Residents must have a negative Covid-19 test certificate pre-departure from July 1…

In some breaking news, there’s an update for UAE residents who are returning to the country after being stuck abroad.

The UAE government has just announced that all returning residents must now get a mandatory Covid-19 test in their respective countries before departure from Wednesday, July 1.

The announcement was made on Sunday, June 28 by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Without a valid negative Covid-19 test taken within 72-hours of departure, residents with a valid UAE residency will not be permitted to board the aircraft.

The Covid-19 test must be done at a UAE accredited laboratory. Information posted to the NCEMA UAE Twitter, states that, in the first phase, ‘accredited laboratories can be found in 106 cities across 17 countries worldwide’.

Whilst the same post notes that ‘more information about the list of accredited laboratories can be found on smartservices.ica.gov.ae it doesn’t seem that an official list of countries has been published yet.

You might also like

ALHOSN UAE app: What it is and how to download it
Dubai residents require approval before booking overseas holidays

According the the post, ‘preparations are ongoing for additional countries and cities to be added in the next few days and will be announced as part of the second and third phases’.

Accredited laboratories on the list ‘are aware of the time constraints and will deliver results digitally’.

For residents returning from countries without an accredited laboratory, you will be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival to the UAE. Following this, you’ll be required to quarantine at home for a full 14 days. Costs will be covered by the individual returning.

Some reports suggest that this rule doesn’t apply to Dubai, so be sure to check with your airline before travelling. As with before, all returning residents must download the ALHOSN tracking app.

What’s On will be sure to update you as we know more…

Images: Unsplash