UAE extends India travel restrictions till June 14; know which categories are exempt

May 24, 2021

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended a ban on entry from travellers coming from India till June 14. UAE had imposed a ban on Indian travellers from April 25 amid the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in the latter.
Dubai-based mega carrier Emirates in a statement said passenger flights from India until June 14, 2021 have been suspended. Passengers transiting through India in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE, it added. However, UAE nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of the diplomatic missions who comply with revised Covid-19 protocols shall be exempt, it further added.
Flights between the two countries will continue to allow the transport of passengers from the UAE to India and the transfer of exempted groups from India to the UAE who have applied for exemption.
Exempted travellers, including UAE citizens, those on diplomatic missions accredited by the two countries, official delegations, those traveling on business planes, and golden residence holders, will be subject to precautionary measures that include a 10-day quarantine and PCR testing at the airport and on the fourth and eighth days after entering the country.
Moreover, the required PCR testing period prior to travel has been reduced from 72 to 48 hours, and all tests must be administered by accredited laboratories that issue results carrying a QR code.

Cargo flights will continue to operate between the two countries. The General Authority of Civil Aviation called upon all travelers affected by the decision to contact the relevant airlines to reschedule their flights and ensure their safe return to their final destinations without delay.
As many as 20 countries that placed travel restrictions on Indian passengers in mid-April will only lift the ban once the pandemic is under control in India.