UAE eases COVID-19 restrictions for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai

DUBAI: Keeping in view the declining trend of COVID-19 infections in Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday relaxed the virus-related travel restriction for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai and Sharjah.

According to a notification, the UAE government has abolished the condition of rapid antigen test (RAT) at the airport for Pakistani passengers.

The passengers arriving from Pakistan will only need to present a valid negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate with a QR code linked to the original report for verification purposes, for a test conducted within 48 hours.

The validity, however, should be calculated from the time the sample was collected, prior to departure from an approved health facility.

They will have to show a rapid COVID‑19 PCR test report with a QR code for a test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.

The passengers would have to undergo another PCR test taken at Dubai airport upon arrival, and self isolate themselves until they test negative.

Moreover, the passengers transiting through Dubai are not required to present a COVID 19‑PCR test certificate unless it is mandated by their final destination.

The above-mentioned relaxation in travel restrictions is also applicable for passengers flying from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India (all cities except for Kolkata), and Sri Lanka.