'Welcome to your second home' sticker added to passports in Dubai

The first tourists have landed in Dubai…

As of today, international tourists are allowed to enter Dubai. It’s a massive milestone for the emirate, which has been closed to travellers since March. Visitors from London, Cairo and Amsterdam were among the first to enter Dubai, when restrictions lifted overnight.

For those who’ve made the flight to the UAE today, they will receive a warm welcome at Dubai International Airport. A sticker that reads ‘A warm welcome to your second home’ is being placed on travellers’ passports, as they pass through immigration.

.@GDRFADUBAI prepares to receive visitors and tourists coming to the country through @DubaiAirports from July 7, with high safety standards in place, and launches a special passport sticker bearing the phrase ‘A warm welcome to your second home.’ pic.twitter.com/smA1kOcysG

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 6, 2020

The initiative from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) is designed to make foreign visitors and returning residents feel welcome in Dubai, at a time when much of the world remains closed to international travel.

Back in April, when the last tourists flew out of Dubai, a similar sticker was used. This farewell sticker read: “Have a Safe Flight, We’ll Meet Soon”.

Travelling to Dubai

If you’re planning a trip to Dubai, Emirates advises travellers to take the following steps:

• Check if you need to arrange a visa before you fly
• Book your flight
• Buy travel insurance covering COVID-19 or declare that you will bear the costs for treatment and isolation
• Take a PCR test in your country 96 hours before you travel
• If you cannot take a test in your home country, you will have to take one on arrival in Dubai, and then self-isolate until you get your results
• If you get a negative result, you may then leave your hotel and enjoy your trip as normal