Covid-19 tests mandatory for inbound, transit passengers to UAE
DUBAI, July 23, 2020
The UAE has announced that Covid-19 tests will be mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers travelling to the country, irrespective of the countries they are coming from, said a report.
Travellers must be screened in their country of origin and present their negative test at check-in desks before flying to the UAE, news agency WAM reported.
The decision will come into effect from August 1, it said.
According to a joint statement by the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority, NCEMA, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC), all UAE residents travelling through the country's airports to the EU countries and the UK, as well as other countries that require PCR test, have to get tested prior to boarding their respective planes.
The announcement is in line with the country’s efforts to protect the health and safety of its citizens and residents and reduce the spread of coronavirus, the report said.
Children under the age of 12 and those with severe and moderate disabilities will be exempted from the test requirement, which has 96 hours of validity from the date of testing.
NCEMA and MoFAIC highlighted the necessity for all airlines operating in the UAE to comply with these requirements, the report said.
