India-UAE Travel Update: Passengers must carry these documents to return

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Air India Express has issued guidelines for those passengers who hold valid UAE residency visa and want to travel from India to any of the airport in the Emirates.

The airline has said that the passengers must carry the following documents when travelling to the UAE.

Here are the documents the UAE passengers need to carry with them:

•    For UAE Residence Visa Holders  issued from Dubai and travelling to Dubai: “Return Permit for Resident outside UAE form” which is issued to the passenger(s) from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) through: https://smart.gdrfad.gov.ae/Smart_OTCServicesPortal/ReturnPermitService.aspx

•    For UAE Resident VISA holders travelling to UAE other than Dubai: “Return Permit for Resident outside UAE form” which is issued to the passenger(s) from the below ICA link: https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#/registerArrivals

•    Expo 2020 Visa holders are permitted to travel to UAE without GDRFA/ICA.

Travel Requirement for all Passengers for travel from India to UAE:

1. A valid Negative Covid-19 test certificate with QR code linked to the original report. This has to be issued within the valid time frame, i.e. 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample to the scheduled departure time and has to be taken from an ICMR approved laboratory.

2. A Rapid PCR test report that should be based on molecular diagnostic testing intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS-COV-2 viral RNA; conducted at the Indian departure airport prior to four (4) hours of departure.


Additional requirements for passengers arriving into Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Ras al-Khaimah Airports (RKT):

1. 10 days home quarantine upon arrival in RKT and 12 days home/institutional quarantine in AUH.
2. PCR test on the 4th and the 8th day after arrival in RKT and PCR test on the 6th and the 11th day after arrival into AUH.
3. Adherence to wearing the tracking watch on arrival.

Approved vaccines in the UAE are:

• Sinopharm vaccine
• Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
• Sputnik vaccine
• 3 Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine
• Johnson & Johnson vaccine
• Moderna vaccine
• Jamalika (Sputnik V) vaccine

Passengers are advised to report 6 hours prior departure as Rapid PCR test counters at Airports would close 2 hours prior to the departure.

As per Dubai Civil Aviation Authorities, RT-PCR Test done from the laboratories listed below will not be accepted.

1. Suryam Lab in Jaipur
2. Dr P. BHASIN Pathlabs(p) Ltd. in Delhi
3. Noble Diagnostic Centre in Delhi
4. 360 Diagnostic & Health. Services