Some residents of UAE can travel to Dubai without prior approval by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). However, around 10 nationals from African and Asian countries residing in the Emirates, including India, need approval from GDRFA and ICA, Khaleej Times reported.
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Other than India, UAE residents travelling from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia will require consent from the GDRFA and ICA before entering the United Arab Emirates, Emirates airline, a Dubai-based carrier confirmed.
Although Asian and African holding UAE visas need to get GDRFA or ICA’s approval before flying to Dubai, passengers holding other visas, such as a newly-issued residence or employment visa, short-stay visa, tourist visa, or visa on arrival are free to enter the country without the permission.
Moreover, travellers arriving from the above-mentioned countries mandatorily have to present a negative rapid PCR test certificate for Covid-19 with a QR code. The Covid-19 test needs to be conducted or the test certificate must be issued within 48 hours of the time the sample was collected at an approved health facility.
The passengers also need to show a rapid PCR test report with a QR code for a test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.
Passengers apart from these 10 countries, on the other hand, must have to show a Covid-19 RT-PCR test report for a test conducted not more than 72 hours before departure.
The airline said passengers arriving in Dubai from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Vietnam, Zambia and Indonesia will not be accepted to fly without completing the mandatory Covid-19 test.
The Dubai-based airline further said that UAE citizens coming back to Dubai from any country do not have to take the Covid-19 PCR test prior to the departure. However, they must take a PCR test upon arrival. Non-UAE nationals accompanying a first-degree UAE national family member, domestic workers travelling with a UAE national sponsor, children below 12 years, and passengers with moderate to severe disabilities are also exempted from taking the pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test.
