Fresh guidelines from people travelling from India have been issued by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Passengers can now take a rapid PCR test six hours before their departure instead of four hours.
For Indian nationals with a visa or residence permit issued by the USA, United Kingdom or an EU Member State, the UAE has also resumed visa on arrival.
Etihad Airways made an announcement which said, “If you are an Indian national with a visa or residence permit issued by the USA, United Kingdom or an EU Member State, you can visit Abu Dhabi. ICA approval is not required. Vaccination is not a condition of entry, but you will need to show your testing status to enter public places.”
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For the rapid test, travellers must arrive at the airport at least six hours before their flight. The counters will be closed two hours before the departure.
The official notification read, “As per the entry requirement of the UAE, a rapid PCR test will be conducted for every passenger at the respective Indian departure airport.”
This test is mandatory for travellers from Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and Uganda, besides India.
Travellers will have to remain under quarantine for ten days after arriving at the Abu Dhabi airport. They would need to wear a medically approved wristband that they will receive from authorities at the airport after clearing immigration. They would have to take a PCR test on the ninth day of quarantine.
Meanwhile, Indian passport holders who have not visited the country in the last 14 days can get tourist visas to the UAE. This comes as UAE is slowly opening up its arrivals amid the pandemic.
Besides India, this facility has been extended to Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only UAE citizens and transit passengers are allowed to fly to the UAE.
On the day of arrival and on the ninth day after arriving in the UAE, all flyers will need to undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction test.
While arrivals from Pakistan were only allowed to transit passengers earlier, the UAE has now confirmed that it will accept passengers from Pakistani airports Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
