCR test requirement. Passengers must also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destinations.
For travelers from Nigeria, passengers must present a negative test result for a PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure; UAE citizens are exempted from this requirement. The negative PCR test certificate should carry a QR Code and the test must have been conducted by labs approved by the Nigerian Government. Passengers must also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destinations.
With regard to travel from India, only passengers with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, are allowed to travel to Dubai. They should also present a negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure; UAE nationals are exempted from this requirement. Only QR-coded negative PCR test certificates are accepted. Furthermore, passengers from India are required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure to Dubai. They must also undergo another PCR test on arrival in Dubai. In addition, following arrival, passengers from India should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours. UAE citizens and diplomats are exempted from institutional quarantine.
The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said the updated travel protocols are part of a regular process of revising and optimising precautionary measures based on the latest local, regional and international developments. They are also aimed at enabling the city to continue serving as a global commercial hub and a bridge for travel and trade between the east and west.
It follows guidelines announced on Saturday by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management regarding travel to these countries.
The rules vary from country to country & include PCR tests and taking a UAE-approved Covid-19 vaccine.
In terms of travelers from India, only passengers with a valid residence visa and who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine are allowed to travel to Dubai.
“Emirates welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai and onwards,” a representative for the airline said on Saturday.
The UAE suspended flights from India in April, as the South Asian country battled a surge in Covid-19 cases. Only UAE citizens, diplomats, passengers on business planes and golden card visa holders were exempt from the suspension. The change announced on Saturday applies to Dubai only.
India-Dubai flight norms to be eased from June 23; here are six COVID rules passengers need to follow.
01. Passengers from India must be vaccinated with two doses of any of the COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by the UAE health regulator. The AstraZeneca vaccine (known as Covishield), which is administered to over 80 percent of beneficiaries in India, is approved in the UAE. Sputnik V, another vaccine cleared for emergency use in India, is also approved in the Emirates.
02. The passengers should have undergone an RT-PCR test and received a negative test result within 48 hours of taking the flight. Those holding the UAE citizenship are, however, exempted from this norm.
3. The PCR test result certificates would only be accepted if they are QR coded.
4. In addition to the negative PCR test result certificate, the passengers are also required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours before boarding the flight.
5. Upon landing at the Dubai airport, all passengers would have to mandatorily undergo a PCR test.
6. The arriving passengers would have to remain under institutional quarantine till the results of their fresh PCR test, conducted at the airport, is released. The results are expected within 24 hours. If confirmed to be negative, the passengers would free to leave the quarantine centre. Notably, diplomats and UAE nationals are exempted from this rule.
While regular international flights have been suspended since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the flights from India operated under special arrangement were also suspended by the UAE from April 24 onwards. The suspension was triggered by the onset of the second COVID-19 wave in India.