Abu Dhabi requires Covid-19 booster shot or 96-hour PCR for entry to emirate

Third dose necessary to keep Al Hosn Green Pass active - and without it travellers need a recent negative PCR result to enter

Abu Dhabi border Covid-19 scanners in operation on the E11 on December 19. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A nurse collects samples at a Covid-19 drive-through facility in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Motorists queue for a PCR test at the SEHA Covid-19 service centre at Mina Rashed, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A security man uses an EDE scanner, a screening system that detects whether people have Covid-19 via a mobile phone, at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, on June 29. Reuters / Vidhyaa Chandramohan.

PCR tests are administered at the SEHA Covid-19 service centre at Mina Rashed, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Signs alert the public to the Al Hosn Green Pass rules at the Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National.

Latest: Can I get the booster jab if I recently had Covid?

UAE residents are now required to be fully vaccinated, with a booster shot, or have had a 96-hour PCR test, to enter Abu Dhabi.

At the weekend, some drivers entering from Dubai were turned away at the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border after refreshing Al Hosn and discovering the app had turned grey.

Those who had not had the booster were required to go and take another PCR test on the Dubai side to get Green Status on Al Hosn and enter the capital.

The rule, which came into force at the start of the week, applies to those who have had only two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine such as Pfizer-BioNTech. People who are unvaccinated can enter the capital. This would require a negative PCR test, which would turn Al Hosn green for three days only.

Are there any exceptions allowing people who have not had a booster to enter Abu Dhabi?

To enter Abu Dhabi, you must have a Green Pass or a valid negative PCR test result of less than 96 hours, said Al Hosn.

It said: “To obtain a Green Pass, individuals must be fully vaccinated, including a booster dose after six months have passed since your second dose, and have a negative PCR test every 14 days. Kindly note that the Green Pass is required to enter public places in Abu Dhabi.”

Who needs the booster shot?

All adults in the UAE have since November been urged to have the booster shot, when officials said it was important to combat emerging strains of the coronavirus.

In Abu Dhabi, where Al Hosn's Green Pass is needed to enter most public places, everyone eligible to receive the booster must do so.

You are eligible to receive a booster if it has been six months since your second shot.

It appears as though anyone who received their second dose within the past six months will maintain their Green Pass status, despite not yet having a booster, as long as they have a recent negative PCR test result.

In September, people who had received two shots of the Sinopharm vaccine were told it was mandatory to get the booster to maintain their Green Pass status.

This month, all Abu Dhabi government workers were told they must have received the booster shot to enter the workplace.

UAE citizens must also have received a booster shot to travel abroad.

What happens if you recently had Covid and can’t get a booster right now?

“If you had Covid-19 (two positive PCR test results) you will get a 90-day exemption, after which you can get your booster dose or your vaccinations,” said Al Hosn team.

People should contact the health authority in their emirate for further clarification or their nearest vaccination centre, they said.

Do I need a booster if I received two shots of Sinopharm and two shots of Pfizer BioNTech?

No, you do not need a booster at this point, even if it has been longer than six months since your last dose.

“A Pfizer dose is considered as a booster dose to Sinopharm as per the Ncema protocol. Therefore, you will have a green status on the Al Hosn app,” said Al Hosn team.

Currently, no one in the UAE is allowed to have more than four shots of a Covid-19 vaccine.

How do I activate the Green Pass on Al Hosn app?

It is important to have Al Hosn downloaded on your phone. You can keep the profiles of others, such as a visiting relative or your children, on your app. You can find instructions on how to add a tourist's profile to Al Hosn here.

The pass will turn green after a person receives their booster, provided they have also received a recent negative PCR test.

Al Hosn Green Pass requires a PCR test every 14 days. If a fully vaccinated person has not had a negative PCR test within that period, their app will turn grey, regardless of whether they have already received a booster dose.

Unvaccinated people must take PCR tests more frequently to maintain their green status.

Who is exempt from needing a Green Pass?

People with certain medical conditions are exempt. This could apply to you if you have an allergy to an ingredient in the vaccine, or you suffer from a chronic condition that prevents you from receiving it.

Medical conditions include having had Covid in the past six months.

In these cases, to cross the border into Abu Dhabi or enter establishments in the capital, frequent PCR tests will be required to prove you are not infected.

What do I do if my Al Hosn app is grey?

If your Al Hosn has turned grey at the weekend, there is an option on the app to find out why. It may tell you that you need to receive a booster shot. It may also be because you need a more recent negative PCR test.

If it is because you have no booster shot on record, you will need to take frequent PCR tests to enter Abu Dhabi until you do.

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