Abu Dhabi's green list: no quarantine for travellers from Israel and South Korea

Ahead of Etihad's inaugural passenger flight to Israel, the country has been added to the list of 14 destinations where no quarantine is necessary

Albania. Courtesy Yves Alarie / Unsplash

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Australia

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China

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Croatia is welcoming travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Unsplash

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Ireland is on the Abu Dhabi Green List again. Unsplash/Jason Murphy

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Jordan is welcoming travellers and is on the Abu Dhabi green list.

Kuwait is on the Abu Dhabi Green List but entry for travellers remains severely restricted.. Photograph by Michele Nastasi

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Malta has been added back to the UAE Green List from August 18. Courtesy Unsplash/ Ference Hovarth

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Singapore

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Switzerland

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Travellers flying into the UAE from Israel and South Korea will no longer need to quarantine when landing in Abu Dhabi.

The most up-to-date review of the Green List by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi reveals there are now 14 destinations that visitors can fly from without having to self-isolate.

No countries were removed from the list in the latest update on Sunday.

The 14 countries on the green list:

• Australia
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• China
• Greenland
• Hong Kong
• Iceland
• Israel
• Mauritius
• Morocco
• New Zealand
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• South Korea

Originally published in December, the list is updated every two weeks and countries can be removed or added, depending on the Covid-19 situation in each.

All international travellers to Abu Dhabi must present a negative PCR test result and take a second PCR test upon entering the capital.

Anyone flying to Abu Dhabi from destinations not on the approved list must quarantine for 10 days on arrival in the capital.

Can I travel to green-listed countries?

Travellers can fly to Abu Dhabi from South Korea without having to quarantine. Unsplash

Inclusion on the list does not mean reciprocal travel is open for tourists from the UAE. Israel, for example, is not yet open for tourism purposes. Only citizens and those with special exemption can fly into the country where there is also a 14-day quarantine period in place for most travellers.

This means tourists from the UAE keen to take advantage of the new Etihad Airways service from the UAE to Ben Gurion Airport, which launches on Tuesday, April 6, will need to wait a little longer to see Jerusalem's rich history or enjoy Tel Aviv's beaches.

South Korea also has restrictions on who can travel there, with only certain categories of passengers able to visit at this time. Travellers who can fly into the country must have a valid PCR test result and all short-term visitors without an exemption certificate will have to quarantine in an approved facility for 14 days.

Which countries on Abu Dhabi's green list are open for holidays?

Iceland is open without the need for quarantine to holidaymakers who have been vaccinated

Of the 14 countries in the most recent update of the Abu Dhabi Green List, only two of them are valid options for a quarantine-free holiday for Abu Dhabi residents.

Iceland is one country on the list where travel could be possible for some Abu Dhabi residents. The country has reopened to fully vaccinated travellers. Tourists with approved vaccination certificates flying into Iceland will not need to quarantine upon arrival. However, currently, there are no direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Iceland, but connections exist via Etihad, Lufthansa and Icelandair.

Morocco is another holiday option. The kingdom reopened to travellers from 35 destinations, including the UAE, in March. Inbound tourists must present a negative PCR Covid-19 test and show proof of a booking at a Moroccan hotel, but there are no quarantine requirements. Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to Casablanca, with three flights per week.

Brunei is open to a very limited number of travellers with hotel quarantine and Singapore is open to short-term business travellers, but from approved countries as part of the region's safe travel schemes.

Australia, Bhutan, China, Greenland, Hong Kong, Mauritius, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia remain closed for tourism.