Coronavirus: PCR test results from four Indian labs not accepted in Dubai

Passengers have been asked to get tested at Pure Health approved laboratories, which are recognised by the UAE health authorities

Migrant laborers wait for a rapid antigen test at the site of an under construction residential complex in New Delhi, India. Reuters

A health worker displays a test kit showing a positive result for Covid-19 in Gauhati, India. AP Photo

A man walks past a board from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation at a temporary Covid-19 testing centre in Ahmedabad. AFP

People waits for transportation at a bus station in Jammu, India. AP Photo

A vendor waits for customers at a market in Jammu, India. AP Photo

People in need sit while maintaining social distancing in front of a restaurant offering free meals in Ahmedabad. AFP

Women walk in front of a graffiti painted on a roadside wall in Bangalore, India. EPA

A healthcare worker takes a swab from a migrant laborer for a rapid antigen test in New Delhi. Reuters

A paramedic prepares for duty at a makeshift Covid-19 care center at an indoor sports stadium in New Delhi. AP Photo

A health worker takes the temperature of a patient at a makeshift Covid-19 care center at an indoor sports stadium in New Delhi. AP Photo

UAE health authorities have asked airlines not to accept PCR tests taken at four labs in India, said budget airline Air India Express.

Passengers screened at Suryam Lab in the Indian city of Jaipur, Dr P Bhasin Pathlabs and Noble Diagnostic Centre in Delhi, and Micro Health labs across the state of Kerala will not be allowed to board the flights, said the airline on its blog.

Passengers have been asked to get tested at Pure Health approved laboratories, which are recognised by the UAE authorities.

All travellers and transit passengers must have a negative coronavirus test result before arriving at Dubai International Airport or Dubai World Central.

The test certificate should be printed in English, signed and stamped by the testing lab.

Photocopies or handwritten copies will not be accepted.

The results are valid for up to 96 hours from the time the PCR test was taken.

Children under the age of 12 and children with moderate to severe disabilities are exempt from the test requirements.

Travellers must also fill out a health disclosure form at the airport and disclose any medical symptoms and underlying conditions they may have.

Some passengers may be required to take another PCR test upon arrival in Dubai.

All Dubai resident visa holders who are flying back to the emirate must still apply for and receive approval from the UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs prior to travel.