UAE and Seychelles announce travel corridor for vaccinated travellers

The move comes in a bid to promote tourism between the two countries

The Seychelles. UNCTAD says small island developing states are facing an uphill struggle to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Courtesy DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort & Spa

The UAE and The Seychelles have announced the establishment of a new travel corridor for vaccinated holidaymakers, said Emirates news agency Wam.

From Thursday, people will not have to quarantine on arrival in either country as long as they have a recognised vaccination certificate approved by the health authorities in the two nations.

All travellers must continue to abide by other precautionary Covid-19 safety measures at each destination.

The move comes as part of the UAE-Seychelles co-operation towards the recovery from the pandemic, said Wam.

"This step affirms the keenness of the leadership of both countries to facilitate the movement of individuals, promote tourism between the two countries and achieve the desired goals of vaccination campaigns, which reached advanced rates in the percentage of vaccine recipients," read the statement.

Travellers will be required to show an application with documentation that they have received the complete dose of an approved Covid-19 vaccine, alongside PCR laboratory test results.

The Seychelles reopened its borders to international visitors, irrespective of their vaccination status, on March 25.

The only requirement is that all visitors need to present a negative PCR test, taken 72 hours prior to arrival. They will then need to adhere to public health measures currently in place in the country, which include the wearing of faces masks and social distancing in public.

Sylvestre Radegonde, the country’s minister for foreign affairs and tourism, said the decision to review and relax entry procedures was a response to the country’s aggressive vaccination programme.

“The vaccination campaign has been quite successful. The government has done everything in its power to make sure that the population is protected. We have now arrived at the point where opening our borders further is the next step to allow for our economic recovery."

The Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has recorded 8,172 cases of Covid-19 so far and 28 people have died of the illness.