Some flights outside of the mandatory list have been selected for random testing…

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has reintroduced its random PCR testing for passengers arriving into the country. Emirates Airline has a list of countries from which testing on arrival is mandatory, however reports from passengers landing from the UK have been surfacing online.

According to Emirates’ website, residents landing from the following countries must take a PCR test when arriving into DXB: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

However passengers arriving from alternative countries may be chosen to take a PCR test after passing through immigration at the airport. If you are selected, you do not need to wait for the results, they will be sent to you by SMS.

Dubai Media Office stated that the programme is a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the virus, according to The National. Those who receive a positive result must self-isolate for 10 days, whether they experience symptoms or not.

Anyone travelling into Dubai (or Abu Dhabi) will need to present an official PCR certificate before boarding. The test should have been taken no more than 72 hours before departure and be a printed or digital certificate only (not an SMS).