Get those flights booked…

After months of speculation as to if and when the UAE will be moved from the UK’s ‘red list’ for travel, there has been an update. On August 8, 2021, at 7am UAE time, the UAE will be moved to the UK’s ‘amber list’. 

According to the UK Government’s red, green and amber list rules, travellers arriving from the UAE will still need to quarantine for ten days at home with the option of doing the ‘Test to Release’ scheme, in which you can pay for a private Covid-19 test to end your quarantine early.

This is due to the fact that vaccines administered in the UAE aren’t yet recognised by the UK (as they now are for fully-vaccinated expats from the EU and USA who no longer need to quarantine upon their arrival to the UK). This could all change though, and we will keep you updated.

Bahrain, Qatar and India have also moved from the UK’s red list to amber.

According to GOV.UK, to take part in the scheme you need to:

  1. Take a PCR test within three days before arriving to England
  2. Book and pay for a Covid test before you travel to England.
  3. Enter details of your test in the passenger locator form.

On arrival to England you must:

  1. Quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
  2. Take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
  3. You can book a private test on the ‘test to release’ scheme after 5 days of quarantine

The news ends months of heartache for the thousands of UK nationals living in Dubai, who have been unable to visit family and friends in the UK since January 2021, when the UK named the UAE on its red list for travel.

Currently, Emirates is operating a reduced number of flights to London Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester, however we expect these to get ramped up pretty soon to meet the demand of people wishing to fly to the UK.

Image: Getty