The UK government has announced that it will accept UAE vaccination certificates from October 4, coinciding with the removal of the traffic light system.
This means that travellers vaccinated in the United Arab Emirates will be able to enter England without having to quarantine or test before departure, though they will be required to take a test on Day 2 of arrival.
The easing of travel restrictions between the UAE and the UK comes as Dubai prepares to host millions of people for the Dubai Expo 2020, which begins on October 1.
“We will be accepting UAE vaccination certificates from 4th Oct following updates to their vaccination app,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter.
🚨 | NEW ✈️We will be accepting UAE vaccination certificates from 4th Oct following updates to their vaccination app 🇦🇪. As a major transport hub which is home to many British expats, this is great news for reopening international travel, boosting business & reuniting families 🏡
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 22, 2021
Proof of vaccination from the UK, US and EU is already accepted, and the UAE will join 17 other countries whose certificates will be accepted for entry into the UK from October 4. These include Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.
The UAE did not originally feature on the list announced last week due to a “technical issue to do with a date of birth missing from their Covid app”, Shapps said at the Transport Committee.
The government has also said that those who have received two different doses of the approved vaccines will be able to enter the UK without quarantine from October 4. Until this date, the Department for Transport says that “mixed vaccines are only permitted if you are vaccinated under the UK, Europe, USA or UK overseas vaccination programme”.
For more details on the upcoming change in travel rules, see our article:
