UAE’s ICA grants approval for tourist visas again from August 30, 2021 for fully-vaccinated travellers

If you have been missing your dose of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, do not anymore. The United Arab Emirates has announced the emirates’ opening up for visitors from other countries with effect from August 30, 2021, onwards.

UAE to welcome fully vaccinated tourists from August 30, 2021, onwards

The Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) have jointly announced that starting from August 30, 2021onwards, 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.
a row of syringes and bottles of liquid

The decision applies to citizens of all countries, including those arriving from the previously banned countries. Arriving passengers on a tourist visa must take a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport. 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 their vaccination via the ICA platform.

The WHO has approved the following vaccines as of now:

  • Pfizer/BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine
  • SII/Covishield and AstraZeneca/AZD1222
  • Janssen/Ad26.COV 2.S
  • Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273)
  • Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine
  • Sinovac-CoronaVac

This is great news for those who want to travel to the UAE to visit their family, just a trip for tourism or visiting for the Expo 2020 which starts in Dubai in a month from now.

Abu Dhabi had previously approved Visa on Arrival for Indians and then ‘temporarily’ suspended it as well. We don’t know yet when the Visa on Arrival facility will resume for Indian passports.

Bottomline

The UAE is open for tourism again, only to fully vaccinated travellers for now, though. From India, those vaccinated with Covishield would be only able to travel to the UAE on a Tourist Visa shortly.

What do you think of the ICA Approval of the UAE to issue Tourist visas again? Are you going to plan a trip?


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ICA Approval

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About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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Comments

  1. Hi.. good for Dubai. Abu Dhabi still demands a GPS tracked wrist band quarantine (if you have a big enough home) or a visit to the Razeen Camp if you cannot afford hotels for 12 days with multiple PCR Tests.

    Dubai will be a big draw but not Abu Dhabi

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