The test must be taken within 96 hours of departure…

Emirates Airline has just announced an important update for inbound travellers. Passengers from the following 10 countries must present a negative Covid-19 test certificate before they will be allowed to board the plane.

On the Emirates website, an update stamped 8.43am on July 8 says:

“All passengers travelling with Emirates from the countries or airports specified below have to carry a Covid-19 negative certificate issued by a local government approved laboratory to be accepted on the flight. Where specified, a certificate from a UAE government designated laboratory in the country of origin is also acceptable.”

The website notes that certificates must be issued no more than 96 hours before departure. The website has since been updated to say that the new rule will come into effect from Friday July 10.

Here’s the list of 10 destinations:

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Here's a full list of cities now serviced by Emirates, Etihad and Flydubai
  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Egypt
  • India
  • Iran
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Russia
  • Tanzania
  • USA – Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight to Dubai.

Prior to this, travellers into Dubai International Airport were not required to carry a negative certificate. Covid-19 tests were to be offered to all passengers on arrival into Dubai. Now, however, Emirates states the following:

“All other passengers must take a Covid-19 PCR test 96 hours before your flight and bring your negative Covid-19 test certificate with you when you travel. This also applies to children. A PCR test is also available on arrival in Dubai, if you haven’t taken one in your home country (excluding travellers arriving from the countries above, who must have a negative test to be accepted on the flight).”

You can find out more about overseas testing requirements and approved laboratories here.

For travellers in the UAE who are flying with Etihad, but are not based in Abu Dhabi, you will need to present your negative test results at the road checkpoints into the capital.

As travel regulations are changing on a regular bases, please check with Dubai and UAE authorities prior to making any travel arrangements. Keep an eye on Emirates.com and Etihad.com for the latest updates.

Images: Unsplash/Supplied