Dubai eases travel restrictions for passengers from India. Details here

New Delhi: 20 June 2021 (Agencies) Passengers travelling to Dubai from India are required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure. They must undergo another RT-PCR test on arrival in Dubai The Dubai government on Saturday announced updated travel protocols with certain relaxations for inbound passengers from India, South Africa and Nigeria. Passenger flights from India have remained banned by the UAE since late April in view of the surging second wave of coronavirus here. What are the new rules for Indian travellers? Those who have a valid residence visa and have received two doses of any UAE-approved vaccine are allowed to travel to Dubai, as per the new protocols. There are four vaccines currently approved by the UAE government — Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca. Furthermore, passengers travelling to Dubai from India are required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure. They must undergo another RT-PCR test on arrival in Dubai. The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the new rules will be effective from 23 June. In addition, following arrival, passengers from India should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours. Do the same rules apply to Nigeria, South Africa? From South Africa and Nigeria, non-residence passengers are also allowed to travel subject to the vaccination and PCR test conditions. A negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure is required, according to a Gulf News report. The UAE nationals are exempted from this requirement. Only QR-coded negative PCR test certificates are accepted, it said. India's ban on international travel The central government has extended the ban on international flights till 30 June, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Dedicated cargo flights, flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries will continue to operate. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since 23 March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Suspension of travel The UAE will suspend travellers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Namibia from entering the country on national and foreign flights from Monday. The GCAA said the restrictions would also include transit passengers, with the exception of transit flights travelling to the UAE and bound for those countries. Exemptions to its decision include UAE nationals, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations, business jets - after getting prior approvals - and golden and silver residency permit holders, in addition to those who work essential jobs. Those who are exempted will still have to take a PCR test at the airport and enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine.