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The UAE has eased major COVID-19 safety rules, among those related to international travel. According to the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), fully vaccinated passengers are not required to take a pre-travel COVID-19 PCR test. The new rule applies to passengers from all passengers travelling from various destinations to any airport in the UAE.
While the NCEMA has not clarified about the requirement related to booster dose to maintain the 'fully vaccinated' status, leading UAE airlines have specified the necessary rules.
Taking to their websites, airlines have also posted the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines that qualify residents and tourists for exemption from taking PCR testing.
Here are some of the rules:
What does ‘fully vaccinated’ mean?
As per the Etihad Airways statement, passengers are required to provide a COVID-19 vaccination certificate containing a QR code.
“To be fully vaccinated, you must have received two doses of the same vaccine or one dose of Janssen at least 14 days before departure (28 days before for Janssen),” the website said.
Furthermore, Emirates Airline has asked passengers to present a valid vaccination certificate(s) showing that they are fully vaccinated with WHO or UAE-approved vaccine and including a QR code.
Flydubai has also provided similar rules on its website, adding that the vaccine certificate must be “in English or Arabic”. On the other, Emirates is allowing vaccination certificates in other languages if they can be “validated at the departure point”.
Meanwhile, none of the airlines have mentioned the requirement of a booster dose for 'fully vaccination' status.
Which are the approved vaccines?
Here is the list of UAE-approved vaccines valid for travelling in Etihad without taking a PCR test:
• AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria)
• AstraZeneca (SK Bioscience Co Ltd. from Korea)
• Covishield
• Covovax
• Covaxin
• Janssen
• Moderna
• Nuvaxovid
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Sinopharm
• Sinovac
• Sputnik V
When must the vaccine have been taken?
Emirates and Flydubai have not specified the time period for vaccination for international travel. However, Etihad has stated that passengers with two doses of any approved vaccines except Janssen must have taken their second dose at least 14 days before departure. Those who have taken Janssen vaccine are required to have taken the final dose at least 28 days prior to travel.
Who must take a pre-travel PCR test?
Etihad airline has asked passengers to take a PCR test 48 hours before their flight to Abu Dhabi if:
• They are not fully vaccinated and do not hold a COVID-19 recovery certificate
• They are transiting in Abu Dhabi and require a PCR test at final destination.
Do children need to take PCR tests?
This rule is different for travellers to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Children aged below 16 are exempted from PCR testing for travelling to Abu Dhabi, according to Etihad.
On the other hand, Emirates and Air Arabia are exempting children aged below 12 from PCR testing requirement for travelling to Dubai and Sharjah, respectively.
Does the PCR test result need a QR code?
Flydubai is mandating passengers to present a printed copy of valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result with a QR code in English or Arabic.
SOURCE: Khaleej Times