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Do you need one Covid-19 test when flying to Dubai or two? Find out here

Dubai - Passengers travelling from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh must get their certificates from a designated lab listed by Emirates.

UAE residents and tourists arriving from select countries will now have to undergo two Covid-19 RT-PCR tests prior to their arrival in Dubai, confirmed Dubai's Emirates on Monday, October 26.

Residents and tourists are now mandated to take one test before departure with a validity of 96 hours from the date of the test, and a second test upon arrival in Dubai. While this has been in practice at the airport since August, the airline has now released a list of countries where two RT-PCR tests, one pre-departure and one in Dubai, have been made mandatory.

Passengers travelling from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh must get their certificates from one of the labs listed in the designated laboratories document to be accepted on the flight.

"If you take a test at the airport, you must remain in your hotel or residence until you receive the test result. If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines," the Dubai-based airline said.

Furthermore, tourists from another list of countries have been given the option to present a negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificate that is valid for 96 hours from the date of the test before departure or take the Covid‑19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

Emirates has also made it mandatory for all passengers arriving in Dubai to bring printed copies of their test results, either in English or Arabic at check-in. “SMS and digital certificates are not accepted,” announced the airline.

Rules also tweaked for transiting passengers

Emirates has also revised its rules for transiting passengers from select countries, wherein they are required to have a negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificate that is valid for 96 hours from the date of test, as well as any requirements for their final destination.

"The test certificates must be for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Other test certificates including antibody tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai," it said.

Revised rules apply to passengers travelling from these countries:

Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United States (California, Florida, Texas), Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Passengers from some countries can opt to take the test in Dubai

UAE residents arriving from a separate list of countries have been given the option to present a negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificate that is valid for 96 hours from the date of the test before departure or take the Covid‑19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

"Tourists must present a negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificate that is valid for 96 hours from the date of the test before departure ‑ except for passengers coming from the UK and Germany who have the option to take a Covid‑19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai,” explained Emirates.

Transiting passengers from these countries are not required to present a Covid‑19 PCR test certificate unless it is mandated by the passenger’s final destination.

These revised rules apply to passengers travelling from these countries:

Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives Islands, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States (New York, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, Seattle).

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com