UAE-based airline FlyDubai has informed travel agencies in the United Arab Emirates that all those who have been fully vaccinated – meaning to say, both doses have been administered – with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, can legally fly to Dubai.
However, they can fly only 14 days after having receiving the second dose of the vaccine.
Vistara Airlines, an airline based in India, has informed fliers that they can indeed fly to Dubai even if they haven’t been fully vaccinated. This is possible only to residency visa holders in Dubai, and they must submit a recent negative RT-PCR test result obtained within the last 48 hours that shows them as being free of COVID-19. They must additionally take a rapid PCR test at the airport, and this must be done four hours prior to travel
Air India, the flag carrier of India, has announced that passengers to Dubai travelling on the basis of a negative RT-PCR test result and a negative rapid PCR test also need approval from General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs or GDRFA.
The onus of checking these documents is on the airline operating the flight. This is in line with the latest regulations issued by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.
Emirates, the largest airline in the UAE, clarifies that minors below the age of 18 are exempted from the vaccination requirements. Those below the age of 12 will not be required to undergo any rapid testing prior to travel.
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority has announced exemptions for certain categories of travelers. These include Expo 2020 workers, teachers, doctors, healthcare workers, and students. Some are exempted on medical grounds, and some may be granted an exemption on humanitarian grounds. These passengers can travel irrespective of their vaccination status.
Approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs can be obtained by clicking here.
Apart from India, restrictions on travel to the United Arab Emirates have also been lifted for passengers from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Uganda, and Nigeria.
Travel Advisory For Passengers From India
Those who have been fully vaccinated in the UAE, having taken any of these vaccines – Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik-V, or Oxford-AstraZeneca – are not required to be vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine [Covishield] in India.
A&A Associate LLC is a provider of legal services and visa-related assistance in the United Arab Emirates. It has a track record of having successfully helped clients from 100 countries around the world so far. It has a client satisfaction rate of 98%, and the intent is to do even better.