A negative PCR test is still required from all destinations…

The approval form required for Dubai residents to return to the UAE since the country reopened its borders is no longer needed. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) approval form was an online submission required for anyone living in Dubai who wished to return from abroad.

Emirates Airline informed customers via SMS that the form would no longer be required, and removed the statement from its travel requirements. Previously, the travel hub guidelines stated that a negative PCR test and the GDRFA approval form were needed to travel.

Everyone arriving into Dubai from any country, including the GCC, must hold a negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate conducted no more than 72 hours before their flight departure. This doesn’t include UAE nationals, who will need to take a test on arrival at Dubai International Airport.

Passengers must bring an official, printed certificate in English or Arabic to check in as SMS and digital certificates will not be accepted. Travellers from the following countries will need to take a PCR test before their flight as well as on arrival at Dubai International Airport:

Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

To stay up to date with the latest travel guidelines, always refer to the Emirates travel hub website before you travel. Here you’ll find the most recent news and rules regarding travel into and out of Dubai.

Image: Emirates