COVID-19 update | Dubai eases travel restrictions from certain countries including India

Dubai | Representative image

Dubai administration on June 19 allowed holders of UAE residency visas stuck outside the country to return from certain nations provided if they have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine.

The new order, allowing inbound passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai, will be effective from June 23 onwards. The decision was taken by Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

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According to the new rules travellers from India, these passengers with a valid residence visa and receiving two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, are allowed to travel to Dubai. Apart from this, they should present a negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure.

However, the UAE nationals have been exempted from the vaccination requirement but they will have to produce QR-coded negative PCR test certificates.The UAE citizens and and diplomats have been exempted from institutional quarantine.

Among other details, the Dubai administration had specifically notified that all the passengers -- flying from India -- will have to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure. They will also have to undergo another PCR test on arrival in Dubai and following this, will have to undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result -- expected within 24 hours.

Similar notifications have been set for travellers from South Africa and Nigeria.

UAE has approved four vaccines for use on eligible individuals against the COVID-19 infection: Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca.