The UAE residents have been exempted from prior approval of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) for traveling to Dubai.
According to a tweet from Emirates Airlines, only travelers from 10 Asian and African countries of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia will have to take approval from the GDRFA and ICA before flying to the UAE.
The airline further stated that the requirement does not apply to passengers who have other visas of newly-issued residence or employment visa, short stay or long stay visa, visit visa or visa on arrival.
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All passengers arriving from the aforementioned 10 countries should present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code issued within 48 hours of the time of sample collection from an approved health facility. A rapid PCR test report with a QR code is also required for a test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.
Meanwhile, passengers traveling from countries other than the 10 destinations should produce a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure.
The passengers traveling to Dubai as their final destination from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Vietnam, Zambia, and Indonesia will not be accepted for travel without completing the COVID-19 testing requirements.
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The UAE nationals returning to Dubai from any country are exempted from the pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test requirements but must take a PCR test on arrival.
The others exempted are non-UAE nationals accompanying a first-degree UAE national family member, domestic workers accompanying a UAE national sponsor, children below 12 years old, and passengers with moderate to severe disabilities. (AW)
