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Dubai Lifts Covid-19 Test Requirements for Guests from Certain Countries

This year, tourism around the world has been greatly affected by the pandemic. This is a serious challenge for hospitality companies around the world. Hotels in Dubai and other tourism-related firms are no exception. To revitalize the emirate’s hospitality industry and make it more comfortable for international passengers to travel to Dubai, it was decided to ease PCR test requirements.

Starting from December 6, travelers from the GCC do not need to have a negative PCR test before taking a flight to Dubai. Previously, all guests from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait were obliged to have a negative COVID-19 test made no longer than 96 hours before the flight to Dubai. Now, passengers from these countries still can take the test at home or choose to fly without it and take a free test upon arrival at Dubai International Airport or Al Maktoum. The same rules apply to international guests from two European countries, namely, the UK and Germany.

Tourists coming from other countries were divided into two groups depending on the country that they are coming from. The first group includes passengers coming from the following countries: Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. Tourists from these countries are required to have a negative PCR COVID-19 test made within 96 hours of the departure.

The certificate must be an official and printed document in English or Arabic. Digital certificates, SMS with results, and antibody tests are not accepted. Transit passengers do not need to have this test unless the opposite is required by their final destination. However, if transit passengers have a booked hotel in Dubai outside the airport, they need to have a negative PCR test.

Tourists from these countries are obliged to have two negative COVID-19 tests (one before the departure and one more test is done after the arrival in Dubai): Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

11.12.2020

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