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UAE eases travel restrictions for vaccinated expatriates.
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Certain work categories allowed to travel even without vaccination
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) took a crucial decision on travel restrictions by allowing entry of vaccinated expatriates in the UAE from August 5.
This decision, taken by the UAE’s Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), is a big relief for Gulf expatriate employees stuck in their respective countries due to travel restrictions.
The ease in travel restrictions would help the expatriates from India and five other countries, who were on the travel ban list of the UAE.
Since the number of Indian expatriate employees in the UAE is relatively high, the decision would allow many Non-Resident-Indians (NRIs) to resume their work after a gap of several months.
Many countries, including the UAE, suspended scheduled flights in March/ April 2020 from countries where the Covid-19 cases were high.
The flights which are operating now are under air bubble arrangement done on a country-to-country basis.
The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), which deals with the Covid-19 situation, announced on Tuesday that all vaccinated expatriates could seek permission to return from August 5.
Thus all those who have UAE’s valid UAE residency visas can apply online to get permission to enter into UAE.
The requirement for this is an application through the UAE government’s Federal Authority for Identity Citizenship portal. The applicant is supposed to upload a vaccination certificate. The applicant should keep in mind that there should be a gap of 14 days between the date of application and the second dose of vaccination. The vaccine taken should be approved by the UAE.
Medical workers, school and university teachers employed in UAE, students, residents with justifiable reasons subject to approval, patients undergoing medical treatment in the UAE, and government employees who work for federal or local government agencies, are allowed to travel without vaccination. But on arrival, they have to all the protocols of tests and quarantine
There is a requirement of PCR test, the result of which is out before 48 hours of travel date, and a rapid test would be conducted before boarding the flight.
The travellers have to undergo set procedures of quarantine and further PCR tests on arrival in the UAE.
PERMISSION TO TRAVEL WITHOUT VACCINATION FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
The ease in travel restrictions allows certain employment categories to travel to UAE even without vaccination.
Medical workers, school and university teachers employed in UAE, students, residents with justifiable reasons subject to approval, patients undergoing medical treatment in the UAE, and government employees who work for federal or local government agencies, are allowed to travel without vaccination. But on arrival, they have to all the protocols of tests and quarantine.