Abu Dhabi: Passengers travelling from India, and five other countries to United Arab Emirates (UAE) can take their rapid PCR test six hours instead of four hours prior to their departure.
So far, passengers had to show a negative result for a rapid PCR test that was taken within four hours before the flight departed for Dubai.
However, travel agents on Tuesday received a new notice from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority informing them of the new rule to ‘provide extra flexibility for airlines to facilitate operations’.
The test counters will start six hours before departure time and would close two hours prior to departure.
“As per the entry requirement of the UAE, a rapid PCR test will be conducted for every passenger at the respective Indian departure airport,” the notification adds.
This test is mandatory for travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Uganda.
“The airlines shall ensure that the rapid PCR test report is based on molecular diagnostic testing intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS-COV-2 viral RNA, which is to be conducted at the departure airport, with minimum interaction possible between the passengers and the airport community,” the notification added.
Travel guidelines for passengers travelling from India
Indian carrier Air India Express, on Wednesday updated fresh guidelines for passengers travelling to United Arab Emirates (UAE) from India.
Passengers with valid UAE resident visa will be accepted to travel from India to UAE subject to holding following documents:
- For UAE residence visa holders issued from Dubai and travelling to Dubai: “Return permit for resident outside UAE form” which is issued to the passenger from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) on their website.
- For UAE resident visa holders travelling to UAE other than Dubai: “Return permit for resident outside UAE form” which is issued to the passenger(s) from the ICA link.
- Expo 2020 visa holders are permitted to travel to UAE without GDRFA/ICA.
Travel requirement for all passengers for travel from India to UAE:
- A valid negative COVID-19 test certificate with QR code linked to the original report.
- This has to be issued within the valid time frame, i.e. 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample to the scheduled departure time and has to be taken from an ICMR approved laboratory.
- Additional requirements for passengers arriving into Abu Dhabi and Ras al-Khaimah airports :
- Ten days home quarantine upon arrival in RKT and 12 days home/institutional quarantine in Abu Dhabi.
- PCR test on the 4th and the 8th day after arrival in RKT and PCR test on the 6th and the 11th day after arrival into Abu Dhabi.
- Adherence to wearing the tracking watch on arrival.