Which countries are on Abu Dhabi's green list?

Green-list status and vaccinations mean the difference between a 10-day period of isolation and quarantine-free travel

Abu Dhabi has removed some countries from its travel list that experienced a surge in infections and added others where the number of new cases is more stable. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

On Saturday, Abu Dhabi announced the latest changes to its green list for travellers.

The emirate removed some countries which have experienced a surge in new cases owing to the Omicron variant and added others where the number of new cases is more stable.

But what is the green list? And do travellers coming from countries which have been removed from it still have to quarantine?

Here we explain.

What is the green list?

It is a list of countries which are considered lower risk for Covid.

Anyone returning from a green list country to Abu Dhabi does not have to quarantine – including those who are unvaccinated.

Since September, all vaccinated travellers have been exempted from quarantine anyway, although mandatory PCR testing remains.

Vaccinated travellers who return from a green-list country must take a PCR test on arrival and again on day six. Tests are free on arrival and in Seha screening centres.

Unvaccinated people returning from a green-list country must take a PCR test on arrival, plus on days six and nine, with day one counting as the day of arrival.

People are considered unvaccinated if they have not had a booster within six months of their first two doses.

All travellers flying into Abu Dhabi must also take a PCR test no more than 48 hours before their flight departs.

Spectacular fireworks display at the stroke of midnight ring in the New Year 2022 on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Fireworks display on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A drone display shows Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A drone display shows President Sheikh Khalifa at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A drone display shows Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A drone display shows Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A drone display at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A drone display wishes visitors a Happy New Year at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors enjoy the evening at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, on New Year's Eve. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors enjoy the evening at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival. Victor Besa / The National

Crowds converge at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors view a light display at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors stroll through a light exhibit at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival. Victor Besa / The National

A 40-minute fireworks display at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

How often is the green list updated?

Regularly. The most recent changes were made on January 1 and come into effect from January 3.

As of January 3, the list will comprise of 71 countries.

The UK, which has witnessed a surge in Covid cases fuelled by the Omicron variant, as well as Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Russia and Lebanon, were all removed.

Algeria, Morocco, the Seychelles and Tunisia were added.

If an unvaccinated passenger comes from a country not on the green list, what happens?

They must go into quarantine for 10 days and will be monitored with a tracking wristband. They can do this at home if they have a bedroom and private toilet. If they do not have anywhere suitable, accommodation will be provided by the government.

In addition to quarantine, all those who are unvaccinated who return from countries not on the green list must take a PCR test on arrival and again on day nine.

The rule also applies to tourists.

How do tourists prove they are vaccinated?

Via Al Hosn app, which is used in Abu Dhabi to prove a person’s vaccinated status to enter many public places.

They can do this by initially visiting the ICA website or app, which will ask applicants to provide their passport details, as well as the name of the vaccination and dates of the first, second and third doses, where applicable, along with their vaccination card.

Applicants will receive an SMS confirmation with a link to Al Hosn app. This must be downloaded before travel. It collates information such as PCR test results and vaccination status.

People can also upload proof of vaccination via Al Hosn.

According to the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi website, the app will recognise and automatically synchronise tourists’ international vaccination certificates uploaded on the ICA app or website.

Tourists will need to enter a Unified ID number to complete the registration.

If you are flying with a pre-arranged visit visa, you should carry a PDF or printout of the document to show on arrival. On that form there is a temporary Unified ID number, usually in the top right corner of the page.

It is best to download the app in advance and enter the number, in case you need to use the app to enter somewhere soon after arrival.

If you are from a country that has a visa-on-arrival arrangement with the UAE you only receive a visa stamp on your passport and a five-digit number – not a Unified ID.

You will need to contact the immigration services – GDRFA in Dubai or ICA for the rest of the country – and ask them to generate a number for you.

Abu Dhabi attractions will also accept tourists’ vaccination certificates from their home country app or official report, as well as the negative PCR result from the airport test via SMS, “in the case of any technical issues with Al Hosn,” the Department of Culture and Tourism said.

Which countries are currently on the green list?

Albania

Algeria

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Burma

Cambodia

Canada

China

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hong Kong (SAR)

Hungary

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Latvia

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Maldives

Morocco

Netherlands

Norway

Oman

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Republic of Ireland

Saudi Arabia

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Taiwan, Province of China

Tajikistan

Thailand

Tunisia

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

United States of America

Uzbekistan

Yemen