1. Travelling amid COVID-19
  2. Travelling to the UAE

Travelling to the UAE

All travellers to the UAE must present a negative result of a PCR test at the departure airport.

Travelling to Dubai - rules as of 30 November 2021

Rules for Dubai residence visa holders

All UAE residents can travel to Dubai without an approval from GDRFA or ICA. However, residents travelling from the following countries will need an approval:

  • Bangladesh
  • Ethiopia
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • South Africa
  • Sudan.

 

Exception:

  • Approval is not needed for those who got a newly issued residence or employment visa, short stay or long stay visa, 10-year UAE golden visa, investor or partner visa, visit visa or visa on arrival. However, this exemption does not apply to new UAE residence visa holders travelling from Ethiopia.

     

    Requirements for passengers from the above mentioned countries:

  • Passengers arriving from the countries mentioned above must present a printed or digital negative result (along with a QR code) of a COVID‑19 PCR test conducted at an approved health facility (PDF, 100 KB) within 48 hours before departure .
  • They must also present a negative result (with a QR code) of a rapid PCR test conducted at the departure airport within six hours before departure.

 

Passengers who have been in the below listed countries in the 14 days preceding their scheduled/intended visit to Dubai, are not permitted to enter the emirate:

  1. Botswana
  2. Eswatini
  3. Lesotho
  4. Mozambique
  5. Namibia
  6. South Africa
  7. Zimbabwe

    Rules for travel from France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland

    All passengers travelling to Dubai from France, Germany, Spain, or Switzerland will be accepted for travel if they present either a:

  • negative result for a COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test done no more than 72 hours before departure

    or

  • a vaccination certificate for a vaccination administered in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland or the United Arab Emirates.

    The vaccination certificate(s) must reflect that the passenger has completed the required doses of a vaccine approved by the WHO and accepted by France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland or the United Arab Emirates.

     

    Rules for travel from the United Kingdom

    All passengers travelling to Dubai from the UK must hold a negative result for a COVID‑19 PCR test done no more than 72 hours before departure. Note that test certificates issued by NHS are not accepted for travel from the United Kingdom.

     

    Note:

    Passengers travelling from other countries must present a printed negative result of a COVID‑19 RT PCR test done no more than 72 hours before departure.

     

    Note:

  • SMS certificates are not accepted.
  • Certificates that have already been presented for travel to another destination cannot be used for re‑entry even if they are still within the validity period.

     

    Transiting through Dubai

    Anyone who transited through the below listed countries in the 14 days preceding their scheduled/intended visit to Dubai, are not permitted to enter the emirate:

  1. Botswana
  2. Eswatini
  3. Lesotho
  4. Mozambique
  5. Namibia
  6. South Africa
  7. Zimbabwe.

While the transit passengers must complete all the requirements of their final destination, Dubai mandates that transit passengers from the following countries must present a negative result for a COVID‑19 PCR test done no more than 72 hours before departure

  1. Bangladesh
  2. India
  3. Pakistan
  4. Sri Lanka
  5. South Africa.

 

However, if the passengers from these countries have a Dubai Connect booking and are planning to stopover in Dubai, then they must present a negative result (with a QR code) of a COVID‑19 PCR test conducted within 48 hours since the sample was taken at an approved health facility. In addition, they must also present a negative result (with a QR code) of a rapid PCR test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.

 

Transit passengers from Ethiopia must present a negative result of a COVID‑19 PCR test  done no more than 72 hours before departure.

 

All other transit passengers are not required to present this certificate unless it is mandated by their final destination.

 

Mandatory test on arrival (residents and tourists)

 

All passengers (residents and tourists) arriving in Dubai from the following countries will be required to take another COVID‑19 PCR test on arrival at Dubai’s airports:

Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

 

Exemptions for the COVID‑19 PCR test

The following people are exempt from getting a COVID-19 test at the departure airport, but have to undergo a test on arrival in Dubai:

  1. all UAE nationals returning to Dubai from any country
  2. non‑UAE nationals accompanying a first‑degree UAE national family member
  3. domestic workers accompanying a UAE national sponsor

 

The following people are exempt from getting a COVID-19 test:

  1. children below 12 years of age
  2. passengers with moderate to severe disabilities.

 

Note:

  1. Moderate or severe disability includes neurological disorders and intellectual or developmental disabilities. For example: Acute spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Ataxia, Autism spectrum, Bell's palsy, Brain tumours, Cerebral aneurysm, Cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, Epilepsy and seizures
  2. All other passengers, including those who are visually impaired, hearing impaired or physically challenged must hold a negative COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test certificate as per the requirements.
  3. There may be specific test exemptions in your country of origin and final destination. Please check the requirements before you travel.

     

  4. You must remain in your residence until you receive the test result. If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the guidelines of Dubai Health Authority.
  5. You must also download the COVID19 – DXB Smart App available on iOS and Android.

 

Refer to further rules for tourists arriving in Dubai.

Information sourced from the website of Emirates Airline.

Find out quarantine guidelines for travellers to Dubai.

Travelling to the rest of the UAE

Travel Update as of 29 November 2021

The UAE suspended entry of all those travelling from or transiting through:

  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

in the 14 days before coming to the UAE. The suspension is due to COVID-19 Omicron variant.

 

This does not apply to official delegations, UAE nationals, diplomats and holders of UAE golden visa. However, they are required to undergo PCR tests prior to departure and on arrival to the UAE, in addition to 10-day quarantine after entering the UAE.

 

 

Rules for tourists

Citizens of all countries can visit the UAE for tourism, if they are fully vaccinated with one of the WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

 

They must undergo a rapid PCR test at the airport on arrival.

 

The previous rules for unvaccinated, including exempted categories, remain in place.

 

Travellers wishing to receive the benefits provided to individuals vaccinated in the UAE can register information about their vaccination via the ICA platform or the Al Hosn app.

 

Starting from 30 August 2021, application for tourist visas will be open to people from all countries, provided that they are fully vaccinated with one of the WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines 

 

   

 

Read more

 

Find out quarantine guidelines for travellers to Abu Dhabi.

 

For further information on travelling to the UAE, visit the following websites:

Updated on 11 Dec 2021

Was this information helpful?

Give us your feedback so we can improve your experience.

(success)