Dubai, and the rest of the UAE, shut their borders for passengers originating from India on April 24, 2021, where only UAE residents, diplomats and later, Golden Visa holders were allowed to travel to the UAE from India. That even led to curious circumstances where Emirates just flew one passenger from India to Dubai.

Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management updates travel protocols for inbound passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai has announced updates to Dubai’s travel protocols for inbound passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India, effective from June 23, 2021, Wednesday.

• South Africa: The new protocols allow travellers from South Africa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine to enter Dubai. Passengers must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure to Dubai; UAE nationals are exempted from this PCR test requirement. Passengers must also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destinations.
• Nigeria: Passengers must present a negative test result for a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure; UAE citizens are exempted from this requirement. The negative PCR test certificate should carry a QR Code, and labs approved by the Nigerian Government must have conducted the test. Passengers must also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destinations.
• India: Only passengers with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine can travel to Dubai. They should also present a negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure; UAE nationals are exempted from this requirement. Only QR-coded negative PCR test certificates are accepted. Furthermore, passengers from India must undergo a rapid PCR test four hours before departure to Dubai. They must also undergo another PCR test on arrival in Dubai. In addition, following arrival, passengers from India should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours. UAE citizens and diplomats are exempted from institutional quarantine.

Like you note, travel has been opened up for those with residence visas for now. There are four vaccines approved by the UAE government: Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca. It is not clear that the UAE Government will accept CoviShield, which is the Indian name for the AZ vaccine made by SII.

Emirates will start carrying inbound passengers from these countries from June 23, 2021, onwards from India.

Bottomline

Dubai has gone ahead and allowed travel for those with residence visas in the UAE who are fully vaccinated to arrive from India. This is the first step, perhaps of the UAE opening up as a whole. Emirates will restart carrying passengers from India from June 23, 2021, onwards.

What do you make of the new announcements from Dubai, and does it help you travel to the UAE now?

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