From August 1, citizens, residents, transit passengers and tourists flying to Dubai may have to take a Covid-19 PCR test on arrival at Dubai International Airport, in addition to carrying a negative test certificate from their country of origin.
India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sudan, Tanzania and the US are some countries covered under this new travel protocol.
The US airports include Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight from any of airports worldwide to Dubai.
The negative test proof that needs to be accepted on flights must be taken a maximum of 96 hours before departure. This excludes children under the age of 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability.
“If the UAE government has specified a designated laboratory in your country of origin, then you must get your certificate from that lab,” Emirates said in an official statement.
Passengers who have undergone test at the airport must remain in their respective hotel or residence until the test result is out. If the test result is positive, they will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.
All travellers to Dubai, including passengers with a connecting flight, must complete a health declaration form and give it to the staff at check-in. The form will also be available at check-in counter. A quarantine undertaking form given to you onboard also needs to be completed if Dubai is your final destination.
Passengers are also required to download the Covid-19 – DXB Smart app.
As per National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s (NCEMA) directive, all passengers arriving in the UAE need to have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result that will be reviewed by the concerned airline.
