The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started accepting tourist visa applications from all countries since August 30.
Tourists will need to be fully vaccinated with one of the Covid-19 vaccine doses recommended by the World Health Organization, according to the new UAE travel requirements (WHO). This new ruling applies to citizens of all countries, including those from previously banned countries.
Furthermore, visitors with tourist visas must perform an obligatory quick PCR test upon arrival at the airport. Passengers must also use the government’s health app to report their immunisation status.
Travellers who want to take advantage of the privileges available to individuals who have been vaccinated in the UAE can do so using the ICA platform or the Al Hosn application.
According to the new UAE travel guideline, all requirements for unvaccinated travellers, including exempted groups, remain in effect.
Since banning visitors from India, Pakistan, and Nigeria, the UAE has been gradually loosening travel restrictions. Residents of the country’s largest cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, were allowed to return earlier this month.
AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm, and Sinovac have all received approval from the WHO.
The decision comes as coronavirus infections in the oil-rich Gulf country have decreased, with the country reporting less than 1,000 cases per day for the first time in months last week.
While life in Dubai has mostly returned to normal following the Covid outbreak, the city-state continues to impose tight mask-wearing and social-distancing regulations.
Last year, Dubai was planning the six-month Dubai Expo 2020, which was postponed by a year due to the health issue. The Expo will now open in October, to bring in millions of people and help improve the economy which was greatly affected by the Covid outbreak.
The emirate, which is heavily reliant on tourism, was one of the first to welcome visitors, opening its doors in July last year, just a few months after the epidemic broke out.
In contrast, Abu Dhabi has been more careful, only allowing a limited number of guests in December.
More than 715,000 cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in the UAE, with 2,036 deaths.
– India’s new age travel digital media
