Do you plan to visit the UAE soon? Here are all the requirements you need to follow if traveling to the UAE regarding testing, vaccination, and quarantine.
Traveling to Dubai
The UAE government’s official website – u.ae – lists the following rules for traveling to Dubai as of January 27, 2022.
What is the need for ICP or GDRFA approval for residence visa holders?
According to UAE law, all UAE citizens can travel to Dubai without approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship and Ports Security (ICP). Travel from the following countries requires approval, however:
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Exceptions
U.A.E. does not require the ICP or GDRFA approval of those who have received:
Newly issued residence or employment visas
- A short-term or long-term visa
- UAE Golden Visa – 10 years
- Visas for investors or partners
- Visit visa
- Visa on arrival.
Passengers from the above-mentioned countries must meet certain requirements
Passengers arriving from the countries listed above must present their passports
- A negative result – A copy – with a QR code – of a COVID 19 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test conducted at an approved health facility within 48 hours before departure.
- A negative result – QR code – of rapid PCR test conducted at the airport within six hours of departure.
Passengers traveling to Dubai must follow these rules
All passengers traveling to Dubai, including those from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), must be negative for the COVID 19 RT-PCR test. It is recommended that the test is taken between 48 and 72 hours before departure time.
The rules for traveling to or transiting from the United Kingdom (UK) for all types of visas
A COVID 19 RT-PCR test done no more than 48 hours before departure is required for any passenger traveling to Dubai from the UK. RT PCR negative test result certificates must contain a QR code and indicate where the sample was taken.
The NHS COVID 19 test certificate, antibody tests, and self-test kits are not accepted for travel.
The following passengers are exempt from testing:
- UAE nationals, their first-degree relative(s) and domestic helpers, as they will need to undergo a COVID 19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.
- Children under 12 years of age
- Those with moderate to severe disabilities.
Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia, and Vietnam travel rules
Passengers traveling to Dubai from Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Vietnam must show a negative result for a COVID 19 RT-PCR test conducted no more than 72 hours before departure. A QR code must be included on the test certificate.
Other countries
By January 29, 2022, all passengers arriving in Dubai as their final destination from the countries listed below must present a COVID-19 RT-PCR test certificate with a QR code, taken no more than 48 hours prior to departure:
- Argentina
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Chad
- Colombia
- Republic of the Congo
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Passengers from other countries must provide a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before departure.
Mandatory test on arrival
Passengers arriving in Dubai from the following countries will be required to undergo another COVID 19 RT-PCR test at the airports:
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Argentina
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Chad
- Chile
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ivory Coast
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Republic of the Congo
- Romania
- Rwanda
- Russia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Slovakia
- Somaliland
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
After the airport test
In order to receive the results of the PCR test, one must stay at the residence until they hear back from the Dubai International Airport. If the test results are positive, the person must undergo isolation and follow the guidelines of the Dubai Health Authority.
You must also download the COVID19 – DXB Smart App, which is available for iOS and Android.
Rules for transit passengers
Transit passengers must meet all the requirements of their final destination, but Dubai requires transit passengers from the following nations to present a negative result for a COVID 19 PCR test no earlier than 72 hours before departure:
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
The COVID 19 PCR (with QR code) test (does not have to be done more than 48 hours prior to departure) is required for transit passengers from Cameroon and Zambia. Six hours before the last point of departure, they must also present a negative rapid PCR test report based on molecular diagnostic testing. The report must include a QR code.
Traveling to Abu Dhabi
As per UAE law, one does not need to get vaccinated to fly to Abu Dhabi but must show a negative RT-PCR test for COVID 19. This test should be done 48 hours before departure. Everyone over the age of 12 should undergo this test.
If someone is under 12 years old or has severe disabilities, they will be exempted from testing.
On arrival
The person needs to do another COVID-19 RT-PCR test when they arrive in Abu Dhabi. Whether one needs a retest will depend on whether they are coming from a country on the Green List and whether they have been vaccinated.
Traveling on residence visa
Following are the steps one needs to take if one is a UAE resident, according to Etihad’s official website:
Take a PCR test 48 hours before you fly
Install the Al Hosn app
It is advisable to apply for the ICP Smart Travel Service before traveling.
Traveling from Green list country
- Free test on arrival.
- No quarantine requirement.
- On Day 6 if one is fully vaccinated, repeat the test. Re-test them on Day 6 and Day 9 if they have not been fully vaccinated
Traveling from any other destination
- Free test on arrival.
- Quarantine is not needed if one is fully vaccinated. A person who isn’t fully vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days
- Retest on days 4 and 8. If one is not fully vaccinated, repeat the test on Day 9.
In Abu Dhabi, one must be fully vaccinated to enter most public areas.
Transit passengers
Transiting through Abu Dhabi, the COVID 19 RT-PCR test must be taken no more than 72 hours before the first flight departure, unless the requirement at the final destination is 48 hours.
Traveling to Sharjah
According to the Sharjah Airport website, there are some guidelines one should follow when traveling to Sharjah:
All arriving passengers to Sharjah must have a negative PCR test report valid for 96 hours before departure.
- Travelers will be required to undergo another PCR test upon arrival at Sharjah Airport regardless of their earlier negative results.
The mask must be worn at all times by all passengers.
Within the airport terminal, practice the social distance of two meters.
Upon arrival, every arriving passenger must receive a Declaration Form at the check-in point or onboard the flight, fill it out, and turn it over to the registration team.
All arriving passengers must conduct self-quarantine in the UAE until they receive a positive PCR test result.