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UAE flights: Airlines clarify rules for stranded expats who got Covid jab in home country

Photo: Reuters

Dubai - Stranded residents flooded the social media handles of both airlines with queries as soon as the new rules were announced.

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By Web report

Published: Mon 9 Aug 2021, 2:21 AM

Stranded UAE residents who have received the Covishield vaccine in India will not be able to return at the moment, as per UAE national carriers Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways, who are reiterating that only those vaccinated in the UAE will be permitted to fly back for now.

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The same conditions apply to those who have been inoculated with the Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sputnik V and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

UAE authorities last week announced fresh exemptions for passengers from six countries from which flights were suspended. These countries are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Uganda and Nigeria. However, Dubai-based airline Emirates later announced that the suspension on flights to and from Nigeria had been extended until at least August 15.

Stranded residents flooded the social media handles of both airlines with queries as soon as the new rules were announced. Key among the queries was whether it was necessary to have taken the vaccines in the UAE.

"Only passengers with a valid UAE residence visa who have been fully vaccinated in the UAE and who hold an official vaccination certificate issued and approved by relevant authorities in the UAE are permitted to return to the UAE," said Emirates Airlines on Sunday, in response to a query from a Twitter user who'd taken the Moderna jab.

Responding to another Twitter user named Rajeev who asked if there was "any chance for passengers fully vaccinated from India to travel to Dubai", the airline reiterated the rules. However, it added that the "requirements keep changing", and directed the asker to keep an eye on its official website for updates.

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Meanwhile, Etihad Airways — fielding similar queries — also redirected customers to its website, where the rules clearly state: "You will only be permitted to enter the UAE if you are a fully vaccinated resident of the UAE.

"You must have proof of having received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine within the UAE no less than 14 days before travel," it added.

Passengers flying into the UAE are required to apply for approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA).

ALSO READ:

ICA approval for UAE flights: How residents can apply

However, for those passengers flying into Dubai, an approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) will need to be obtained instead.

Which countries accept Covishield vaccine?

On July 17, France became the 16th country and 13th in the European Union to accept Covishield, according to Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of the Serum Institute of India.

The others that accept the vaccine are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Web report

Published: Mon 9 Aug 2021, 2:21 AM

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