Borders have opened up, lockdowns are getting lifted everywhere and the UAE is ready for tourists. People are slowly starting to move around for important reasons and also warming up to the idea of taking a vacation with all safety measures in place. And what better place to plan out a vacation than Dubai – the one city that is on top of every safety regulation? 

Planning a visit in the Corona era can be mega confusing. Do you need a test? What extra documents will you need? The answers might vary based on what airline you’re taking in. 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty deets, keep in mind that airlines and authorities are constantly updating rules and what will help most is to keep a watch on their websites for these updates. 

First things first, let’s get the tests right

A few things remain common throughout major airlines when it comes to flying into the UAE.

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All residents and tourists need a negative COVID-19 PCR test before entering the UAE which should have been taken not more than 96 hours before the time of travel. Only a hard copy of the test results will be accepted, so you can keep the text messages and other digital reports away.  

The great thing is, your test report can be in either Arabic or English.

Regardless of the flight, kiddos below the age of 12 and anyone with disabilities are exempted. Likewise, UAE nationals don’t need prior test results because they will be tested at the airport once they arrive. 

In the same way, when you land in the country, you might be tested. Make sure you stay inside your hotel/place to stay till you get a result back to be safe. If your result is positive you need to do two things: 

1. Download the DXB Smart App (iOS/Play Store)
2. Isolate yourself and follow DHA’s guidelines

Listen up if you’re catching a connecting flight via Emirates

If you’re flying out from Emirates and planning to connect to another flight from Dubai, you don’t need a PCR test unless you’re coming in from any of these places:

Angola, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Tanzania, Syria, Eritrea, Kenya, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq, South Sudan, Djibouti, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Czech Republic, Romania, Montenegro, Malta, Georgia, Ukraine, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, Moldova, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Philippine, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Nepal, Uzbekistan, USA (California, Florida, and Texas), Argentina, Brazil, Chile. 

You may even need to get a hold of a negative test if your final destination demands it. 

If you are flying in from India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, you will need a test certificate that has been issued by one of these designated labs. 

More info about Emirates travel can be found here.

Passengers of FlyDubai can look this way

If you fly out from Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, the United States (any port in California, Florida or Texas), Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia or Zimbabwe, you have to do these:

• Fill out an undertaking form 
• Download the COVID19 – DXB Smart App
• Register with the DHA before you arrive

Just like Emirates, passengers who are transiting using FlyDubai are DON’T necessarily require a PCR test copy unless they are coming from the countries that are mentioned above. In some cases, airline authorities or your final destination’s authorities may ask you for a copy – so be sure to check the rules before you fly out. 

All the deets on FlyDubai’s rules are here.

Etihad Airways and everything you need to know about

If you’re a RESIDENT flying to Abu Dhabi via Etihad Airways make sure you’ve got a copy of your passport and UAE resident visa on you. 

Every guest that enters Abu Dhabi (including infants and children) will go through thermal screening and a PCR test on arrival. Post that, you will be asked to do the following:

• Download the Al Hosn app, the COVID-19 results app, and the contact tracing app
• Self-isolate for 14 days and wear a medically approved wristband for those 14 days – this will be handed over to you after you clear immigration

At the moment, Etihad Airways is only allowing nationals or residents to fly in.

UAE residents don’t need any approvals from ICA if they’re flying in through Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi.

All the info you need is here.

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